IOS Enterprise Developer Program: how will Apple tell casual customers from employees?

Question

A mobile operator needs to distribute an application that uses private APIs on devices that are not jailbroken.

From what I have read everywhere so far, this is impossible.

Just out of curiosity: The Enterprise Developer program is designed for applications that are distributed only internally and used by employees or contractors, but how does Apple know if the user is an employee or some random iPhone user?

Of course, if the number of customers becomes large enough, Apple will notice that someday a suspicious and closed enterprise developer account will appear.

But suppose the application is used locally (in only a few countries), and not on the fact that many customers (say, in the order of tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands), is there a way Apple can figure this out? So, I wonder if there is anything measurable on the device or in the application that means the user as an employee of the application developer. I doubt it.

Thanks!

Answer 1

Technically, I don’t think that Apple has any way to find out on which device the corporate application was deployed and what it actually does. Also, I don’t think Apple will be very concerned that you are deploying the enterprise application on multiple non-employee devices. They just want to make sure that you are not using the Enterprise license as an alternative distribution mechanism for iOS applications. In my opinion, the following flaws in trying this:

1) If the distribution for non-employees reaches high levels, and this comes to Apple's knowledge (possibly through a disgruntled employee), it is more likely that they will take legal action against (except closing the account), which leads to loss of money and loss faces.

2) Enterprise distribution certificates expire in 1 year (even internal), so if you really start an alternative distribution of mecahnism using a volume license, you can imagine how difficult it will be after sales support.

3) Of course, ethics is a question, given this :)

Answer 2

You are correct that the Enterprise Developer Program allows you to deploy applications only within the company and its employees.

However, Apple has not yet intervened if you offer your application, signed by the corporation, publicly, although this is technically possible (see the "kill switch" comment above).

One example is an application that can be downloaded at http://www.featurepoints.com . The app installs a provisioning profile named "TapGen InHouse" expiring on 2014-06-30, effectively bypassing the App Store and Apple process.

Thus, either Apple cannot tell random customers from employees, or they just don't care (at least if you are below a certain threshold).