Rolling out 1500 ipads - how to handle app loads

[ddublu]

If a company wanted to roll out 1500 ipads for a sales force and have apps pre-loaded before they are rolled out what is the best way to handle that from an iTunes perspective? Isn't it true that if you put one app on a bunch of iPads with a generic iTunes login (to expedite staging/logistics), pass them out and then that app needs an update wont it have to have that same login to perform the update? Trying to determine best logistics for this.

 

[Macman45]

Servers

If a company wanted to roll out 1500 ipads for a sales force and have apps pre-loaded before they are rolled out what is the best way to handle that from an iTunes perspective? Isn't it true that if you put one app on a bunch of iPads with a generic iTunes login (to expedite staging/logistics), pass them out and then that app needs an update wont it have to have that same login to perform the update? Trying to determine best logistics for this.

1500? Zip, Nada...

Think about the way siri, Verizon AT&T and all the other phone and Telecom companies world-wide operate ...

An Example of bandwidth (which I think Is what you are getting at)
http://www.umediaserver.net/umediaserver/source.html






The image display's a small proportion of what happens when you use things like siri on your phone, make a call etc.




This if you can imagine is such a small allocation it's nothing .

Imagine server racks That's what they are all containing Teraquads of space.

If you are running out, pull a rack and add. replace a rack and put in more It's the way it is

Some more information here:

http://www.filecluster.com/reviews/tag/servers/

Capacity is governed by the amount of investment a company is prepared to put in.

 

[ddublu]

1500? Zip, Nada...

Think about the way siri, Verizon AT&T and all the other phone and Telecom companies world-wide operate ...

An Example of bandwidth (which I think Is what you are getting at)
http://www.umediaserver.net/umediaserver/source.html






The image display's a small proportion of what happens when you use things like siri on your phone, make a call etc.




This if you can imagine is such a small allocation it's nothing .

Imagine server racks That's what they are all containing Teraquads of space.

If you are running out, pull a rack and add. replace a rack and put in more It's the way it is

Some more information here:

http://www.filecluster.com/reviews/tag/servers/

Capacity is governed by the amount of investment a company is prepared to put in.

What are you talking about?

 

[m3coolpix]

If a company wanted to roll out 1500 ipads for a sales force and have apps pre-loaded before they are rolled out what is the best way to handle that from an iTunes perspective? Isn't it true that if you put one app on a bunch of iPads with a generic iTunes login (to expedite staging/logistics), pass them out and then that app needs an update wont it have to have that same login to perform the update? Trying to determine best logistics for this.

I would think with an installation of this magnitude, that you should be able to involve Apple's corporate level system's engineering and/or technical support group (this being above the typical Genius Bar visit)?

Even if this is going through the normal 'distribution channel', does your corporation (at some level) have a Apple sales rep (and system engineer) assigned, or at least involved.

Back in my corporate IT world career at the manufacturer level....this was how it worked, even on much smaller scale installs and roll outs.

 

[ddublu]

I would think with an installation of this magnitude, that you should be able to involve Apple's corporate level system's engineering and/or technical support group (this being above the typical Genius Bar visit)?

Even if this is going through the normal 'distribution channel', does your corporation (at some level) have a Apple sales rep (and system engineer) assigned, or at least involved.

Back in my corporate IT world career at the manufacturer level....this was how it worked, even on much smaller scale installs and roll outs.

We do have those resources through Apple but they put a 60 day timeline on making this possible and we can do it in a much shorter timeline (staging/logistics of wireless devices - BB's, routers, modems, etc is our forte).

 

[m3coolpix]

We do have those resources through Apple but they put a 60 day timeline on making this possible and we can do it in a much shorter timeline (staging/logistics of wireless devices - BB's, routers, modems, etc is our forte).

I'm a tad confused on your explanation.....my apologies.

