Apple Business Manager - customize application for each customer

Question

Apple Business Manager - customize application for each customer

Hello all!

I have a custom app that is in Apple Business Manager and App Store Connect right now that I would like to custom tailor for each of my customers.

These customizations would require very small changes to the code of the application.

Do I need to have a separate app for each customer, even though the changes are small, or is there some way to do this with a single app, but maybe with different versions?

Thank you for any help.

Steven

Posted on Jun 7, 2023 3:20 PM

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Answer 1

Best reply

MrHoffman

Community+ 2024

Level 10

119,921 points

Jun 12, 2023 9:22 AM in response to StevenTheSpaceMan

I think ABM can load an unlisted app, but have never tried that. If using unlisted apps for customer-customized distributions, you’re either going to need to key off the customer-user’s configured DNS or other customer-specific app-sign-in details to access icons or text strings or such (and to control access to the app), or to load a customer-specific (and preferably digitally signed) profile file or configuration data from a customer server or from your server. Loading from your servers is easier to code and less work on the customer, but that means your server availability and reachability becomes critical. This works for data and resources and text strings and icons and such, but not for loading variant customized code.

Or you’re going to need multiple per-customer (likely also hidden) versions.

ABM will definitely work with per-customer app versions, which is the above thread.

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Answer 2

Jun 12, 2023 7:59 AM in response to celliott147

Yes, each customer will have their own ABM instance... but I need to set the app's org id/name in App Store Connect before it will show up in their ABM instance.

Before I can do that, I need to modify the source code of the app to work for that customer. Each customer is a little different, and the same source code for customer 1 will not work for customer 2. It requires a minor modification before customer 2 can use it.

Is it possible, without requiring multiple apps in the store (1 for each customer)?

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Answer 3

Jun 12, 2023 7:59 AM in response to celliott147

Yes, I am the main, but not only, developer of the app.

It turns out that it is not possible to change the code without also releasing a new version, which will remove the old version. Without allowing version 1.1 -> customer 1 and version 1.2 -> customer 2, it is not possible to do what I wanted to do. Oh well.

We have decided to push up the priority of the change that will allow the user to specify their customer ID, which will set the domain that they are using. I'm working on that now and we will release that to the custom app store when it is done and tested.

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Answer 4

celliott147

Level 6

12,049 points

Jun 12, 2023 7:59 AM in response to StevenTheSpaceMan

If you need modified versions, you would need to create multiple published versions. I've also asked for this thread to be moved to the developer forums from the Business and Education forums as that will provide more resources for you.

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Answer 5

Jun 12, 2023 8:55 AM in response to celliott147

Thanks, celliott147.

From what I can tell in the ABM web app and what I have read online, there is no such thing as "multiple published versions". The current version is the only available version.

I would love to know if this is not the case and how I can publish more than 1 version of my app at the same time, targeting different org ID/Names for each published version.

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Answer 6

Jun 12, 2023 9:48 AM in response to MrHoffman

We have moved up the priority of the "customer selects their environment" ticket so that we can ship only 1 version of the app, which will work fine with ABM of course. I have that almost done now.. it just needs styling. It is not as nice for our customers, but they will just have to deal with it.

This is an FDA cleared software medical device, so we have to be thoughtful and careful with new features.

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