I'm writing a Windows 8 Store application but the application is for internal uses within my company. The application needs to run on 100+ tablets so the installation process needs to be easy.
So, I've been using the Windows 8 Store template to create my application but I now need to get this application on my devices. How can I do this without going through the Windows 8 store release process?
I've sideloaded the application on a few tablets for testing but I needed a developers licence for this and it expires every 30 days.
So is there anyway to release windows 8 store application as an enterprise solution?
I could use WPF to create my apps but the controls just aren't as smooth or nice for the touch screen environment.
Any help would be great. Thanks
The link provided by takemyoxygen already gives a lot of technical details. I'd just like to add a couple of additional notes.
Not all versions of Windows 8 have the sideloading license for installing Windows Store apps outside the store:
With Windows 8 Enterprise machines joined to a domain you're ready to go.
With Windows 8 Pro (domain joined or not) and Windows 8 Enterprise outside a domain you need to buy a special activation key (sold in batches of 100).
With Windows 8 there's no way to get a sideloading license.
With Windows RT (ARM) you need the activation key. The machine can't be joined to a domain.
Once you have a sideloading license, you can install a Windows Store app package:
You can manually run the installation script creted by Visual Studio along with the package.
You can set up a group policy if you have Microsoft System Center and the machines are domain joined.
For Windows RT machines you can use Windows Intune (as a standalone service or Microsoft System Center add on) to create an internal store for installing Windows Store apps.
Make sure you visit Lhotka's blog to read more on the sideloading subject.
Related
I have created an Windows 8 store application for a small business using visual studios 2012, C# and xaml. The problem I am having is when I side load the application it requires a developer license every 30 days which the company is not happy with. The company do not want the application made available to the public hence my hesitation to put the application on windows store. So as side loading does not seem acceptable are there any suggestions on how to make an application private (only downloadable by people I choose) in windows store?
You can perform sideloading without developer licence, but Enterprise or Professional version of Windows is required.
System Center allows you to deploy private app to the company managed devices. Windows Intune allows you to create private Company App Hub
There is promise to create Windows Store for businesses, where apps will be available only for company employess, or contractors. Azure Active Directory accounts will be required. http://www.techradar.com/news/software/business-software/microsoft-will-launch-windows-store-for-business-with-windows-10-1292471
Go for Windows store. On the process of creating your app in the store you can select several availability of your app.
1. Make app available publicly
2. Restrict to certain countries
3. Only the people you allow can download the app (people you chose must have a live account)
4. Make the app visible via a URL. (People who had the URL can access the app)
5. Use promotional code. (People who have the code can access the app)
Only drawback is some of these options will only work if the end users are using Windows 10.
Let me know if you require more info. I've done this before.
We have an app in the Windows 8 store. The app needs to be updated ASAP for Windows 10 to be preinstalled (OEM app). There will be a critical update later for Windows 8 users. Can I still updated the Windows 8 app separately without affecting the Windows 10 app?
You will be able to add packages for each platform. This way it's possible to update them seperately.
You can read more about it here
I have been working on a Minecraft server wrapper for the past week. I was looking forward to making a windows 10 universal app, but in my learning and testing I discovered that System.Diagnostics.Process is not supported in windows 8 store apps. When trying to add the code to my Win 10 dev machine in a 10 project I am being told that it cant be resolved.
Is there going to be a way to launch an external process and capture the output into a textbox with Win10 Universal apps or am I out of luck?
Your target app will need to support app services to do this. It isn't possible to launch and control arbitrary apps. If the target app is designed as an app service then you can launch and communicate it with Launcher.LaunchUriForResultsAsync
For more on app services see the Build session App-to-App Communication: Building a Web of Apps
Apologies for the noobish question, and I did try to search but couldn't find the right answer (or didn't search properly).
Currently have an app developed in a windows desktop environment because it gives us access to deeper features of the PC such as serial port comms etc. that the normal metro environment wouldn't allow. We're currently developing the UI based on metroUI so we can run it on an 8.1 touchscreen (metroUI looks good, gives us a touch-screen experience with PC features) but we have no intention of putting it on the marketplace.
Just wanted to confirm if this is in fact doable, and we can have this desktop application with a metro UI? Or is my noobishness meaning I'm overlooking some technical feasibility that makes it impossible?
This is doable with the Windows 8.1 Update (from April 2014). It's not supported before that since Windows Store apps were blocked from communicating with desktop processes.
The Windows 8.1 Update adds a feature "Brokered Windows Runtime Components" designed to allow side-loaded Windows Store apps to communicate with a desktop back-end. This will allow your Windows Store app UI to call the desktop component to access API that aren't available in the limited app package environment.
See Brokered Windows Runtime Components for side-loaded Windows Store apps for details.
See Try It Out: Sideload Windows Store Apps on TechNet for how to enable side-loading on your systems. See Windows 8.1 Update: Sideloading Enhancements for updates on how to enable a system for sideloading (no license required when on a domain, and significantly easier to get a sideloading license for non-domain joined systems).
The developer license system is designed for development and test purposes only. You really don't want to use it for production. Use the proper enterprise side-loading system instead.
From my understanding, the whole point here is to make it look like a Windows Store app. If you're app is a WPF one, you can already use Mahapps.metro.
You can create a Windows Store app without going to the store by Sideloading it. You create an app package first. The user has to right click the .ps1 file in that package to see the option Run with PowerShell and install it in a very old fashioned DOS like manor. It will only run when the user has a Microsoft Developer License and renew it every month. However, it is not allowed to keep using a Developer License of the end user to run a Store app. In the end, the system has to be domain bound to be allowed to run these apps, or you have to buy a Enterprise Sideloading key. These come in packages of 100 for $ 3000,- or you can unlock all PC's for 1 client for $ 100-.
It would be nicer if the specific pros of a Store program were available in a desktop environment but with W10 coming up I do expect a bit more integration and less restrictions.
Hope this answers your question.
I have tried to create a plug-in for Windows 8 Store without success...
Anybody created a plug-in for a Windows 8 Store app? If yes then please tell me steps to create it?
It is possible to write Windows 8 Store apps in several languages: C++, C#, or web technologies like HTML, JavaScript and CSS. These are then packaged and distributed to the Windows Store via the Visual Studio IDE.
In Worklight, the Windows 8 Store apps are written using web technologies.
Developing Windows Store Apps with HTML5 Jump Start
Here, the notion of "plug-in" does not exist, because the underlying of the application is based on "web code" rather than "native code". Hence, the Windows 8 environment in Worklight does not support the creation of Cordova plug-ins (to interface with native libraries).
You can use Cordova APIs to access hardware features and alike.
You can also use the WinJS API provided by Microsoft:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/apps/hh465493.aspx
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/apps/br229773.aspx