Is it that Apple is putting a 60 day timeline on 'making this possible' (which implies some background software/engineering needs to be done to give a separate entity access to the Apple proprietary software/tools required for this project)....or is that they need 60 days to do the rollout (meaning the software/tools are already in place, and they need that long to actually roll through the project).

If it's the former, then it sounds like there might not an alternative, unless you (or the corporation this is for) make the solution yourself (hence your OP).

Or...If it's the latter, then it's not being 'raised up' Apple's corporate chain of command high enough.

Either way...with a retail price of $750k this rollout needs better attention paid to it. 'The squeaky wheel gets the grease' mentality/attitude should work wonders.

Been in both situations before...neither are fun when an exec has his/her mind made up for 'need it now'.

 

[nefan65]

Look at some form of a Mobile Management Server, or Mobile Device Mgmt Server [not sure of the exact name]. They have in-house and Cloud solutions available. They allow you to manage the devices by serial number, and can apply policies, push updates, etc.

Or, but more iCloud storage. Then setup one iPad, save/backup the config to that, then for each new iPad after that, restore from backup via iCloud, and do that. I've done that way for about 20, and it's pretty slick.

 

[ddublu]

Look at some form of a Mobile Management Server, or Mobile Device Mgmt Server [not sure of the exact name]. They have in-house and Cloud solutions available. They allow you to manage the devices by serial number, and can apply policies, push updates, etc.

Or, but more iCloud storage. Then setup one iPad, save/backup the config to that, then for each new iPad after that, restore from backup via iCloud, and do that. I've done that way for about 20, and it's pretty slick.

My issues isn't more storage but how they initially get setup. I dont think setting them up your way would allow for future updates since the iTunes login would be different. They are going to 1500 different users. I actually want to deploy the iPad's after loading an MDM app on it along with a custom background. I'd also like to pair it with MiFi's from the carrier before sending them out.

 

[bri1212]

My issues isn't more storage but how they initially get setup. I dont think setting them up your way would allow for future updates since the iTunes login would be different. They are going to 1500 different users. I actually want to deploy the iPad's after loading an MDM app on it along with a custom background. I'd also like to pair it with MiFi's from the carrier before sending them out.

I am not sure this can be done any other way, except through Apple. I have had short discussions with Apple Reps on this, previously. They can set it up with your apps and custom backgrounds preloaded, and when the ipad is registered to the individual user they will not lose the ability to update the apps that were preloaded. I am not sure that logistically you can do this any other way, without jailbreaking. I am not sure they will have it paired with your mifi, before sending them out, though.

I can not speak for anyone else, but I would be interested to hear how a roll out of 1500 ipads went. It would be nice to hear if their were a lot of problems encountered, or if everything went off without a hitch.

 

[PinkyMacGodess]

I am not sure this can be done any other way, except through Apple. I have had short discussions with Apple Reps on this, previously. They can set it up with your apps and custom backgrounds preloaded, and when the ipad is registered to the individual user they will not lose the ability to update the apps that were preloaded. I am not sure that logistically you can do this any other way, without jailbreaking. I am not sure they will have it paired with your mifi, before sending them out, though.

I can not speak for anyone else, but I would be interested to hear how a roll out of 1500 ipads went. It would be nice to hear if their were a lot of problems encountered, or if everything went off without a hitch.

I read somewhere in passing that Apple has the ability to 'customize' a batch of iPads to have whatever on them you want. If you want them to have a certain list of apps: done. Certain music or videos: done. Certain content (books, etc): done. If you want a certain website to come up on Safari: done. Basically the article said that whatever you want on a batch of iPads, and you pay to have it done, you can get it. Including configs for wireless and VPN's. Basically 'If you got the money honey, they got the time'. Now it might take a while for them to set up the devices but it beats trying to do it yourself.

Although I can imagine that you could do something through a local intranet page maybe...

 

[thewitt]

Read this

http://images.apple.com/ipad/business/docs/iOS_Business.pdf

 

[bluecluee]

Casper

We use Casper and love it http://jamfsoftware.com/solutions/mobile-device-management/