Been searching through the forum without much luck.
I have an app on iTunes that help users find the best mobile subscription plan based on their usage - and usage estimated by uploading picture from settings.
The plan is to create an enterprise version, and was wondering if it is possible to distribute the enterprise version through the existing one via a button in the app. (i.e. when clicking it automatically downloads the enterprise app).
Do you know if it is possible, and have you seen others doing the same thing?
And do you know if there are any limitations to the model? (if it is possible)
Enterprise distribution can not be done like that and its own kinda provisioning for distribution, you have to take the member for the enterprise distribution programme and create new binary for distribution.
Enterprise apps are only for in-house app development. For example IBM wants to make an internal mail app that logs into their private servers. Distributing to customers is in breach of the agreement and your account would be removed if you attempted this.
Related
EDIT: see conclusion at the end of this post.
First off, let me clarify I've found a few similar questions/answers on SO, but none that apply to my particular situation. The one that came closest is this one but it doesn't address the AirWatch aspect.
So I'll try to be very specific.
Background
I have an iOS application that's free. I also have the same app for Android and Windows 10 but those are not my concern.
The iOS app is available to anyone from the App store. But I have a few large corporate customers who use AirWatch to manage the installation/update cycle of their devices. They either have Enterprise or VPP Apple accounts. They want me to provide them with the IPA file so they can distribute it themselves through AirWatch.
In my mind, that's a perfectly legitimate request: they just want to have better control over what gets installed on their devices.
Problem
From what I understand, an Enterprise account requires that the application be signed with the customer's certificate. But if I have several such customers, that means I have to re-sign each application for each customer, every time I have a new update available. And those customers that have VPP accounts cannot use them because the VPP program only applies to paid apps, not to free ones.
Note: keep in mind that at that stage when I'm ready to provide the app to these customers, the app has already been reviewed and accepted by the App Store. So it's deemed legit.
After googling this matter for a while, I know it's possible for someone else to resign an app or to sign it for the first time if it is provided in unsigned form to start with. However, resigned apps are apparently not supported by AirWatch (and, I assume, other MDM's as well).
If that information is incorrect, then I guess all I would need to know is the recipe that I, as a coder, have to follow before providing the app to my customers and what kind of steps they have to take in order to deploy using AirWatch.
Question
So how do I get my free app to my customers so they can manage the distribution themselves, without me having to go through yet another set of hassles every time I change something.
Remember: if I only had a single corporate customer I wouldn't give it a second thought and I would just use their own certificates but I have several potential customers with the same requirements, so the point is to make it easy for all of them and for myself.
I hope my question was clear enough, thanks in advance for any help.
EDIT - Conclusion: I was able to validate that an unsigned IPA file can be signed with the customer's certificate and uploaded to their AirWatch distribution app. Which means I simply have to provide the unsigned version to any customer with the same issue and they will be able to distribute the app themselves with their MDM. Hope this information helps others.
If your customers really can't re-sign your IPA, I believe the best solution for you to do would be to sign up yourself for an enterprise account, then use your own enterprise provisioning profile to sign a single ipa for distribution to the companies that need the app. Their MDM platforms should be able to handle the "trusting" of your enterprise signing identity, so the experience for the end users would be no different than if they were installing and running one signed by their own enterprise account.
The downside of this is that you will then be on the hook for providing your customers new versions when your cert of profile is about to expire. If you have them re-sign your IPA, it would be their responsibility to keep track of that and resign / redistribute a new provisioning profile when they expire.
Also, I have never heard of any restrictions on MDM's distributing re-signed IPAs. I don't even understand how they could prevent it, as a properly re-signed IPA should look no different than an IPA that was build and signed using the new signing identity and profile. I would challenge that, as many MAM (Mobile App Management) vendors offer wrapping of apps that do re-sign the binaries and allow you to distribute those resigned IPAs through MDM systems. I would really expect any corporation with Airwatch to know how to resign an IPA using something like iReSign. That really is your easiest option. Build an IPA for each release, send it out to all your clients, and each can re-sign it with their own signing identity. That way if you stop doing development, they aren't reliant on your signing identity and profile to keep the application running.
because the VPP program only applies to paid apps, not to free ones.
You can manage free apps with VPP. It's maybe free but it's still a license. VPP manages licenses for an organization and allows admins to give and tack back these licenses.
I have right now free Apps in my AirWatch Console, in the tab "Purchased". This tab is only available if VPP is configured and displays only apps from the VPP. I can't go check in the VPP myself because I don't have any access but theses free apps wouldn't be in the tab "Purchased" if they weren't bought with the VPP.
They want me to provide them with the IPA file so they can distribute it themselves through AirWatch.
If you are ready to do that, your customers can upload the ipa file as an internal application and then deploy it to their iOS devices. As AirWatch customers, they should have access to the document VMware AirWatch Mobile Application Management (MAM) Guide with the Chatper 4 "Internal Applications". There is a particular process for iOS apps described.
I know questions like this one have been asked over and over again but I couldn't find an answer that goes straight to the point.
I have seen guides that seems to allow you to distribute your app OTA without having to be part of the Enterprise program.
