Apple reveals Mac apps to soon be included in Volume Purchase Program
In an email to developers on Thursday, Apple announced that it will soon include Mac apps in its Volume Purchase Program, allowing businesses and educational institutions to buy multiple copies of an app at a discounted rate.
With the addition of Mac apps to Apple's Volume Purchase Program, developers will be able to offer discounts on bulk app purchases, allowing them to target certain demographics within the business and education markets.
As noted by TUAW, the email points out that institutions purchasing 20 or more copies of a participating app will be entitled to a 50 percent discount. Developers choose whether to join VPP, and are by default not enrolled until they sign up via iTunes Connect.
The new app initiative could open new doors for businesses to deploy Macs to employees, an area long dominated by Microsoft's Windows platform. Previously, only iOS apps were eligible for VPP purchases.
First announced in 2010, the Volume Purchase Program was introduced to the iOS App Store for educational institutions as part of the company's Apple in Education initiative. The bulk buying program was later extended to businesses deploying multiple iOS devices like iPads and iPhones to employees.
With the addition of Mac apps to Apple's Volume Purchase Program, developers will be able to offer discounts on bulk app purchases, allowing them to target certain demographics within the business and education markets.
As noted by TUAW, the email points out that institutions purchasing 20 or more copies of a participating app will be entitled to a 50 percent discount. Developers choose whether to join VPP, and are by default not enrolled until they sign up via iTunes Connect.
The new app initiative could open new doors for businesses to deploy Macs to employees, an area long dominated by Microsoft's Windows platform. Previously, only iOS apps were eligible for VPP purchases.
First announced in 2010, the Volume Purchase Program was introduced to the iOS App Store for educational institutions as part of the company's Apple in Education initiative. The bulk buying program was later extended to businesses deploying multiple iOS devices like iPads and iPhones to employees.
Comments
Wait, they weren’t before? Sure they were… I remember it. For education, at least I know, and probably business.
They sure weren't. Only iOS apps. It has been a bear trying to buy non-Apple Mac apps for business off the store.
Yep, it was for the iOS App Store only. This will be a great addition!
I am guessing business like this the most, schools go for iPads.
Not true, many schools have multiple Macs in both classrooms, rolling carts and regular labs. Many Colleges use Macs as well. This is a great addition.
I would go out on a limb and say more K-12 schools and colleges use Macs than businesses.
While I agree with your last sentence, the Education market has enjoyed discounts on Apple-branded software for years. So, if a school system ordered a small number of a title, or a small number of various titles, they had a firm discounted price they would pay, regardless of quantity.
Since school systems come in various sizes from huge to very tiny, and can only buy what they need for that specific fiscal year, they are constrained in how they could negotiate prices. This new change in volume pricing will be more important for government and industry purchasers.
While this may seem to many as long overdue, it's a symptom of how deep Apple has penetrated the enterprise market with Macs as a halo effect of the iPhones and iPads, as well as Apple's serious intent to lever even more inroads. In the past, price wasn't reason Enterprise wasn't buying mac, as much as PC compatibility was. Now, today, BYOD has lessened or caused that drumbeat to cease.
I share your hopes. Apple has done a great job of extending the utility of its iTune store way beyond what it was intended. At the same time the world markets have become more accessable. I'm not sure what Apple his in way of infrastructure outside of the U.S. - like the large server farms Apple has throughout U.S.A. - that could be used to deliver the apps like we see here.