Host an ipad app without using apple resources?

[Oyeve]

The company I work for has paid a developer to create an app for us. Its about 800megs in size. They used to host the app on their site and we would email our reps in the field the link every couple of months when we made changes and it would install directly onto their ipads and overwrite the previous version while leaving the client info intact.

So, now this app creating/hosting company has changed their servers and the app no longer downloads. They pretty much told us we are on our own.

So, my question is:

I have the ipa file, how (if possible) can I have my users get this file from my resources that will install to their ipads remotely? Some sort of ftp? Shared network? Will dropbox work?

 

[aaksheytalwar]

Get an apple enterprise developer membership for USD 299/year.

 

[Oyeve]

Get an apple enterprise developer membership for USD 299/year.

I have one already. That allows me to make an app. Not host an app. I think.

 

[Rakehellion]

There are services that will host apps for you. Or they can just use iTunes to sync the ipa file.

I think you can use a regular web server but you need a fancy XML file to go alongside it.

 

[aaksheytalwar]

I have one already. That allows me to make an app. Not host an app. I think.

The regular member is $99. The enterprises membership allows hosting for companies.

 

[ViRGE]

I have one already. That allows me to make an app. Not host an app. I think.

If you have an iOS Developer Enterprise license, then you have all of the paperwork you need. You just need to look into iOS Enterprise Distribution to see how to sign your apps, enroll iPads, and finally push out the app.

Assuming for a second that you already had an enrollment system in place, then technically all you'd need to do is put it up on an HTTP server somewhere. But I'm going to guess your contractor controlled the profiles that are necessary to allow your iPads to accept the app.