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Deploying Deputy iOS apps via VMware Workspace ONE MDM

Lisa Kirby
  • Updated

 

Before you start

Deputy iOS Mobile and Kiosk apps can be deployed and self-configured with correct user credentials using Apple's MDM (mobile device management) initiative.

Benefits include remote management of Deputy and not having to worry about usernames and passwords. For example, imagine you are a corporation with hundreds or thousands of employees and dozens of sites where the Deputy Kiosk needs to be installed and maintained. As opposed to worrying about usernames and passwords and specific accounts, MDM will allow you to remote provision Deputy Apps into the devices without having to use any Deputy username or password!

In order to use MDM provisioning:

  • you must have System Administrator access in Deputy 
  • you must have administrative access to a VMware MDM account
  • the user you are trying to provision the account for must be a user you can view/manage in Deputy as per our usual access levels and the user must also have a verified Deputy account.

Deputy can work with any MDM solution provider.

For this example, we are going to use Workspace ONE (by VMWare and formerly known as Airwatch).  We will configure the Deputy Kiosk iOS app step by step, however, the Deputy Mobile app configuration is exactly the same.

 

Get Deputy app domain and domain token

You will need to get an OAuth token in order to auto-configure the user credentials.

1. Log in to your Deputy account via a desktop web browser.

2. In the URL address bar, go to /exec/devapp/oauth_clients

e.g. if your Deputy install URL is https://mycompany.na.deputy.com, then you will need to go to https://mycompany.na.deputy.com/exec/devapp/oauth_clients and click New OAuth Client

OAuth_list__2_.png

3. Use the following info below to set up a new client.

  • Name - for this example we will type Workspace ONE
  • Description - for this example we will type Workspace ONE access token
  • Redirect URI - htttp://deputy.com

Click Save This OAuth Client.

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4. Then on the next page, click Get An Access Token.

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5. Copy or note down the Access Token shown in the alert.
Note: Please keep this token private. Do not give it to anyone, even your users!
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Adding the app within your MDM provider

Log into your MDM provider. In this example, we will use VMware's Workspace ONE Unified Endpoint Management.

1. Click on Resources > Apps and select Public then Add Application.

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2. Select your platform and search for Deputy (for mobile apps) or Deputy Kiosk (for the Time Clock) and click Next.

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3. Click on Select for either the Deputy Kiosk - Time Clock (for the Time clock app) or Deputy: Shift Schedule Maker for the Deputy mobile app.
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4. For this example, we've selected Deputy Kiosk - Time Clock. Click Save and Assign.
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Configuration

Now we need to configure the App assignment.

1. In the Distribution tab:

  • Name the assignment
  • Specify which device groups will be assigned the app
  • For the app delivery method select On Demand.
 
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2. In the Restrictions tab select the restrictions you would like to apply to the management of the app according to your organisation's policies.

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3. Application Configuration tab, turn ON Send Configuration. Then enter the following Application Configuration:

  • DPDomain : It is your Deputy Domain where you received the token from. Please remove any http or https from it or URL paths. Just type the fully qualified domain name such as  mycompany.na.deputy.com or sparkandco.au.deputy.com

  • DPUserEmail : The email address of the user. This should be auto-populated from the email address of the user that the device is allocated to. In Workspace ONE UEM configuration, it's {EmailAddress}. The device must be provisioned to this email address and it must match an email address of a Deputy user in the above deputy subdomain.

  • DPAdminToken : This is the token you have received at this step.

When the application is provisioned via MDM to the device, Deputy App will check for these values and use them to validate and log in the user. This will avoid the login screens and will open the app straight into a logged in state for the user.

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4. Click Save when you are done.

 

Deploy and install

Provision the Deputy Kiosk application on your MDM-managed devices by following your MDM solution provider's instructions on how to provision to devices.

Please note, the device may need to have an iTunes account enabled already for it to receive an app. Once it receives the install commands, Deputy should be provisioned and at initial launch, it will bypass the login stage.

 

Deputy iPhone app

The Deputy iPhone app can be configured in exactly the same way as the Deputy Kiosk by selecting "Deputy: Shift Schedule Maker" in step 3 above.

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