Creating & Managing your Apple ID:
As part of the initial IT Hub set up, you will need to configure the MDM environment for your organization. If you have any company-owned Mac devices in your organization, an Apple ID will be required to configure the MDM instance for your organization.
Note: This Apple ID is only for the configuration of your company-level MDM instance. It should be an email accessible by multiple admins. Your general employees will not need this Apple ID to enroll the MDM on their devices.
How Do I Create an Apple ID?
To create an Apple ID, navigate to Apple’s website here and fill out the required information.
A generic company email address should be identified and used as the Apple ID for MDM configuration
Examples of an email to use could be admin@domain.com, hr@domain.com, operations@domain.com if those emails exist in your organization.
To avoid utilizing additional Google/Microsoft licenses, Admins can also create an email group or alias, and configure the group/alias to be eligible to receive external emails.
For instructions on how to enable this for a Google group, please review this article under the “People outside my organization can’t email my group” section.
For instructions on how to enable this for a Microsoft group/alias you created, please review this article, under the ”Settings” section.
An individual’s email or existing Apple ID can be used instead of a group email. However, this is not recommended. You will need to enable 2-factor authentication during set up and should the owner of the associated authentication device leave your organization, it may be difficult to access your account
Once the Apple ID is created, follow the instructions in the Electric Help article here to configure MDM for your organization!
FAQs:
I only have Windows devices at my organization. Do I still need to set up an Apple ID to configure my MDM instance?
No. You will only need an Apple ID if you plan on using MDM on Apple devices.
What is the difference between an Apple ID & an Apple Business Manager (ABM) account?
Anyone can create an Apple ID, but an ABM account can only be set up by a business that has signed up for Apple Business Manager (ABM).
Do I need to create an ABM account to configure my MDM?
No, we only recommend creating an ABM account if you plan on purchasing Apple assets through the Electric Hardware Store. Otherwise, you do not need an ABM account to configure your MDM.
If I already have an Apple Business Manager account should I use the email associated with the administrator of that account?
If the email you used to create your ABM account meets the criteria outlined above, you can use it to configure your MDM. The key is to make sure it is not tied to one person or likely to be deleted during offboarding.
Can I use any Apple ID to configure my MDM instance?
Technically, yes. However, it is recommended you use one with an email and MFA device that multiple users at your organization can access to ensure you maintain access through staffing changes.
Where should I go if I have questions about setting up an Apple ID to use while configuring my MDM?
Electric’s Product product-support@electric.ai Specialists can help answer your questions and point you toward the best resources. You can reach them at product-support@electric.ai.