We are planning to create multiple apps for our different customers. For the distribution of the same, we are thinking if we can create an app-store of our own and ask the clients to get the apps from that space. Also, can I control the visibility of these apps so that client A doesn't see an app which is visible for client B?
Also, in such scenrios, how can I push updates of the application to the consumers?
I'm not sure, if this falls in Enterprise Distribution as the application is not within the company boundaries but for an external audience.
Thanks in advance.
Regards,
~Vishal
Apple does not allow in-house App stores for distributing apps to other than the employees of an Enterprise enrolled iOS Developer. Thus in-house App stores can not be used for an external audience.
Ad Hoc deployment is limited to 100 devices per year, so is probably unsuitable for this as well.
The alternatives are to have each customer enroll as an Enterprise developer under their own name, and create their own app store behind their own employee-only firewall; or for you to try and distribute the apps in Apple's public App store, which means that downloading can not be restricted to only particular clients.
Related
Is it possible to use the Enterprise program to distribute for people in my society private apps, but making them available only as paid application ?
(They could use their iTunes Account to pay the apps).
Sincerely
You can either distribute an app through the public App Store (standard Apple Developer Program) or internally for your company's employees through the Apple Enterprise Program. For the latter you will need to host your own store.
It's not possible to "mix" those two distribution channels and charge money through iTunes Accounts. You can probably integrate your own payment system in your Enterprise app.
Due to recent events, the Apple Enterprise program is getting more attention and it might be harder to distribute apps outside of the terms of use.
Distribute proprietary, in-house iOS, watchOS, and tvOS apps within your organization. Securely host and deploy apps to your employees' devices.
You might want to check out the full official docs as well as terms of use: https://developer.apple.com/programs/enterprise/
Take the situation in which I have created a number of apps and would like to distribute it to people for testing, but without having to know their UUID. Each app would only be distributed to a few people but I don't want to have to ask for their UUID.
Does the enterprise distribution program support this? So that I can archive and distribute the app without specifying UUIDs to people who are non-employees?
The enterprise distribution program does allow you to distribute apps to select users without knowing their UUID. The iOS Enterprise Distribution guide explains everything you need to know to distribute apps outside of the app store. In short, you can host your app on a web server that requires authentication.
Check out this link for more information http://help.apple.com/iosdeployment-apps/mac/1.1/
I am developing custom iPad applications for clients. So far I know that you cannot distribute the same app to more than 100 iOS devices. Although I have read that this method of deploying applications is meant for "beta testing" and that I have to renew the profile every three months.
I was wondering, is there a workaround to this issue? I simply cannot be updating deployment profiles to every one of my clients I'm deploying a custom app to.
Can someone provide me with some information/advice?
Your options are somewhat limited for a custom app. These are really the best options you have for your clients. With proper security and authentication the app store could a decent solution.
Deploy App to the app store
Deploy an enterprise application (Recommended, Requires Dun & Bradstreet Number)
Require that the app is for use on jailbroken devices
Enterprise deployment may solve this problem for you, but to the best of my knowledge Apple will not approve you until you have a large number of employees (500+).
The three month expiration of profiles is only for development profiles. If you produce an Ad Hoc build, these profiles are good for one year.
Update August 2011: Apple now allows iOS developers to write custom apps for businesses. Your customer needs to enroll in the Volume Purchase Program, but presumably after that you can make apps available only to them and not to the general public through the App Store. (Disclaimer: I have not yet done this myself.)
More information on Apple's page about the Volume Purchase Program.
There are different types of developer program that you can be enrolled on. For this you would need the iOS Developer Enterprise Program
I am building an app using the apple "in-house" deployment of the enterprise program. But I want to distribute this app free of cost to few non member of enterprise. we cannot make those person an employee of the organization because of some company policy. Is this possible and is there any legal issues associated on apple side with this kind of distribution? Thanks in advance.
You'll probably need to do some digging into Apple's policy, but I'm pretty sure I read that the Enterprise Deployment method is strictly for in-house employees. In order to distribute to outside individuals, you may have to go on the App Store.
Unless you could have the company those individuals work for sign up for the Enterprise Deployment program and distribute it internally there?
To be safe, check with Apple
Some companies have both Enterprise and regular developer accounts. They use the regular developer account for giving Ad Hoc apps to "beta testers", or for submitting suitable apps to the public App store.
Can someone point out what is the difference?
And what for do we actually pay so much money, when supporting the iPhone with our hard work?
Is it right that I have to have the Enterprise Membership (299 USD), when I want to sell Apps for money? Or can I also sell Apps when I "only" have the cheaper Standard Membership (99 USD)?
Is there a fee every time I want to upload a new app to the App Store? Where is the hook in the Standard Membership?
The Enterprise Membership is only for enterprises - no app store distribution, but you can distribute your programs within your enterprise (ad-hoc). With the Standard one, you can put your apps on the app store but can only give out 100 copies of your program using ad-hoc.
There is no fee for submitting apps to the App Store once you have a Standard membership.
If you want to distribute both to your organization via adhoc and the public via App Store, you need to register two separate accounts. This was confirmed in an email from Apple Dev Support.
From Apple:
The standard plan does NOT allow distribution to iPhones (except a few development phones) outside of the app store.
The enterprise plan does NOT allow distribution to iPhone via the app store, but does permit developers to deploy their own programs within their own organization without designating those phones as 'development' phones.
-Adam
"The standard plan does NOT allow distribution to iPhones (except a few development phones)"
how many phones??