Confused with iOS distribution systems

Question

So far we have only done App store apps but now we have a client, a service provider to the medical industry who wants an app producing that they can distribute to various different medical institutions, these are not in-house clients, they are external businesses who have a service agreement with them. Our client wishes to control the distribution of the iPad + app that we produce.

This should be straight forward bespoke development but the enterprise program seems to cater for in-house employees only??

How do you do this?

Answer 1

Two options you have here:

• If I understood the enterprise agreement terms correctly, I would suppose it's actually possible to distribute it this way - maybe have a lawyer check this
• however, you're on the save side if the your clients just creates an enterprise program for each of these institution and then distributes the app in that specific institution that is signed with their key.

Answer 2

Another option is "custom B2B apps". This requires that the customers join Apple's volume purchase program. See http://www.apple.com/business/vpp/ for details.

Answer 3

The only option is using the appstore in this case. (or jailbreaking the ipads).