Edward Kirk
June 11th, 2008, 07:45 PM
<div id="inlinead" class="inlinead"><IFRAME src="http://adserver1.backbeatmedia.com/servlet/ajrotator/13894/222/viewHTML?pool=13886&type=3158&pos=20&zone=5000" width="300" height="250" align="middle" frameborder=0 marginwidth=0 marginheight=0 scrolling=no><script language="JavaScript" src="http://adserver1.backbeatmedia.com/servlet/ajrotator/13894/222/viewJScript?pool=13886&type=3158&pos=20&zone=5000"></script></IFRAME></div><div class="nodecontent">One of the things mentioned at WWDC 08 that we haven't talked much about is the new enterprise solution for app distribution. While it might not make a big difference for the everyday consumer, it will mean a lot for IT departments who will want to distribute their applications in ways other than through the app store. <!--break-->
Making the app store the only method for getting apps on the iPhone poses a big problem for those wanting to use their iPhone for business purposes and the IT departments who would be handling them. For one, they needed a way to make sure that the apps for the employees of a specific company were only available on the devices of their employees.
One way for doing this would be to make special areas of the app store that were only accessible to the employees of the company, but Apple's solution makes a lot more sense. With their enterprise solution, a company can authorize the iPhones they need. Then can distribute the applications written in-house onto those phones, so only those devices will be able to run them.
This makes sense in several ways. For one, this plan makes it so that even if someone can break into a company's network to get the apps, they won't run on their device. Secondly, apps would be distributed only from their own servers on their own network, meaning that Apple wouldn't be handling their sensitive information.
[via <a href="http://www.macworld.com/article/133892/2008/06/it_iphoneapps.html" target="_blank">Macworld</a>]</div>
Making the app store the only method for getting apps on the iPhone poses a big problem for those wanting to use their iPhone for business purposes and the IT departments who would be handling them. For one, they needed a way to make sure that the apps for the employees of a specific company were only available on the devices of their employees.
One way for doing this would be to make special areas of the app store that were only accessible to the employees of the company, but Apple's solution makes a lot more sense. With their enterprise solution, a company can authorize the iPhones they need. Then can distribute the applications written in-house onto those phones, so only those devices will be able to run them.
This makes sense in several ways. For one, this plan makes it so that even if someone can break into a company's network to get the apps, they won't run on their device. Secondly, apps would be distributed only from their own servers on their own network, meaning that Apple wouldn't be handling their sensitive information.
[via <a href="http://www.macworld.com/article/133892/2008/06/it_iphoneapps.html" target="_blank">Macworld</a>]</div>