Apple School Manager (ASM)

A web-based portal for educational institutions to deploy devices, manage Managed Apple IDs for students/staff, and purchase content. Supports features like Shared iPad and Classroom app integration.

What to Know

Apple School Manager is the foundational platform for K-12 device deployments, providing zero-touch enrollment, student account management, and classroom-specific features unavailable in Apple Business Manager. ASM enables Shared iPad, which allows multiple students to use a single device while maintaining personalized experiences, and integrates with Student Information Systems to automatically provision and deprovision student accounts based on enrollment data.

ASM is also the only authorized way to create Managed Apple IDs for students under 13, complying with COPPA regulations while providing students access to iCloud, collaboration tools, and educational apps. Without ASM, schools cannot deploy supervised iPads at scale or provide students with secure, institutional Apple IDs.

Common Scenarios

Enterprise IT: While ASM is designed for education, some corporate training programs use it for apprenticeship or certification programs that involve student-like cohorts. However, most businesses use Apple Business Manager instead, as ASM’s education-specific features are unnecessary outside of academic environments.

MSP: MSPs serving K-12 clients should be familiar with ASM setup and management, as it differs meaningfully from ABM. MSPs need to understand Shared iPad configuration, Classroom app deployment, and student roster syncing from SIS platforms like PowerSchool or Infinite Campus. Unlike ABM, ASM includes education-specific roles like Site Manager and Instructor, which MSPs must configure properly.

Education: Schools use ASM to assign newly purchased iPads to their MDM, create Managed Apple IDs for students and teachers, and purchase educational apps and books through VPP. ASM’s SIS integration automates student account creation and class roster assignment, eliminating manual account management. Schools also use ASM to configure Shared iPad for classroom cart deployments and enable Classroom app for teacher-led instruction.

In Addigy

Addigy integrates with Apple School Manager using the same MDM server token workflow as Apple Business Manager. Schools upload Addigy’s token to ASM, assign devices to Addigy, and configure enrollment settings. Addigy supports all ASM-specific features including Shared iPad deployment, Classroom app management, and Managed Apple ID assignment. Addigy displays student roster data synced from ASM and allows admins to scope policies to specific classes or grade levels.