Option 1 – Store deployment, Application password safe, encryption
Advantages
- Deployment is easy
Disadvantages
- LOB app is deployed somewhere on the cloud
- App must be validated by Microsoft.
- Time it takes until app is published is unknown.
- Validation requirements unknown.
Option 2 – domain deployment LOB
Advantages
- Don’t have to deploy to the app store
Disadvantages
- J7S-00005 licence required for Windows Pro version, Cost ~$3000
- Only works with Windows Enterprise and Windows Pro
- Group policy has to be changed (End client)
- Unknown if Windows RT versions are supported
- Deployment requires IT Admin
- Cert required
NOTE:
The app must be signed with a key from a certificate authority that’s trusted on the local computer. For example, if you sign the app with a certificate from a trusted certificate authority such as Verisign, the app will install with no further configuration. If the app is signed with your own self-signed certificate, you’ll have to trust the self-signed certificate on the local computer.
Option 3 – non-domain deployment LOB
Advantages
- Don’t have to deploy to the app store
Disadvantages
- Unknown if it works at all, bad documentation from Microsoft.
- licence costs for sideloading
- Unknown if Windows RT versions are supported
- Complicated
Taken from: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/apps/jj659079.aspx
Management of Windows Store apps
As with previous versions of Windows, IT managers can continue to use tools such as Windows Intune and Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager to manage access to enterprise LOB apps. With the introduction of the Windows Store, which is enabled by default for Windows 8, IT managers will want to ensure that user access to the Windows Store is compliant with company policy.
For Windows 8 Windows Store apps, IT managers have several options for managing apps both internally distributed and using the Windows Store.
- The management tools available from System Center Configuration Manager and Windows Intune can control which apps can be distributed to the enterprise user base.
- Company policy may enable user access to the Windows Store, but only for particular apps. In this case, IT managers can restrict which apps that enterprise users have access to in the Windows Store by using the AppLocker tool.
- Company policy may restrict access to the Windows Store for all but a selected set of users or PCs. In this case, IT managers can use a group policy to disable access to the Windows Store for restricted users or PCs.
Links
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_8_editions
http://stackoverflow.com/questions/12008252/sideloading-apps-on-windows-8-pro
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/apps/br230260
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff793433.aspx
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/apps/hh464929.aspx
http://www.theverge.com/2011/09/20/windows-8-metro-apps-windows-store-distribution/
Software Engineering 