I was asked to do a recruitment app that will recruit people for the company, so of course it will be free. When I released it, it got rejected for being very basic.
Now the client want to just release it through their site if apple don't want to accept it.
I know how to create the .ipa file through adhoc disribution which is what I use to give them copy and test it by putting it on a test site so that they can download it on their iphones.
But this is only for testing purposes, only the phones registered as devices on the dev account can download the file successfully.
So is it possible to release an app that will be used by users successfully without submitting it to apple?
With an Enterprise account you can more or less host your own private app store for an unlimited amount of devices and distribute in-house without Apple.
With a Developer account you can run ad-hoc installs via TestFlight or comparable services for up to 100 devices.
The new iTunes TestFlight integration announed at WWDC14 allows for 1000 devices.
The only solution that will look truly professional is the Enterprise App Store and it requires you to have a DUNS and an approval from Apple, but generally with a DUNS you're set. It's $299 instead of $99, but that's not so much money for most companies that have a DUNS. Also you can't use that account for publishing apps to the public App Store.
In general, yes it is possible: you can release an enterprise app outside the app store, provided that your company has the requisite enterprise agreement.
However, this is intended for internal use, and while I haven't read the agreement myself, I believe that distribution to the public at large would likely be in breach. (EDIT: As Zaph points out, this is in fact explicitly disallowed.)
The situation you're describing would fall outside this.
Moreover, from a user experience standpoint, it's unreasonable to expect prospective employees to download an application from outside the app store.
This is not only technically difficult for a lot of people, but it would look incredibly unprofessional, which is the opposite of what you're after in a recruitment app.
No. Apple restricts the apps available to users only to those on App Store.
(Actually, not 100% true - you could release the app on Cydia and target only jailbroken phones, but I suspect this is not what you mean to do.)
Alternately, make a web application, using JavaScript/HTML/CSS. Anyone can use a web application, it can be installed on the launcher screen, and it does not require App Store, just a web server somewhere. If you need persistence, you might also want to look into manifest files and offline apps. Especially if your app is basic, you can make it look and feel almost as a native app using one of the very nice web frameworks such as jQuery Touch.
However, you might just leave it as a webpage - why would you restrict your recruitment pool only to people willing to install your app?
tl;dr: You can't release an ObjC app except on AppStore.
There are already multiple answers to this question, probably because it is not specific enough.
Let's gather all the information that's necessary here:
If you want an app for a company (given that you recruited people through the app, i.e. people who used the app would join the company), you should use the Enterprise Program.
If the app is meant for the general public (in this case, possibly, you would like the app as a branding, promoting app for the company), you cannot use the Enterprise account, since it violates Apple's terms. As an example, see this funny case: http://www.imore.com/how-gameboy-emulator-finding-its-way-non-jailbroken-devices
AdHoc and TestFlight should not be used for a release app. AdHoc only is meant to be used for testing purposes. Introducing non-developer related devices into your AdHoc profile would mean termination of your dev account (e.g. this aggressive and also funny case: http://www.intomobile.com/2012/07/09/apple-goes-after-sites-selling-activations-ios-6-beta/).
Finally, two interesting notes:
There is no limit to the number of devices in an Enterprise Program app. It's not 1K, at least the information out there says the opposite (e.g. the case with the link in 1). The 1k device limit will be for beta testers with TestFlight (according to http://www.neglectedpotential.com/2014/06/testflight/).
An Enterprise account cannot publish apps to the public on the AppStore (see this FAQ: https://developer.apple.com/support/ios/enterprise.html -if it doesn't work, you can load the cached version from Google, etc.). Thanks to Departamento B for this information I didn't know about.
Related
We're developing an app for an enterprise customer (approx. 1500 of its users are going to use it). At the moment the most likely way we're going to charge them is on a per-usage basis (every time an employee uses the app, we get a small amount), so it's important that the app is distributed only among employees. I'm considering using iOS Developer Enterprise Program ( https://developer.apple.com/programs/ios/enterprise/ ) or releasing an app via a regular iTunes Store with some basic marketing functionality and then letting users to log in and use the real functionality the customer is paying for.
Edit: perhaps the B2B Volume Purchase Program ( https://developer.apple.com/programs/volume/b2b/ ) is the answer?
Are there any other possibilities?
What's the most convenient way of distributing such app?
If I go with iOS Dev Enterprise Program, who should create the account? Us or them? (I'm betting the latter).
