Deploying multiple apps to small customer groups

Hi

What’s the best method if doing this where the customer can download the app themselves and its not using the test flight app?

Thanks

You mean like this?

Thanks for the response Jason. I looked at the enterprise option, but I think it’s only for employees within your company and, I believe, has a limit in the number of deployments - unless you’re suggesting, each company you supply to would pay the annual subscription and deply themselves?

What is wrong with the App Store ?

You’re welcome Chris and yes that was certainly how Apple first presented the enterprise option but I have heard anecdotally of people using this method for small-scale deployments. If you are developing an app for companies to use internally then it might be worth considering.

I believe there are other options and I have reached out to somebody who should know. I use his app in one of my businesses and, while he distributes through the App Store and via TestFlight, he has also occasionally directed me to a URL to download an update to his app while it is still working its way through he Apple approval process. I’ll let you know what he says as soon as I hear back.

Thanks very much Jason. I look forward to hearing back from you.

Thanks Michel. I can’t see the apps being accepted for the app store because, firstly, the apps I want to offer my customers woukd not be stand-alone as they would only work with xojo desktop applications and secondly, each customer would have a different slightly requirement. I coukd have options to enable or disable features, but i would imagine this would be a no-no as well with Apple

[quote=207107:@Chris O’Brien]Thanks very much Jason. I look forward to hearing back from you.

Thanks Michel. I can’t see the apps being accepted for the app store because, firstly, the apps I want to offer my customers woukd not be stand-alone as they would only work with xojo desktop applications and secondly, each customer would have a different slightly requirement. I coukd have options to enable or disable features, but i would imagine this would be a no-no as well with Apple[/quote]

Not so sure it would be a problem, if done right. There are apps in the App Store that are meant only to access data with a login. All is required is to provide the reviewer with an account so they can access the functionalities. Think about it : apps like GMail do require a password. The fact that it works in conjunction with a Desktop app or that it is very narrow in use is not an issue either. I think about this B4i Bridge which is used by Anywhere Software solely to allow a PC app to show a layout editor on an iOS device. How more bizarre can one go ?

You are correct Michel. There is a place in iTunes Connect, as I’m sure you’ve seen, for you to provide a username and password so that the App Store reviewers can login to your app in order to test it. I did this for my app and it is definitely not standalone; a user must subscribe to our service, which has a web app as its primary client, in order to login to the iOS app and this did not present a problem for the App Store review process.

The app store is definitely food for thought. Thanks for all the feedback

FWIW, we did this with the XDC app. Anyone could download it, but you needed to be an attendee for favorites and voting.

There’s also the Volume Purchase Program. These and other options are briefly described on the Deploying iOS Apps page.

Thanks again - I’m not seeing how the Volume Purchase Program avoids the App store…

By the way, is an app vetted by Apple for each release or just the initial one? If it’s just the initial one, how constrained are you with functionality after approval?

[quote=207188:@Chris O’Brien]Thanks again - I’m not seeing how the Volume Purchase Program avoids the App store…

By the way, is an app vetted by Apple for each release or just the initial one? If it’s just the initial one, how constrained are you with functionality after approval?[/quote]

It is vetted for each release.

In principle a new release is supposed to add something new.

Thanks Michel

Chris the guy I know who distributes a URL on his web site (outside of the App Store) is using Enterprise Deployment so that he can respond quickly to his small group of test users.

Thanks Jason.

I think, for me, the best approach is to go with the Enterprise deployment to ensure distribution without disruption but develop for acceptance on the app store.

Thanks everyone for all your feedback

The advantage of the VPP program is that you can publish apps in the app store but only a restricted list of customers can see them.

So you can have features not permitted for the general public store (since you are solving a problem for specific users)

When you publish it you have to give to the reviewer the access to sample data (login for example) and explain briefly the app’s aim.
If your target is anyone then VPP is not your choice, but if your target are selected customers (not single users, but companies) then you can easily build an app that fits the company needs (showing or hiding features).

Enterprise Deployment if for deploy within your company.
Otherwise you can use ad hoc deployment, but it is limited in time and number of users.

Chris just in case it helps, my own experience has been that TestFlight can provide quick distribution without disruption. The 1.0 version of my app was in TestFlight and at one stage I was releasing a version every couple of days. Once you go through the initial Beta App Review, which takes a day or two, then you only need to check a box that your version contains no substantial changes and you have automatic and instant approval. Though TestFlight apps do expire after 30 days so you either need to keep releasing versions or plan to transition to the App Store.

Thanks Antonio and Jason. TestFlight is a very good option for beta testing, but I think might lack the professionalism of a final product. The VPP program does look more like what I need. I’m going to check it out further to see costs, etc. Do you know if you can enroll from a developer’s apple id?

The customers (as companies) must enroll to VPP and tell you the user used to enroll.

You have only to specify that user when you publish your app.
Then when the buy your app (one or many copies) they will have a list of links to download the app and send them to their users.

For example:
You develop an app to be used as CRM by the ACME company. This company enrolls as vppid@acme.com to the VPP.
You declare that your app can be seen by vppid@acme.com
The ACME login in the VPP store, order 10 copies of your app for their employees, download an excel file with 10 links, send the link to each user and they can work with your app.

In any case is better to have specific apple id for every situation, VPP apple id is different from personal apple id.