Moooooooo

For a while now we’ve been using Apple’s enterprise device app distribution mechanism.  

This allows you to have a user, click on a URL on their iOS device and it pulls down a new version of an enterprise app. of of our servers.

Its really nice,  have a look at -

http://developer.apple.com/library/ios/#featuredarticles/FA_Wireless_Enterprise_App_Distribution/Introduction/Introduction.html

I’ve embedded this, into a check on application launch, that a web-service is called to detect a newer version of the software is available.  It then calls the URL to the App and a new version is deployed.

You can alert users that a new App update is available by sending them a push notification.  See screenshot at the top.

We send our push notifications out to users,  using a simple C# service.    The fun part is this.   You can instruct the push notification to play a sound (embedded in the app already).

So our push notification’s play a random farmyard noise, i.e from a selection of -

cow.wav
dogbrk.wav
duck.wav
goose.wav
horse.wav
lamb.wav
monkey.wav – left field I know
rooster.wav

Imagine my amusement being able to periodically send out an update and watch our office (of about 60 people) turn into farm for a few seconds.

I’ve messed up a few times, with people being interrupted on customer conference calls,  but people seem good humoured about it. (so far)

Simple(ish) pleasures…