Can we provide IPA and APK files?

Many customers ask us if we can provide them with binaries to roll out Scandit Express in their MDM environment. The short answer is that:

• we can provide .apk files (for Android) 
• we cannot provide .ipa files (for iOS).

Here is why:

For Android, the distribution of self-signed binaries in the .apk format is straightforward. Please, contact us at support@scandit.com. 

For iOS, Apple requires all apps to be distributed via the AppStore by default. In addition, Apple offers the “Enterprise Program” option, which allows companies to develop, sign, and deploy their own internal apps - sometimes called line-of-business applications. The restriction is that such “Enterprise” apps can only be used by the company that developed and signed the application internally. Such “Enterprise” apps can be distributed as .ipa files and installed via an MDM. 

Apple does not offer any signing authority to software companies like Scandit to self-sign .ipa files and distribute them to other parties. Therefore, we cannot provide “Enterprise Store” signed .ipa files to any of our customers. The alternative that our customer signs our code via their own Enterprise-certificate is not possible either, due to the involved technical and legal risk. 

Therefore, all our customers need to install Scandit Express via the AppStore, or their MDM, which usually supports the installation of AppStore based Apps. See here for example the documentation on how to : 

• Add iOS store apps to Microsoft Intune

For test and demonstration on iOS we have other options - please contact us at support@scandit.com