You have 3 options to deploy your app and provide it to your users in their enterprise or personal devices.
| Option | Description |
| Public store or private store |
The deployment in the App Store (public) is difficult (especially for iOS); you have to insist and explain to the support why this application is important and the value it brings to you. You can find some tips and advices to help you deploy your app in iOS store in the following documentation : Tips to deploy on Apple Store |
| MDM (Mobile Device Management) | We can guarantee that Microsoft Intune can deploy the Android and iOS package (Deployment on Microsoft Intune MDM) => Use an Ad hoc deployment profile. We are interested in your deployment experiences on other MDM solutions. |
| Direct download link (through a website) |
You must host your application (package) and manage a secure download URL (https). You guarantee the authenticity of the package that Powell Software has generated for you. Apps you distribute yourself aren't automatically updated. When there's a new version, notify users of the update and instruct them to install the app.
The installation experience of the application for an end user: iOS : will require validating a certificate to enable app install (use an Ad hoc deployment profile) - Deployment on iOS with a direct download link Android: will require them to allow the installation of apps from unknown sources - Deployment on Android with a direct download link |
Configuring and deploying the app in your context is not supported by Powell Software.
Deployment on Microsoft Intune MDM
Add an Android line-of-business app to Microsoft Intune
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/mem/intune/apps/lob-apps-android
Add an iOS/iPadOS line-of-business app to Microsoft Intune
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/mem/intune/apps/lob-apps-ios
Tips
An line-of-business (LOB) app is one that you add from an app installation file.
For example, to install an iOS/iPadOS LOB app, you add the application by selecting Line-of-business app as the App type in the Select app type pane.
You then select the app package file (extension .apk). These types of apps are typically written in-house or as a custom app.
Deployment on iOS with a direct download link
Use a website to distribute the app : https://support.apple.com/guide/deployment/distribute-proprietary-in-house-apps-depce7cefc4d/web
- For wireless app installation, iOS and iPadOS apps must meet the following requirements:
- Apps must be in .ipa format and be built with an in-house provisioning profile.
- They must have an XML manifest file.
- They must be downloaded from a website whose address begins with HTTPS.
- They must be signed by a certificate that’s trusted on the device.
- Their network configuration must allow devices to access a server at Apple. For more information, see the Apple Support article Use Apple products on enterprise networks.
Users download the manifest file from your website using the special URL prefix to install the package. You can distribute the URL for downloading the manifest file by iMessage or a mail message. Here’s a sample link with the prefix added:
<a href="itms-services://?action=download-
manifest&url=https://example.com/manifest.plist">Install App</a>
It’s up to you to design and host the website used to distribute these types of apps.
Make sure that users are authenticated and that the website is accessible from your intranet or the internet, depending on your needs. Your website can be a single page that links to the manifest file. When a user taps a web link, the manifest file is downloaded, which triggers the downloading and installation of what your webpage has described.
Make sure you follow this additional guidance:
- Don’t add a web link directly to the archived app (.ipa). The .ipa file is downloaded by the device when the manifest file is loaded. Although the protocol portion of the URL is “itms-services,” the App Store isn’t involved in this process.
- Ensure the .ipa file is accessible over HTTPS and that your site is signed with a certificate that iOS and iPadOS trust. Installation fails if a self-signed certificate doesn’t have a trusted anchor and can’t be validated by the device.
Upload these items to an area of your website that your authenticated users can access:
- The manifest file (with a .plist filename extension)
- The app file (with a .ipa filename extension)
You may need to configure your web server so the manifest file and app file are transmitted correctly. For the server, add the MIME types to the web service’s MIME types settings:
- application/octet-stream ipa
- text/xml plist
For Microsoft’s Internet Information Server (IIS), use IIS Manager to add the MIME types in the Properties page of the server:
- .ipa application/octet-stream
- .plist text/xml
Note: If you create a self-service portal, consider adding a Web clip to the user’s Home Screen so it’s easy to direct them back to the portal for future information, such as new configuration profiles, recommended App Store apps, and allowing them to enroll in an MDM solution.
| Example "manifest.plist" file | Update both tokens |
|
<plist version="1.0"> <dict> <key>items</key> <array> <dict> <key>metadata</key> <dict> <key>bundle-version</key> <string>2.23.0</string> <key>bundle-identifier</key> <string>Powell365.MobileApp.iOS</string> <key>kind</key> <string>software</string> <key>title</key> <string>[Application name]</string> </dict> <key>assets</key> <array> <dict> <key>url</key> <string>[URL IPA]</string> <key>kind</key> <string>software-package</string> </dict> </array> </dict> </array> </dict> </plist> |
[Application name] => Application name [URL IPA] => URL to the IPA file (https) |
Deployment on Android with a direct download link
Use a website to distribute the app: https://developer.android.com/studio/publish#:~:text=of%20your%20application.-,Releasing%20your%20app%20to%20users,application%20directly%20to%20a%20user.
If you do not want to release your app on a marketplace like Google Play, you can make the app available for download on your own website or server, including on a private or enterprise server. To do this, you must first prepare your application for release normally. Then all you need to do is host the release-ready APK file on your website and provide a download link to users.
When users browse the download link from their Android-powered devices, the file is downloaded and Android system automatically starts installing it on the device.
However, the installation process will start automatically only if the user has configured their Settings to allow the installation of apps from unknown sources.