We all know the limitation Apple places on distributing an iOS app to a limited group. Apple’s policy is that you either distribute through the App Store, or you can test it with a small group of people for a very limited time. When you want to distribute an app to a limited group of users (usually an organization or company), you use the “iOS developer enterprise program” account.
It’s a perfect solution for distributing in-house apps for companies. Thanks to this program, you avoid Apple’s validation process and the possible rejection due to failing to meet one of the App Store requirements.
To gain access to the Apple enterprise program, it must be a company that applies, and it must also have a D-U-N-S number (an international company ID). It’s essential.
The app cannot be distributed to people outside the organization, as this is one of Apple’s requirements.
Once all the steps to subscribe to this program have been completed, apps can be distributed “freely” via OTA using one of the options Xcode provides, “Save for Enterprise Distribution”. A series of details are requested, and this generates, in addition to the IPA file, a PLIST descriptor file.