Enterprise Apps

Proprietary apps distributed via MDM (IPA/PKG files) rather than the App Store. Requires Enterprise Distribution certificates.

What to Know

Enterprise Apps enable organizations to develop and distribute internal line-of-business applications that would never be approved for public App Store distribution due to their specialized nature, proprietary integrations, or limited audience. This includes custom inventory scanners, field service tools, internal portals, or apps with deep integrations into corporate systems. Without enterprise distribution, organizations would be forced to rebuild these capabilities as web apps or rely on less secure sideloading methods.

For organizations with strict compliance requirements, Enterprise Apps also provide complete control over the distribution channel. Since these apps never pass through Apple’s public review process or servers, organizations maintain full custody of the application binaries, code signing certificates, and distribution mechanisms — critical for industries like defense, healthcare, or financial services where regulatory frameworks may prohibit third-party hosting of internal tools.

Common Scenarios

Enterprise IT: Deploy custom iOS apps for warehouse workers (inventory management, barcode scanning), field technicians (service ticketing, equipment diagnostics), or sales teams (product configurators, pricing tools). Also used to distribute beta versions of App Store apps to internal testers before public release.

MSP: Less common in MSP environments, but occasionally used to distribute white-labeled remote support apps or custom client portals that MSPs develop in-house. More frequently, MSPs help clients manage their own enterprise app distribution by configuring the necessary certificates and MDM infrastructure.

Education: Distribute custom apps for campus-specific functions like digital student ID cards, dining hall check-in systems, library resource management, or specialized research tools developed by university IT departments that wouldn’t serve a broader audience.

In Addigy

Addigy supports Enterprise App distribution through its Smart Software and Custom App deployment features. Admins upload IPA or PKG files directly to Addigy, which then hosts and distributes them via MDM commands. For iOS enterprise apps, Addigy handles the manifest URL generation required by Apple’s InstallApplication command. Addigy tracks installation status across devices and can automatically update enterprise apps when new versions are uploaded, though silent updates require the app to be managed via VPP or configured as managed software.