Is there a way to sideload a Windows phone 8 Enterprise app?
I can only find sideloading documentation on Windows 8 desktop store apps.
Any idea?
Sideloading is only a feature that is given to Company distributed applications. The company manages a MDM(Mobile Device Management) , and the APPX file is distributed through email or server or local storage.
The company has to have a Microsoft System Center 2012 for managing the applications . The phones are company specific and the apps can be directly deployed without going throgh the App store
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I need to create an internal app for windows phone 8. Due to complex preconditions, I don’t like the official “Company app distribution for Windows Phone” way. I’d like to be able to run my app on arbitrary windows phone devices.
I understand I can only install unsigned XAP produced by visual studio on a developer unlocked phone.
If I’ll publish my free application, wait for certification, download the XAP from windowsphone.com, then unpublish my application from the marketplace — will the .XAP remain installable from the micro SD card onto any non-developer unlocked phone as described there?
Or maybe some certificates will eventually expire?
Whenever you try to install XAP from SD card, the phone connects to Windows Phone Store and checks whether:
a) The app is available at Store at you region (from phone settings)
b) The XAP is the latest version available at Store
Installation is allowed only if the above conditions meet. This is also the reason why installation fails when wifi and cellular data is turned off (i.e. phone cannot connect to Store).
So in short, you cannot install the XAP if it's not available in Store.
So I'm a little confused. We are developing a Windows Phone 8 application but want to sideload it and bypass the store (it's for internal use). I've read all the documentation (at least I think all of it) that requires us to have an AET, Enterprise store, etc. But I'm a little confused on the Sideload Licenses.
Do I need to buy this (J7S-00005) license in order to sideload WP8 apps to devices? Or can I just get the certificate, put it on my secure site and download/install?
Thanks.
There are a few options:
Company app distribution for Windows Phone 8
Targeted app distribution (these are "hidden" in the store, but anyone that stumbles across the link can install it)
Developer unlock and sideload on each phone
Coming in Windows Phone 8.1, from May 2014, It is reported that Windows Phone 8.1 devices (and 8.0 devices once updated) will be able to sideload apps in the same way that Windows Store apps can be on the desktop/tablets. To quote the relevant section:
[Microsoft will] grant Enterprise Sideloading rights to organizations in certain Volume License programs, regardless of what product they purchase, at no additional cost.
Other customers who want to deploy custom line-of-business Windows 8.1 apps can purchase Enterprise Sideloading rights for an unlimited number of devices through Volume Licensing at approximately $100.
Is there a way to install signed applications over the air on the windows 8 and windows phone 8 platforms?
I'm looking for something similar to iOS wireless app distribution with its itms-services:// uri scheme. Basically, I want to direct users to a web page where they can download and install a signed application package on their device by clicking a link.
But it seems (from the information I gathered from the available documentation) that Microsoft allow app installation only by using the Windows Store, or by Sideloading (in the case of Windows RT, 8 Pro and 8 Entreprise) or by enrolling users phones for company app distribution (in the case of Windows Phone 8).
are these really the only methods available?
Thanks in advance.
For the Phone you could use the beta testing feature. It will not show in the store and only be available for users you have registered via their Microsoft account formerly Live ID. The app will run through certification and therefore will not be hosted on your own server.
For Windows 8.x you will still have to go the side loading route as there is currently no beta testing feature available.
HTH
Could you please guide me on how to deploy windows phone 8 apps on other windows phone for testing without phone developer account or any other means . Just deploy the .XAP in any other windows phone and test or for giving demo.
there can be many ways to deploy app on phone..
1. by launching a beta version of the app and giving microsoft account of the people you want to send it. it will be a 90 days trial and then app will be removed. while this you can also update your app for testers.
by using SD card. put your xap in sd card and then deploy on phone ...
here is the link which might help you
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windowsphone/develop/ff402565(v=vs.105).aspx
Take a look at this article, it describes the process. You need to register the phone, this process is now free. After the phone has been registered you can deploy apps to it using Visual Studio.
Can I develop my custom private Metro-style applications and deploy them directly to my customers, bypassing the market?
Will I be able to provide my customers with their custom-made applications in Metro-style?
For instance, in Android you can transfer an APK file.
On Technet there's an article on sideloading Metro style applications. Basically, the requirements are as follows:
The application must be cryptograhically signed.
The computer it will be installed to must trust the signing certificate.
The Allow all trusted applications to install group policy setting must be enabled.
To run the application the computer must be joined to a domain.
As long as your customers are in enterprise environment these requirements shouldn't be a problem. Outside enterprise environment you'll need to distibute your apps through the Windows store.
At least with the Consumer Preview of Windows 8 the sideloading also works on machines with a valid developer licence. I couldn't find any official info on that but this might stay the case with the final release as well for the purpose of testing the apps.
EDIT:
Some additional info has just been published. Key points:
Sideloading will be enabled in Windows 8 Enterprise Edition and Windows 8 Server editions. It is also currently enabled in both Windows 8 Consumer Preview and Windows Server 8 Beta.
In other editions of Windows 8 a special product key will need to be activated to enable sideloading. It might not be necessary for the computer to be joined to a domain in this case.
Sort of … not really.
Windows 8 Enterprise edition will have the ability to side-load Metro-style apps. The idea is that you can deploy an internal app to your enterprise. The implication is that non-enterprise editions that will come with your consumer/retail PC or tablet will likely not support side-loading of Metro-style apps.
See No escape from the store for the plebs!.
I don't see why not. I've played with the Visual Studio 11 beta on Windows 8, and one of the templates is for a Metro app. It was just a .NET executable. So, as long as you can deploy that to your machines just like you do today, there should be no problem.