iBooks VPP no per device assignment

[GiorgioFalcone]

Hi,

I'm working on on-prem console 9.6.
One of our users asked a book on iBooks.
It was the first type of request so I went on VPP store, bought the book, synced on the books catalog page and published for the users. Then I powered on an iPad registered via DEP and saw that, in order to download the book, I had to accept manually the vpp invite and use an apple id.

There is no way to bypass the apple id request? With application since ios 10 it is possible to use device assignment so that license is not linked to an apple id account but directly to the device and no apple id must be used.

Thank you
Giorgio

[RichB2u2 · Accepted solution]

iBooks require an Apple ID and are not able to use device assignment like apps.

[GiorgioFalcone]

Thanks Rich.
I'm really disappointed with that behaviour, this way I'm not able to deliver books to our users because, since app store is locked, they won't be able to login and so redeem the license...

[EricGeorge]

Agreed, Giorgio.....VERY disappointing. We have over 1600 iPads deployed through our school district, & don't use Apple IDs....all the devices are in shared carts. Just attempted to deploy the books to those carts via the Smart Groups created in AirWatch....and nada.

My question is this, & maybe Rich can answer it: If Apple Books requires the use of an Apple ID & can't be assigned like apps can.....why does AirWatch provide the SAME EXACT assignment process for them?!? Seems completely nonsensical to provide a Smart Groups assignment option for Books, if it's impossible for it work.

[RichB2u2]

We have close to 10,000 iPads but we have very few books in our system. Books are pushed to an Assignment Group similar to all the apps. The devices of the Book assignment group are in the hands of high school students that have created free Apple ID's of their own without credit cards associated. Locking down the App Store should have nothing to do with Books and the Book Store is found within the app ' Books.'