iOS Development for the Enterprise

When most people think of iOS development, the natural assumption is Apple’s App Store. A lesser known option for development is enterprise or in-house development. In this session we will cover the unique considerations and advantages that enterprise development has. Since there is no review and approval process, we will learn that with great power comes great responsibility. Imagine creating your own “App Store” and distributing your apps to users that you get to interact with daily. We will also touch on some of the updated MDM services that Apple has rolled out and how they can make devices easy to manage. Get ready to see the fun world of enterprise app development!

Transcript

1. The Awesomeness of In-House iOS Development
2. LJ Wilson wilsonlj@archildrens.org Senior Troublemaker Systems Development Group Arkansas Children’s Hospital Contact Info: stackoverflow.com/users/585320/eljay @eljaywilson
4. ACH System Development Group • 16 Developers • 7 QA / Implementers • 2 DBA’s • 3 Hardware Support
9. • $299 / year • Deploy apps yourself • No App review process • Provisioning expires yearly • DUNS # required In-House vs App Store • $99 / year • Submits to App Store • App reviewed by Apple • Provisioning expire only if account expires • DUNS # for company only
10. We must solve a problem • App store apps typically provide some utility, extend some service or offer entertainment • In-house apps almost always are written to solve a problem • User base is much different than App Store development • Rewards can be great
11. The Challenges • Must engineer methods for app deployments and updates • Must update every app at least once a year (to include a renewed provisioning profile) • Have to come up with own way of reporting app issues and crash reports
12. App Deployment Options • Host all apps on a secure web-server & send links • Use a third party MDM suite • Pros - Handles multiple platforms (at minimum, iOS and Android) • Cons - Costly and doesn’t lend itself to customization • Create your own “App Store” • Would be platform specific • Highly customizable, and FREE
13. • Authorizing Devices (lots of questions) • Auto or manual authentication? • How long to keep device authenticated? • Integrate with network login credentials? • Create new authentication process? • Touch ID for newer devices! Device Management
14. • Must have some form of Device ID • Use identifierForVendor • When user authenticates for the first time, create relationship between device id and the user id. • Use this relationship for tracking usage and for automatic authentication (if desired) Tracking Devices
15. • Automatic expiration based on usage? • This could be easily controlled on the server side • ACH uses a 30 day window for authentication • Two scenarios that could impact this decision are transferred devices and stolen devices Expiring Devices
16. • Revolves around one iOS app that is downloaded via https • This app uses user authentication to decide which apps the user is allowed to see • One app to rule them all • All installs and most updates come through this app • All feedback regarding apps (problem reports) come through this app • Provide some kind of social aspect (sharing) to the app to assist in adoption Setting up internal “App Store”
17. Application Info Application ID Application Name Install URL Active Show on App Store Show on Web iPhone Screenshots iPad Screenshots APNS Dev Cert APNS Prod Cert OS Platform int varchar varchar bit bit bit int int varchar varchar varchar
18. Application API Keys ID Application ID API Key ! int int varchar
19. Authenticated Devices ID Device ID Network ID Device Type OS Platform Banned int varchar varchar varchar varchar bit
20. Authentications ID Device ID Network ID Last Authenticated Last Application App Version int varchar varchar date varchar varchar
21. APNS Subscriptions ID Device ID Device Token Network ID Application ID Added On Active Dev Badge Count int varchar varchar varchar int date bit bit int
22. APNS Push Notifications ID Device Token Application ID Payload Sound File Added On Added By Processed On ! int varchar int varchar varchar date varchar date
23. Assigned Applications ID Application ID Network ID Active ! int int varchar bit
24. App Launch Process
25. Secure the Web-Services • Use distinct API Keys for each iOS app • SHA2 256 bit • Secures the app to each web-service. If API Key is missing, don’t return anything. If the API Key is wrong, let the caller know • Side benefit of forcing users to update to a newer version of the app if needed or to turn off all data to the app (the nuclear option)
26. Push Notifications • DIY Push Notifications require some planning • Apps must have unique App ID for APNS • Will need to create an APNS server that has the app certificates installed to talk to Apple’s APNS system • The architecture is the key to getting this right • We have 10 virtual servers that only handle APNS request (all database driven)
27. Real World Examples iACH ACH Central Flight Manifest iTicketing Ambulance Checklist Pilots Info Guide (PIG) iCarehub Ground Manifest SDG Support eRequest Patient Survey TAD Some of ACH’s Apps
28. Some Stats for ACH # of Production Apps 16 Active Users ~570 App Hits Daily / Monthly ~625 / 18K Push Notifications Sent Monthly 2400 +
29. Final Thoughts • Enterprise development is on the rise • Barriers to entry are not as formidable as many imagine • The key is quality development & infrastructure. Any clown can write an app, spending the time to setup an system to make apps available, manage updates and secure things is what will convince senior leadership to adopt iOS development • Close relationships with your internal customers is key to a successful and productive app.
30. Wrap Up • Session Keynote PDF will be available on speakerdeck later today - speakerdeck.com/eljaywilson • Best way to contact me is via email