iPad App Distribution for corporate

Question

Just to give you a little background, we have a software application which anyone can access through web. It is a very specific application for banking and retail industry. Currently this application is accessible on web as well as on "Windows tablet kiosk" and we have license based pricing. Windows tablets access the data through web services.

So for example, XYZ Bank can order 100 windows tablet licenses and we can charge them for the application based on our pricing model for 100 license.

We are getting lot of requests from our clients to develop the same app on iPad and we are currently researching on deployment options for the same. As per my understanding, Apple has very stringent rules when it comes to App download.

In above scenario, where organization needs a licence from us to run the application what kind of deployment strategy we should go with? I can think of 2 options:

1) To deploy the app on iTunes stores and ask the organization to download it from the iTunes store. They will have to contact us to get the license in order to run the App. Is it legal? Since we have license based pricing model, we'll keep our App for free and will charge organization for license.

2) Should we just get enterprise license for our clients/organization and deploy the system on their iPad under that enterprise license.

According to me option # 1 is the way to go. But I just want to know if this is OK to distribute the App for free and than charge for licenses? In any case this is more of a web app and iPhone is just an extension.

Answer 1

Option #1 is only ok in a special case, when you have a general subscription model for your service outside the App Store/IAP process, like Spotify does, for example. There's a special paragraph in the App Store guidelines for that, 11.14. But if your customers pay a one-time fee just to use the iPad app, I think Apple would consider this as circumventing the App Store payment model and would reject your app because of rule 11.1 of the guidelines.

But Apple just set up a new distribution model for cases like yours, the "Custom B2B apps". It's a way to distribute custom apps for specific customers through the App Store, without the need for Enterprise Licenses for each customer. See http://www.apple.com/business/vpp/

Only customers that you have approved before will be able to see their custom app in the App Store. Payment goes through Apple and they keep 30% as usual. This program is US-only now but will be rolled out to Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Spain, and UK soon.

If you don't want to give the 30% away, your only option is indeed #2, building the app with an Enterprise License of your client. The only real downside I see is that you have to get each client to enroll in the developer program and renew it every year. If you have many clients, that could become a problem.

But once they've set you up as an agent or admin, the process is smooth. Eg you can use a MDM service for OTA updates to your client's devices and they can set up an inhouse app store, so their user experience is almost the same as when using Apple's app store.

I've just decided to go with option #2 for an enterprise project for 3-5 clients. I would say that if you have more than about 10 clients, the extra work with all the different certificates, distribution methods etc. wouldn't be worth it and I'd rather pay Apple 30% to handle that and go with the Custom B2B program (if it's available in your country).

Answer 2

Option 1 is more preferable.

You can have a free app on the app store.

After that you can have a option for licensing. and from coding you can maintain that in order to use the app they needs to purchase the license.

Lots of app does that as they have their signup based on the Device ID.

I have worked with some of the apps who uses to give their services like SIP Calling with licensing like that.

so with option 1 you can achieve it.

thanks