Device workflow in Apple Business Essentials
Apple Business Essentials provides a fast, streamlined way for you to deploy Apple devices that your organization has purchased directly from Apple, a participating Apple Authorized Reseller, or an authorized cellular carrier. You can automatically enroll devices in mobile device management (MDM) without having to physically touch or prep the devices before users get them.
You can also control whether a user can remove the MDM profile from the device. For example, you can order the devices from Apple, an Apple Authorized Reseller, or an authorized cellular carrier, configure the management settings, and have the devices shipped directly to the user’s home address. After it is unboxed and activated, the device is automatically enrolled in MDM and appears in Apple Business Essentials, with all management settings and apps ready for the user.
After you sign up for Apple Business Essentials, you have 4 steps to complete before you can start managing devices.
Step 1: Link to Apple or to a participating reseller
If you link your Apple Customer Number or Reseller Number to Apple Business Essentials, after the linking is complete, any orders of the following devices appear automatically in Apple Business Essentials: iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, Apple Watch, Apple Vision Pro. See Manage device suppliers.
Step 2: Add your devices to Apple Business Essentials
Devices purchased with your Apple Customer Number or Reseller Number appear automatically in Apple Business Essentials. You can also manually add devices you own using Apple Configurator. See Add devices from Apple Configurator.
Step 3: Assign a device to an MDM server
After a device appears in Apple Business Essentials, you must assign it to an MDM server. You can manually assign a device to an MDM server or set up automatic assignment. See Assign, reassign, or unassign devices.
Step 4: Enroll a device in MDM
Devices can now be enrolled in MDM, so that management policies can be applied. You can automatically enroll devices you own, or users can enroll their devices manually. When users enroll their device, that device is assigned to MDM and added to the device list in Apple Business Essentials.
Watch a video on enrolling devices.
Account-driven enrollment
Account-driven User Enrollment and account-driven Device Enrollment provide a seamless, secure way for users to set up Apple devices for work by signing in with a Managed Apple Account.
This approach allows both a Managed Apple Account and personal Apple Account to be signed in on the same device, with separation of work and personal data. Users maintain privacy over their personal information, while IT can support work-related apps, settings, and accounts.
Apple Business Essentials provides your linked third-party MDM solution the ability to configure alternate service discovery for verified domains. You can set the default MDM server assignment for iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Vision Pro to the respective MDM servers.
