Enterprise Distribution signing - who does it and why?

Question

I'm developing an iOS app as part of our ISV company. We're using Xamarin.iOS, but I hope that shouldn't matter for this question.

Some of our customers that will get the App are using an MDM (AirWatch) to manage devices and install the App on their devices. For development we used the "iOS App Development" together with our devices to debug and test the app.

Now there's time to get the App to our first customer. For that the app must be signed with a Distribution Certificate and bundled with a Distribution Provisioning profile. For these to generate, one has to be enrolled in the "iOS Developer Enterprise program", which is $299/year. Before spending that money, I'd like to make sure I'm doing the right thing.

Several questions here suggest that the customer's company (not we as the ISV) that uses the MDM to provision the devices should enroll in the "iOS Developer Enterprise program" and should provide us (as the ISV company) with a Distribution Certificate and a Distribution Provisioning profile. Here are the questions:

• Distributing an enterprise (in-house) iOS app
• How to manage Enterprise Distribution certificate expiration?

My guess is that the client has to enroll in the "iOS Developer Enterprise program". And that the client has to provide us with Distribution Certificate and Distribution Provisioning profile.

My question now is: Why is it that the client has to be part of the "iOS Developer Enterprise program"? Every new client also has to enroll in the program. Wouldn't it be easier if we as the ISV would enroll in the program? Are the legal implications why we shouldn't do that?

Answer 1

You can technically distribute using your own license to the client, however this is not strictly the way it was designed to work by Apple.

Best practice is that they should sign up for the Enterprise program and send you the certificate and provisioning profile (or give you access to their Apple Developer portal).

Then they are responsible for distribution and licensing costs.

If you made them part of your Enterprise Program that would only really work if you only plan to work with the one client.

Alternatively you could send them the binaries and they can re sign them on their side.

this is a guide to how to re sign if required:

Re-sign IPA (iPhone)