Any actual experience migrating VPP from codes to managed distribution?

[RobertHammen]

Hi folks,

Have a client that has made a number of purchases with their VPP account over the past year or so. Has generally used Configurator (multiple accounts on a single MBP) for assigning/using the redemption codes.

Has now been enrolled in the new VPP and downloaded a token/linked to it in Casper. The next step would be for them to contact Apple about migrating from redemption codes to managed distribution, per:

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT6015

What I am wondering is if anyone has gone through this? Apple very generically says:

"...you can request to migrate these codes for use with managed distribution if the codes are unredeemed or were redeemed through Apple Configurator."

My question is, do you have to do anything in Configurator (i.e. check in the iPads/unassign the apps)? How do they determine how you've applied the redemption codes?

I realize that migrating from codes isn't necessarily applicable to each app, as some iPads that are cart-based, versus 1-to-1-based, may be better served by the previous approach.

Just wondering if anyone had gone through this experience and had any further details/thoughts/words of warning here. Would greatly appreciate any feedback you may be able to provide.

[mcooper]

We have converted several thousands of dollars worth of apps from redemption codes to managed distribution. The process is extremely easy, and only takes a couple of days to process the the request.

My question is, do you have to do anything in Configurator (i.e. check in the iPads/unassign the apps)? How do they determine how you've applied the redemption codes?

When a redemption code is normally used it is forever tied to an Apple ID; there is no getting it back. The one exception to this rule is when the redemption code is used with Configurator. The redemption codes are basically being loaned to a device, and you can pull them and assign them to other devices as needed. When used with Configurator the App Store never sees that the codes have actually been used by a specific Apple ID. When you want to convert the redemption codes to managed distribution you will need to pull the apps off the devices with Configurator.

Just wondering if anyone had gone through this experience and had any further details/thoughts/words of warning here. Would greatly appreciate any feedback you may be able to provide.

The biggest warning is that you make sure the apps you are converting to managed distribution are going to be used in a 1:1 scenario, and not in a shared environment. Managed distribution is not designed for a shared cart scenario. I mention this because the conversion from redemption code to managed distribution is one way only! Once an app purchase has been converted to managed distribution there is no way to make it redemption code again. Apple has no system in place, nor do they intend to create one, to convert back into redemption codes. We learned this the hard way.

[gkoontz]

Also you have to convert ALL of your apps purchased with that VPP account. You can't just say I want to migrate apps A,B,&C, but not D,E&F. We're purchasing new codes for the apps we want to do managed distribution for since the majority we want to continue managing with Configurator.

Someone please correct me if I am wrong on this.

[cdenesha]

Yes, I can confirm that all unredeemed (including the ones used by Configurator) VPP codes purchased by the Facilitator Apple ID will be converted to Managed. You cannot choose which apps. However you get to choose which kind of license model you want each time you purchase new VPP codes - by spreadsheet or Managed token.

I asked VPP support this:
Q "I am unclear what happens to an iPad with an app that was previously deployed via Configurator. The tech note did not detail what I need to do once the code redeemed through Configurator is converted to Managed. Do the apps stop working? Do I need to make sure to unassign them in Configurator before this?"

A "No, you don't need to do anything to the iPads. The app will continue working on an iPad to which is it already deployed, but the license will be converted to "managed distribution" and you'll be able to assign the license to a particular Apple ID."

[Sandy]

Hi All,
I am preparing to convert to Managed Distribution for some accounts, and wondered if any of you have run into this, which came from VPP for education Support:

*D) The Conversion process goes by order, so if a spreadsheet was split up and different Apple IDs converted it, that spreadsheet will most likely not be converted as having been flagged as not redeemed purely with Apple Configurator.

---

We have many thousands of $$ in apps that were purchased and originally these were synced to iPads using iTunes (70 or so per institutional Apple ID)
Many codes were purchased and only a few redeemed in iTunes. Without converting, we are unable to KNOW this, but I doubt there's a single spreadsheet that doesn't have a few codes either redeemed with institutional Apple IDs to sync iPads, or distributed to teachers....

Last year we used Apple Configurator, and based on Apple's KB:http://support.apple.com/kb/HT6015?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US we have been operating under that assumption that those codes would be converted.

Our Apple SE is checking further, but I have had multiple exchanges with VPP support and that person has remained unwavering in this information
Sandy

[bhouseward]

I just made the jump and had all my previously purchased codes converted to managed distribution. Maybe this is a newbie question, but I how do I see these apps in JSS now? I would expect them to show next to other Managed apps under VPP Assignments->New, but I only see the managed apps - not the converted ones.

I tried renewing the token under Global Management->VPP Accounts, but it gave me an error about a duplicate token. I'm wary to delete it and re-add it for fear of losing the apps already in circulation. Does anyone know the proper way to use these converted codes?

Edit:

I added a second VPP account to JSS with the same token and that one included all of the migrated apps, including the one I had installed previously. So it's not so scary to remove the old one after all.