I'm pretty sure your per-usage model is against Apple's Ts&Cs in any deployment space (B2B, App Store, etc). I'm also fairly confident that deploying through the App Store will get you flagged eventually when they dive into your code. Either of those deployment models is going to get you shut down and your Enterprise Cert revoked if they ever catch on. Either way you likely want to have someone fluent with legalese look at what you're attempting to do.
The point of using B2B to circumvent the App Store is to allow you to provide a private deployment of an app at a minimal cost without supplying source code. To that point the customer should be the one maintaining the Enterprise account. You would join their account as a Member, compile the code using one of their dev certs and dev provisioning profiles, supply the customer with the .XCArchive file and they can re-sign it with their Enterprise Cert. It's a pretty streamlined process.
The Enterprise Developer program is convenient because you don't need to go through the store review process. Just put up new builds for installation from your own www site. The enterprise whose employees will be using the app needs to get the license. They will need a DUNS number and the application process may take a week or so. They may get a phone call from Apple to verify their intentions and eligibility.
Is it possible to deploy an APP to apple app store, but only allow internal company user to download the APP by their own? Thanks.
Yes it is possible with Apple Enterprise Developer Program.
The Apple Developer Enterprise Program allows large organizations to develop and deploy proprietary, internal-use apps to their employees. This program is for specific use cases that require private distribution directly to employees using secure internal systems or through a Mobile Device Management solution.
Just to augment what others have said there. The Enterprise program is what you want. It allows you to distribute your app to as many devices as you like. But as it's not going through the Apple app store, you will have to work out how you want to do it. There are third party servers out there for doing this sort of thing.
You can also simply "roll your own" by simply creating a web page on your LAN with a like to the downloadable app. The Apple documentation has the details on doing that.
Also note one difference between an Enterprise app and a app store app, is that the Enterprise app certificates will need to be renewed every year. Which means that you will need to update the app every year or it will stop working.
I have my first client who doesn't whant the App I am developing in the App Store, he wants his clients to have access to the app using like a Ad Hoc distributions (without the 100 devices limitation by Apple)
IS there a way to do it, or I have to stick with App Store and wait for the countless 15 days approval for any new release?
I read about the enterprise but the users are not employees but customers, I believe it doesn't apply
You have a few options. Firstly you will need to decide what is the likely, minimum and maximum number of people that will be using the application and how they will need access to it.
Low maximum < 100 users. You can use ad-hoc distribution with 100 devices using a normal apple developer account.
High maximum (Clients don't need to be able to download the app themselves). You can use an enterprise account (As you mention could be lightly risky as it may be breaking their terms not 100% sure, would merit some further reading. If you can go through the approval process shouldn't be to hard).
For both these methods you can then distribute the application using a distribution solution such as Silverback or for cheaper options that will require more effort TestFlight or HockeyApp (Not their original purpose but will function for what you need)
High maximum (Clients need to be able to download the app themselves). You can use Apples B2B solution or if you have an internal sign up process something like Silverback.
Another thing you should look into is showing your customer that a) approvals don't always take 15 days for updates (They initial process of putting it on the app store is longer) and b) you shouldn't be having countless versions being uploaded all the time.
You should also explain that you instantly gain access to new customers that can stumble upon your application generating more business and potential customers are more likely to trust an application from the appstore.
I should also mention although silverback is the only MDM/alternate distribution I have used it is very pricey and I'm sure there are cheaper alternatives.
Just to elaborate on the enterprise license use. Are the customers part of a large organisation? One of the projects I worked on was with a large company that needed to distribute applications to 1000s of employees. We asked them to apply for an enterprise license and make us users on the account allowing us to use ad-hoc distribution with and enterprise license. There was a major draw back from this as their IT support manager whom created the account left after 6 months and didn't hand off his email account which lead to all the profiles on the enterprise account expiring which meant a day of downtime for the application.
The best way for you would be to enroll with Volume Purchase Program for Business.
Once your customer has a volume purchasing account with Apple, they can get custom B2B apps you’ve built for them. Customers can select the app and enter the quantity they want to purchase from the Volume Purchase Program website.
Alternatively you can just use a standard membership with a limit of 100 devices and distribute your app using services like HockeyApp or TestFlight.
Another rarely mentioned method of iOS app distribution which may be suitable, is if the app's price or it's support cost is high enough that an extra $99/annum isn't a deal breaker. If so, then each customer or customer business can enroll in the iOS Developer program themselves, and (if necessary) be given a User account on a Mac so that they can generate their own device registrations and Ad Hoc app Distribution certificates.
