Reply to: Publishing an app without going via apple?

[Pete Marsh]

Sounds pretty cool. I discussed doing a private iPad app with a potential plan B client and was similarly concerned about setting up the infrastructure.

Yes, I don't think our corporate clients would be too impressed if we suggested deploying their android apps via Google Play! The MDM vendors allow the app and it's data to be deleted if the phone or tablet gets nicked/lost.

[d000hg]

Sounds pretty cool. I discussed doing a private iPad app with a potential plan B client and was similarly concerned about setting up the infrastructure.

[Pete Marsh]

<cough>

I've not come across these things before... is the basic principle they run an enterprise store so you can just give them the app to host?

Well we've not tried it yet so I'm only going on the website blurb, but in principle if I write an app, then we can hire an hosting service like Antenna (google antenna app hosting) and they host a the app for us. They also update them for us. I think such companies can do the mobile device manager (MDM) thing whereby the app can be remotely 'killed' if an employee leaves etc.

Like wxman's example of a 25 ipad 'fleet' and its custom apps being managed remotely for £3.50 pm per device.

[d000hg]

I'm surprised no one's mentioned HTML5 Webapps yet

<cough>

I think the only way to do the latter would be to make it into an HTML5 app.

...

I've not come across these things before... is the basic principle they run an enterprise store so you can just give them the app to host?

[Pete Marsh]

Final call for nominations for Mobile App Managers (MAM)...

I'm almost at the stage of contacting folk who can host and manage our apps and thought I'd ask one last time if anyone here could recommend any MAMs.

So far I'm looking at Maas360, Antenna, and at a push, the native app stores like Apple Enterprise and Google Play (was Android Market).

Any more for any more? Esp UK based co's.

[russell]

Tech docs should be HTML, you can then add the web page to the home screen so,you get a nice little app button, think you can also control the icon similar to favicon type thing. To create an actual app for tech docs is using the wrong technology.

I'm surprised no one's mentioned HTML5 Webapps yet - you can install them to your home screen on both iOS and Android and its very easy to deploy updates that way. It should also be very easy to produce one since your manuals are either already in HTML or can be converted to it very easily.

PM me if you need any help setting that up.

[yasockie]

I'm surprised no one's mentioned HTML5 Webapps yet - you can install them to your home screen on both iOS and Android and its very easy to deploy updates that way. It should also be very easy to produce one since your manuals are either already in HTML or can be converted to it very easily.

PM me if you need any help setting that up.

[Pete Marsh]

The further I delve into the exciting world of appery, the more TLAs I learn.

It seems that I may need a Mobile App Manager (MAM) as well as a MDM.

A US company called Antenna Software crop up a lot in my research - anybody used them/hate them/recommend an alternative to them?

Also, a lot of the products deliver and install apple apps - do the vendors have to buy licenses from apple to do this i.e. they're a front end/management system for apple technology? I don't mind if that's the case (it's our customers who wind up paying), just wondering.

[wxman]

yes give the Maas fiberlink a go (30 day free trial) - PM me if you need a good vender in order to support you

Enterprise App Manageability: Mobile apps distributed by MaaS360 to iOS 5 devices become fully controlled, allowing you to simplify app deployments while increasing manageability. With MaaS360 and iOS 5 you can:

• Remotely push an app to a device. This is in addition to MaaS360’s existing application catalog for end users
• Delete an app and its data, on-demand or as part of a selective wipe action
• Automatically remove corporate apps if the user deletes the MDM profile on the device
• Allow/prevent app backups to iTunes or iCloud

[Pete Marsh]

Sounds like to need an MDM (Mobile device managment system)

We use Mobile Device Management, Application Management & Expense Management from the Cloud | MaaS360 by Fiberlink in order to control our fleet of 25 iPads but it also supports Andriod and BlackBerry.

It has an enterprise store so that apps can be push out to the devices. Cost is £3.50/device/month.

Thanks, that's just the sort of thing we're looking for.

Re russell's comment about the delivery format needing to be html - the app route has been chosen for me for several valid reasons, so that's the hand I've been dealt!

[russell]

My current employer has expressed a wish to put out my tech docs as an app (either on android or iphone). I've had a look on the apple website and they seem to only have:

• developer program to publish apps via their app store
• enterprise program for internal corporate distribution and installation (after installing their SDK on the corporate server I assume)

https://developer.apple.com/programs/start/ios/

Is there any way of hosting and installing iphone apps from a website without going via apple?

I presume android apps are pretty much a free for all in comparison.

Tech docs should be HTML, you can then add the web page to the home screen so,you get a nice little app button, think you can also control the icon similar to favicon type thing. To create an actual app for tech docs is using the wrong technology.

[wxman]

Sounds like you need an MDM (Mobile device managment system)

We use Mobile Device Management, Application Management & Expense Management from the Cloud | MaaS360 by Fiberlink in order to control our fleet of 25 iPads but it also supports Andriod and BlackBerry.

It has an enterprise store so that apps can be pushed out to the devices. Cost is £3.50/device/month.

[Pete Marsh]

You can download PDF's from any website but you can only install apps through the app store or enterprise program.

Thanks. I guess the obvious app store is what is now Google Play.

Can you name any Enterprise Programs I can take a look at for distributing Android apps?

[homerun]

For android apps it's the case indeed, especially if you're creating a wrap application. I had mine installed on the m.domain.com which is presented to all mobile viewers and invites them to download the app right away.

iOS is very restrictive, expect them to decline the App if it doesn't mean their fuzzy "design reqs"

[Bunk]

Thanks for the Ad Hoc solution - that could work for small numbers of apps, I'll look into it.

Re avoiding Apple: One idea I'm looking into is some way of hosting both android and apple versions of our apps on the corporate website and having them downloadable and installable. But without having to put the iOS Enterprise Program stuff on there. A bit like treating them as if they were a bunch of PDFs that can be just downloaded and used. I'm guessing in the world of apple this is just waaay to simple an approach?

You can download PDF's from any website but you can only install apps through the app store or enterprise program.