Understanding iPhone App and Enterprise Development

Understanding iPhone App and Enterprise Development
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Introduction

The development of iPhone apps involves developing applications using the iOS SDK and other resources from the iOS Dev Center. Of course, this involves creativity and technical skills on the developer’s part. After the application is finished, it can be tested then distributed to Apple’s devices such as the iPhone, the iPod Touch and the iPad. However, in iPhone app and enterprise development, it involves all of the things we mentioned plus some optional technical support at the code level. Enteprise development is not just about providing apps for entertainment, recreation and individual productivity reasons. It also involves businesses and internal data that needs to be handled with care and security.

The iPhone Enterprise Development Program

This program helps iPhone app developers develop internal applications for enterprise level businesses and companies. It requires a digital certificate from Apple and a $299 annual fee. In developing applications, they must be signed with the digital certificate acquired from Apple. To start running applications developed in this program, a business needs to acquire at least one provisioning profile that can be installed on a device to authorize the use of the app. Once the devices have the provisioning profile required, they can now acquire the digitally signed applications that must be placed first in an iTunes library. The development process itself is not different from public app development with the exception of the digital certificate. The developer can ask for technical support in any of these steps, including the development process and selling of iPhone applications.

Features of the Enterprise Program

The technical resources available for this program let developers integrate the app with the existing data infrastructure of a company provided that they are using enterprise technologies supported by these technical resources. With these tools, existing company data, whether it is email, calendar, contacts or other types of data, can be accessed in a secure fashion. The private networks within the company like corporate servers, email servers and Wi-Fi networks can easily be accessed securely by apps developed in this program.

Because this program is designed to service private corporations, security is a high value priority. The tools in the iOS resources can provide the developers with ways to keep their networks, data and devices secure. These developer tools work hand in hand with the digital certificate and provisioning profile systems to ensure that the use of the iPhone apps will not compromise company data and assets.

Interesting Facts

Apps developed in this program do not go through the approval process of Apple that is required for public applications. For this reason, developers can use third party technology that will normally not be permitted in public iPhone apps. These third party technologies include Adobe Flash, which can be used through the Flash Packager for the iPhone included in Adobe’s Creative Suite. Anyone can develop for iPhone app and enterprise development, but the companies that want to apply for this program should get a DUNS (Data Universal Numbering System) number, which is acquired from the government, to be eligible.

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