Then the app can be distributed as source code, as a project containing a pre-build static library containing the app without source, or (as an offered consulting or support service) as an app pre-built and signed by the Developer but using the customer's own Ad Hoc Distribution certificates.
I would like to distribute an App preview to a musician that I am working with. He is not an employee of my company but offered me to do the game sountrack for free.
I have checked on the iOS Provisioning Portal and found the following dislcaimer:
"Important: Your iOS Developer Program membership can be terminated if you provide pre-release Apple Software to anyone other than employees, contractors, and members of your organization who are registered as Apple Developers and have a demonstrable need to know or use Apple Software in order to develop and test applications on your behalf. Unauthorized distribution of Apple Confidential Information (including pre-release Apple Software) is prohibited and may subject you to both civil and criminal liability."
According to this I can only distribuite preview apps to test developer that I somehow employ. This excludes the case of friends working for free on non coding matters (e.g. musician).
Does anyone of you had a similar concern?
Thank you very much!
EDIT2:
I posted again this question on new post with additional details as Apple replied to me on this matter and did provide a different answer than the ones below. I have tried to add comments to those answers but this question doesn't seem to have any more visibility and need to solve this quickly, so thought that that was the way to go.. let me know if this is not correct. Thanks!
That's for pre-release Apple Software such as the beta a new version of iOS. You can send your own app to your friend so that he can test it, but you can't give him access to pre-release Apple Software and other confidential information.
Here is a guide that shows how you can send the app to beta testers, and here is a web application that makes the process easier.
Also Apple's Tools Workflow Guide says:
it’s always a good idea to perform wider testing with a representative sample of your app’s potential users. Such testing may reveal issues that surface only with particular usage patterns. An app tester is a potential user of your app who is not part of your development team but is willing to test it before it’s released through the App Store.) Adding app testers to your group of testers exposes your app to a variety of usage styles. You can collect and analyze crash reports (also known as crash logs) from these testers to resolve execution problems.
Nope, I think you misunderstood. You can distribute your own app as an Ad-Hoc to your friends whoever is a developer or not. However, there's a 100 devices limitation. And Apple is encourage you to do so before submit your app to App Store.
You cannot test your app the same way the users of your app will use it. They have different data and different usage patterns. Before publishing your app on the App Store, put it through real-world testing to find and solve as many problems as possible.
You can refer to THIS DOC to find out how to publish your App for user testing.
A Mobile Operator needs to distribute an app which is using private APIs onto non-jailbroken devices.
From what I've read everywhere so far, this is not possible.
Just out of curiosity: Enterprise Developer Program is reserved for apps that are distributed within the company only and is used by employees or contractors, but how would Apple find out if the user is an employee or just some random iPhone user?
Of course, if the number of customers grows big enough, Apple will notice that some day, get suspicious and shut down the enterprise developer account.
But, suppose, the app is used locally (only in a few countries) and on not that many customers (say, in order of tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands), is there a way Apple could find that out? So, what I am wondering is if there is anything measurable on the device or in the app that signifies the user as the employee of the app developer. I doubt that.
Thanks!
Technically I don't think Apple has any way of knowing on which device an enterprise app was deployed and what it actually does. Also I don't think Apple would be a lot concerned if you deploy an enterprise app in a few non-employee devices. They only want to ensure that you don't use the Enterprise license as an alternative distribution mechanism for iOS apps.
According to me the following would be the drawbacks of attempting such a thing:
1) If the distribution to non-employees reaches high levels and this
comes to Apple's knowledge(through a disgruntled employee maybe), it
is more likely that they would take legal action against the
enterprise(apart from shutting down the account), causing loss of
money and loss of face.
2) Enterprise distribution certificates expire in 1 year(even the
in-house ones), so if your really start an alternate distribution
mecahnism using an enterprise license, you can imagine how difficult
would the after sales support be.
3) Of course ethics is a matter, if you take that into account :)
You are correct that the Enterprise Developer Program allows to deploy apps within a company and its employees only.
However, Apple is not (yet) intervening if you offer your Enterprise signed app to the public although it technically able to (see the "kill switch" comment above).
One example is the app provided for download at http://www.featurepoints.com. The app installs a provisioning profile named "TapGen InHouse" expiring 2014-06-30, effectively skirting the App Store and Apple's approval process.
So either Apple can not tell random customers from employees or they just don't care (at least as long if you are below a certain threshold).