Here is a blog I wanted to share on MaaSters Center written by Clint Adams of MaaS360.

The original blog entry: http://blog.maas360.com/archiv…..-cert-now/

It contains a link to instructions on how you can obtain your own APNs Cert from Apple.

As part of the team at Fiberlink building and marketing the leading Cloud based, on-demand MaaS360 Mobile Device Management solution, I have talked to countless customers, analysts and peers regarding Mobile Device Management.

These conversations always include topics related to the management of Apple iOS devices. When we tell a prospect or an analyst that we can enable Apple iOS Mobile Device Management in less than 5 minutes, they inevitably say “Let me see it”. This is the point in the conversation where we need to ask if they have their APNs certificate from Apple. To our great surprise, the response in many cases is dead air. With all the articles, blogging and vendor noise about managing Apple iOS devices, I am constantly surprised about the limited awareness of this prerequisite needed to evaluate, test, buy, use or deploy any solution that leverages the built-in capabilities of the Apple iOS4 Mobile Device Management API.

Reactions range from “I am not doing that” and “Why would Apple do that?” to “Can you help me get one?”

So what is “APNs,” what is an APNs certificate, why is it needed and how do I get one?

Firstly, APNs is an acronym for “Apple Push Notification Service.” It is a facility that Apple has created and hosts. It allows application providers to send notifications to iPhone, iPad and iTouch applications, a very critical function for many applications developed for the iOS platform. APNs is also used to send notifications from platforms and solutions that have implemented iOS 4 Mobile Device Management to request that devices “check-in” to the management platform for commands and updates that may be pending for that device. Given that iOS does not support full background multi-tasking and cannot run Agent software in the traditional sense, APNs is critical for all Mobile Device Management solutions as a way to get the devices to respond and be managed.

Stay with me here. For an enterprise to use APNs in the manner required to utilize any Mobile Device Management solution, they must obtain an APNs Certificate from Apple. Apple has decided that using a certificate to verify the identity the platform sending the request through APNs was prudent. Given that device management can include things like wipe and lock a device, as well as many functions that can have an adverse affect on the user and device, I agree with the premise. 

Here’s the rub. To get a certificate, the enterprise must apply to and be approved for membership in the iOS Developer Enterprise Program. Apple will require you to pay an annual fee of $299 and have a DUNS number (from Dun & Bradstreet). This process can take a week or two to complete. 

Once approved by Apple for the iOS Developer Enterprise Program, you will then need to create one or more APNs certificates that can then be used with your MDM solution of choice. It is a fairly complex process, and a very useful document on exactly how to go about this can be downloaded here.  Remember that this certificate has an expiration date of one year, and you will have to generate and load a new certificate every year.

So, why wait? The day will soon come when you will want to do a quick evaluation or get those rogue iPhones in check. If you have the certificate ready to go, you are one step closer to MDM utopia.