I also have seen some tricks where, if you don't have a SSL certificate in your hosting, you still can use dropbox to configure your "links". (Enterprise app deployment doesn't work on iOS 7.1)
In summary I have used dropbox as it was indicated in one of the answers I found before and it totally worked. The problem is that I tried to test it in a different device and it didn't work (typical message
Unable to Download App. xxxx could not be installed at this time.
I'm signing the app using a distribution certificate and I'm using a provisioning profile for distribution:
I know it can sound pretty obvious that all that is meant to work only for the AppStore or ad-hoc distribution (this last one requires to collect all devices UDID and it's not what i'm looking for).
I would like to know if it is definitely possible or not to distribute my apps "in-house" without having to be part of the Enterprise program. If true... what I'm doing wrong?
Note: the guide you link to is not for in-house app distribution. That blog post is about ad-hoc distribution without using iTunes. It's not about not having to provision your devices or getting around paying for the Enterprise program.
It is possible, but it still requires the business to spend some money.
If the business is enrolled in the Volume Purchase Program then you can identify them as the authorized purchaser of your Business 2 Business app when you submit it to the App Store. Regular customers won't see it.
Unfortunately, Apple does not say up front how much it costs a business to enroll in the Volume Purchase Program (I'm guessing that it varies) so I don't know if it's cheaper than the Enterprise Program.
My company has an iOS Enterprise Account to distribute In-House Apps. Now we want to develop an app for a customer. The question is: How to deploy the app to the customer's employee's devices? I heard about a "B2B Program", but I wasn't able to find any further details how to deploy to a special Business Store.
I know that there are a lot of discussion about this topic on the net, but I missed the fine details how the process is working in detail.
So what possibilities we have to get the app installed on the customer's employee's iPads?
EDIT: I don't want to invite beta testers or anything similar. I need an official way to install the app on the devices of the customers employees.
Another faster solution then testflightapp is diawi.com.
The link doesn't hold forever but it takes a few seconds to generate a download link.
You either use an archived IPA or a zipped .app , drag it to the relevant part of the site and it generates a download link for you.
We have been using this with a lot of customers with great success.
Just remember - the link is temporary.
Alternatively you can build a simple web page around the IPA file on a server you own (look at the generated diawi page for reference of the tags and info used).
You can also try OTA Distribution process, for more details go through this link.
Here download link is permanent and you don't need to use any third party tool.
How about using a Mobile Distribution Platform like MobileIron?
http://www.mobileiron.com
A few clients at my work use them and their services are pretty good.
I'm doing this for a client now. B2B is, I think, not what you want. Enterprise distribution is intended, by Apple, for in-house distribution. 'In-house' extends as far as out-of-house reps, and even independent contractors who use your client's in-house business app.
Your client should purchase his own Enterprise Developer's certificate, or ask you to purchase one for him. Use that certificate and associated provisioning profile to publish the app (in the usual way using the 'Ad-Hoc' distribution type). Then deploy over-the-air.
I have made an app for doctors only for education purpose only. because of copyright issues I don't want the app to be on the app store. So I am planning to host the app on the my website with authentication. I have distributed app this way to the clients before and I know the difference between apple enterprise program vs developer account. I came across the issue that you can not deploy app to your end user via this method because it is violating app store terms and condition. After reading many forums I came to know that b2b program can be the solution. I know that b2b app store you still have to go with app store standard procedure So my questions are,
1) If your app is free, will it still violate app store terms and condition.?
2) What is the flow for b2b program once you submit your app to apple.?
3) Is b2b also violating the terms and condition for my scenario.?
Note - I know already how to get enterprise account or apply for b2b program. I have an organization to deal with this. I also know that the enterprise program only allows you to distribute the application file among employees with registered devices in your company, not to anybody else. :)
Thanks.
1) Free apps are still held to the same approval standards of paid apps.
The best way is an iOS enterprise account. Once you have an enterprise account, you can host signed Apps on your own website and your clients can download them directly to devices using OTA distribution. There is no Apple review for distributing apps this way.
Note that enterprise accounts are meant for distributing apps in an organization and not publicly. I think as long as you limit distribution to a specific group (not publicly) then you will not violate license agreements. Read the actual agreement to make sure it fits your needs.
Check out this question for details of how to setup OTA distribution:
IOS Enterprise Distribution Through OTA
I'm sorry if this question has been asked. I have looked but can not find the question/answer.
I work for a web agency and am now developing IOS Apps for deployment on iPads.
We have the Developer licence from Apple however, reading the blurb it suggests that the Apps need to go through the App Store.
Due to the nature of the Apps (Medical) they can not be on the App Store.
Is this Developer licence using the "Ad Hoc" option enough to deploy the App to clients (not in our company) using a link, or do I need to use the Enterprise Licence?
The Enterprise Licence does say:
You plan to only distribute your iOS apps within your company or organization
The Enterprise Program is intended for developers who wish to develop
and distribute their iOS apps within their company or organisation.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I'm sorry this is a bit of a random/bitty question.
Thanks in advance.
The ad-hoc distribution is limited to 99 devices and the enterprise limitation is 2k or 5k, not sure. If you want to really distribute your app, but limit its usage, then you have to build an authorization mechanism into your app (like http://www.doccheck.com for doctors). You may use an existing service like this or you can implement your own.
Enterprise distribution, btw, requires the registration of the device in your company. I would not do that as a customer in that case, maybe that is an issue in your case, too.