19. Issues with Wireless App Distribution

As with all technical conveniences, there are some issues to consider with wireless app distribution that may not make it the ideal solution for your environment.

Considering Infrastructure

Obviously, to set up wireless app distribution, you have to deal with infrastructure issues. You’ll need, at the very least, a web server. Whether you use a cloud service, (in this case, I mean a cloud-based web server such as those provided by Media-Temple or Rackspace), or you maintain the server internally, it’s still another web server—even if it’s a virtual host on an existing web server. You’ll need to address security issues for that server, including access control, versions, patching, and all the other stuff that makes running a server so very much fun.

If you’re going to allow server access from outside your network, you’ll have another layer of fun. Will you allow only SSL access to the server, or does your situation require some form of VPN connection? Are you going to tie your server into your existing directory service infrastructure, or maintain a separate authentication database specifically for this server?

If you’re using Mobile Device Management (MDM), some of these issues are already resolved, but as Chapter 16 pointed out, MDM adds its own layers of complexity to your network.

Oh, and there’s also the requirement that certain Apple servers be accessible to install the apps. If your distribution server is outside of your network, that requirement isn’t a big deal, but if that server is inside your network, you may be facing a bigger deal than you anticipated.

Adding Issues for Developers

iOS developers will have even more steps added to the setup process because readying the application for distribution now involves incorporating web server data and creating extra copies of icon files. There’s also a development cost in terms of the app distribution interface offered to users. Do you just show them a page of assorted links, or like Casper, do you separate out new apps and app updates to individual pages? The latter is obviously nicer for users, and highly recommended; but, it increases the complexity of interacting with the server on the back end.

If you have separate iPhone/iPod Touch and iPad apps, do you leave navigation between those versions up to the user? Do you try to sniff out which device is in use so that the user sees only those apps that she can run? Again, the former is easier on you but adds to the number of “Oops, I installed the wrong app” calls. The latter is easier on the users but harder on IT.

Addressing App Management

Then there’s the Apple App Store issue. Do you try to provide links to “approved” apps on your distribution server, or do you just rely on the users to install those? What if they need to pay for those apps? Do they do so using a company account that’s the same on every device, or do they use their own accounts? This situation becomes even more fun if you are trying to restrict the App Store apps that they can install on their devices. Restricting app installs requires a binary setting at present, so if you disallow free installation of apps, wireless app distribution gets really . . . well, interesting from a management point-of-view.

What if you have to delete an app? MDM servers such as Casper make parts of this process easy, like removing the provisioning profile, and removing the app from the self-service web clip. But reaching out and removing apps from iOS devices is not something that anyone (but maybe Apple) can do.

Wrapping Up

I really, really don’t want to scare anyone away from wireless app distribution. Having had to distribute apps the other way, serving remote users in less than stellar conditions, I don’t even think this is a scaling issue. For in-house apps, wireless distribution is absolutely better, as far as I’m concerned.

But, wireless app distribution does bring issues that must be managed and dealt with, whether you want to or not. It’s better to think about them and plan for them before you try to roll out a distribution server (or worse, a few months after you’ve rolled out that server). Wireless app distribution is awesome, and it’d be a shame not to use it because of some picayune issue that could have been handled before the process blew up in your face.