Essentially, Apple Business Manager saves your IT management team time and effort by integrating and streamlining myriad processes.

What is Apple Business Manager?

Apple Business Manager is a purpose-built portal that allows for the large-scale purchase, enrollment, and tracking and managing of Apple devices such as iPads, Macs, iPhones, and other Apple hardware.

Without Apple Business Manager, each Apple device under the purview of your organization must be dealt with individually. With Apple Business Manager set up, the IT management staff in your company can easily track to whom devices have been distributed.

They can also serve out content like apps, books, videos, and more, both en masse or to specific employees. Tracking phone, tablet, or computer usage and location is also possible, along with locking or even erasing devices remotely.

Apple Business Manager is free. There is no purchase price, nor is there any ongoing subscription fee. That said, your MDM is unlikely to be free, and without an MDM, there is no point in using the service. You can still enroll in Apple Business Manager without an MDM, but it will serve little purpose.

Do I need Apple Business Manager for MDM?

No, you don't need Apple Business Manager for mobile device management — it's the other way around. MDM is critical for businesses that need to keep track of the hardware distributed to their employees and how the devices are being used.

Apple Business Manager works with your MDM rather than replacing it. So, while Apple Business Manager is not required for corporate mobile device management, it's usually a welcome addition that simplifies and speeds things up for the IT folks.

That said, in many cases, Apple Business Manager is not a good choice for working with your MDM. Platforms like Baramundi and Microsoft Intune can work with both Android and iOS devices, making those savvy choices for business that use both Apple and non-Apple hardware — or that don't use Apple devices at all.

How do I log in to Apple Business Manager?

Signing into Apple Business Manager for the first time is easy, provided you already have an administrator account.

1. Go to business.apple.com and sign in with your admin account. 2. Go to your organization's settings, then select "Verify." 3. Enter your organization's DUNS number ("Data Universal Numbering System"). 4. Enter all of your (or your admin's) contact information. 5. Go to the email account associated with the admin and find a message explaining that your enrollment is in review. 6. Wait for approval, and once you get it create a dedicated user in the new Apple Business Manager account that will be your organization's "Administrator" for the platform.

Where can I find my Apple Business Manager ID?

To find your Apple Business Manager organization ID, follow these steps:

1. Open Apple Business Manager by going to business.apple.com and logging in with your admin's login credentials. 2. Select the admin name at the bottom of the sidebar. 3. Select "Preferences," then select "Organization." 4. On the next page, locate your Organization ID.