App Distribution in Schools

Over-the-air (OTA) distribution of in-house and App Store apps.


Casper looks promising for over the air distribution of App Store apps to 1-to-1 iPads in schools. 

Casper Suite 8.0 allows schools to manage iOS devices like iPods or iPads, using the same console they use to manage their Macs, benefitting from the integration with the Apple ecosystem while leveraging their existing technology. While some enterprises are now considering Macs or iOS devices for the first time with pilot programs or instituting employee choice programs, many others are growing their deployments year over year and are well aware that the Casper Suite is the only client management solution developed exclusively for the Apple platform.

Self Service management of applications is a concept well-known to IT administrators who use the Casper Suite. Self Service is extremely popular with end users, who enjoy the ability to install applications to their machines on demand and without interaction from IT departments.

The Casper Suite 8.0 brings this same concept to iOS app distribution, allowing administrators to distribute App Store apps and in-house apps to individuals or groups of end users. As new devices are enrolled, the appropriate apps are automatically offered based on smart group settings, ensuring that end users immediately have access to all in-house apps and provisioning profiles with a single tap install. As existing in-house apps are updated or new in-house apps released, users can install updates through the same interface.

Increasing the power of the Casper Suite's efficient Self Service interface is the ability to manage Apple Volume Purchase Program manifests and distribute app vouchers to end users. While distributing iOS apps to many devices was previously a time-intensive proposition requiring hands-on management, Apple has recently introduced the Volume Purchase Program allowing schools, universities and colleges to purchase apps in bulk. Automating the process of managing and distributing VPP codes, the Casper Suite gives IT administrators the ability to easily manage apps and licensing compliance across thousands of devices from a single console, a unique offering in the MDM landscape.