Adding VPP Apps from Apple Business Manager (ABM) to SureMDM

The Apple Volume Purchase Program (VPP) integrated within Apple Business Manager (ABM) enables organizations to purchase and distribute apps in bulk. SureMDM integrates with ABM to streamline app deployment on managed macOS, iOS/iPadOS and tvOS devices.

This guide covers the steps to create a location in ABM, add VPP apps, and sync them with SureMDM for distribution.

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Prerequisites

• An active Apple Business Manager (ABM) account.
• A valid Server Token (.vpptoken) downloaded from ABM.

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Steps to Configure VPP Apps in ABM and Sync with SureMDM

1. Create a Location in ABM

1. Log in to Apple Business Manager (ABM) with an Administrator account.

2. Navigate to: Brands → Location → Add a Location.

3. Enter the below details

Field	Description
Name	Enter the name of the location.
Address	Provide the address of the specified location.
Town or City	Enter the name of the town or city.
PIN Code	Specify the PIN Code.
State	Enter the name of the state.
Language	Specify the language
Display Name	Enter the name to be displayed for this Location
Primary Category	Specify the Category of the Location
Phone	Enter the phone number if required.
Website	Enter the website url if required.
Add Hours	Specify the Working Hours of the location

Click Done after reviewing the details.

5. Added location will be listed.
   note

   Locations are used to organize app licenses and associate them with MDM servers such as SureMDM.

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2. Purchase / Add Apps in ABM

1. Go to Apps & Services section and select Apps & Books

2. Click View Store and search for SureMDM Agent in the search box.

3. Click on the SureMDM Agent app. Provide the following information. Assign to - Select the organization name from the drop-down.
   Quantity - Mention the number of licenses required based on the device count.

4. Click Get to purchase it.

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3. Download the VPP Server Token

1. Click on Organization Name dropdown and navigate to Settings > Payments and Billing > Apps and Books section.

2. Under the Content Tokens section, click the Download option available under the respective Organization Unit instance.

Then the Server Token will get downloaded to your local drive.

3. Save this token securely to upload the same into SureMDM.

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4. Add the VPP Token to SureMDM

1. Log in to the SureMDM Web Console.

2. Navigate to: Settings → Account Settings → Apple Platform Management → VPP → VPP Tokens.

3. Click Add and provide the following details.

Field Name	Description
Name	Enter the name.
Description	Enter the description.
Upload VPP Server Token	Upload the .vpptoken file downloaded from the ABM portal. Use this option to re-upload the VPP Server Token in case of renewal or replacement.
Distribution Label	Enter the distribution label value which will be associated to the apps present in the VPP Token. It can be used to represent regions, business units, or deployment environments.
Location	Displays the location that is associated with the VPP Server Token.
Apple ID	Provide the Apple ID associated with the ABM account used for this configuration.

Once added, the desired VPP token will get listed in the table section.

4. Table actions

Option	Description
Add	Adds a new VPP token to the SureMDM Console.
Set as Default	Sets the selected VPP token as the default token in the Purchased Apps section.
Edit	Modifies the details of an existing VPP token.
Delete	Removes the selected VPP server token from the console.

5. Displaying Apps in the Purchased Apps section

1. Once the server token is uploaded successfully in the VPP Tokens tab section, the apps will be automatically listed in the Purchased Apps table section.

Column Name	Description
Icon	Displays the application’s icon as provided in ABM for easy identification.
Name	Shows the name of the application synced from ABM.
Total License	Indicates the total number of app licenses purchased.
Available License	Indicates the total number of app licenses purchased and still available for assignment to devices or users.
Used License	Displays the number of licenses that have already been assigned to devices or users.
Device Assignable	Specifies whether the application supports direct device-based assignment (without requiring an Apple ID).
Platform	Identifies the supported platform for the application (e.g., iOS, iPadOS, macOS).

Table actions

Option	Description
Select VPP Token	Select the VPP Token name to display the apps associated with it.
Manage Device License Assignment	Use this option to grant / revoke licenses to the devices.
Refresh	Updates the list of purchased apps to reflect the latest license and assignment status from ABM.
Assign To User	Assigns the selected VPP app license to a specific user.
Assign To Device	Assigns the selected VPP app license directly to a specific device.
Sync Apps	Synchronizes apps from ABM to SureMDM, ensuring any newly purchased apps or updates are reflected in the Purchased Apps list.
Search	Allows searching for apps within the Purchased Apps table using keywords.

5. Granting / Revoking App Licenses to Devices

1. Click Manage Device License Assignment

2. In the Upload Device & Assign Apps tab, provide the required values and click Apply

Field Name	Description
Action Type	Specify the action type. - Grant License - Revoke License
Upload Device List	Upload the device list in the specified format. For format, click Download Template to download the standard template.
Assign Apps	Select the apps for which licenses should be granted / revoked. Note: - Serial Numbers of the devices which aren’t even enrolled into SureMDM can also be assigned. - Based on the Action Type (Grant / Revoke), Licenses will still be assigned / revoked to the devices which are yet to be enrolled. - If the uploaded device list contains more devices than available licenses, licenses will be allocated to devices until the limit is reached. Rest of the devices will remain unassigned.

3. Once licenses are granted or revoked, the details will be recorded and can be viewed in the Assignment History tab.

6. Synchronization of VPP Apps in SureMDM App Store

1. Once the VPP apps are synced in the Apple Platform Management section under Purchased Apps, the same will get reflected in the SureMDM App Store under respective platforms.

2. Navigation: App Store → iOS/ipadOS → VPP Apps

Notes

• Apps purchased through ABM remain owned by the organization, not individual users.
• Revoked app licenses can be reassigned to other devices.
• Apps are updated automatically when newer versions are published in the App Store.