Can I use android for this? (app for corporative use)

(Sorry for my english)

I'm new using Android (in fact, I'm just testing android) and I have a lot of questions...

Well, let me explain you the situation. In this moment, in my job, I am writing my code with C# and run it on Windows Mobile 6, the apps are used to make sales, send b开发者_高级运维ills, reserves, etc. The devices (iPAQ 216) are given to the salesmen, and they must use the apps and update them via internet.

Each salesman have a unique client list, unique data and (in some cases) an unique set of apps, which means that I need to prepare a different package for each salesman. Using a Microsoft tool (cabwiz) I can prepare automaticaly a different package for each one of the 150 salesmen. They download their specific package using a tool wirtten by me, and install it and everyone is very happy (maybe)...

Is that possible in Android? How? and if it is not possible, do you know an idea how to accomplish somewhat like that...?

It's not going to be as easy as cabwiz, I can tell you that. But it would be possible, theoretically, to write a script that modifies/generates the unique portions of the source and then compiles a new copy for each user.

If the only difference between the apps is the data on them, then there is no need to generate a different package for each user: have the app download the data from your server and save it after the app is installed. You could also make some modules (I can only guess what kind of functionality you're talking about with regards to different apps per user) only accessible to particular users.

Yes, it's possible however:

• You may want to look into writing in java rather than C# as that's more officially supported on android

• There are some limitations of the android APIs, in particular there are basic behaviors of the device that can't be altered - without rooting there's no equivalent to the "hook" functionality of windows.

• Make sure you get devices with the menu option to enable installation of applications from 'unknown sources'; otherwise deployment will be a lot more difficult. At that moment, this amounts to avoiding AT&T, as their devices presently confine you to the android market or physical connection to a machine running the developer tools as distribution channels. (As a work around you can upload your apps to the market and not publish them, though that won't fully keep them private unless you also include something to require authorization when they run. You could also install the minimal set of dev tools on the salesmens' laptops)

• You will probably want to learn about the command-line application build tools and scripting in order to generate a custom apk for each salesman. Once the devices are set to allow unknown sources, you should be able to email the salesman the apk (or a link to it) as an attachment. You should also be able to make the custom apk refuse to run except on a device matching some fingerprint data you've previously collected. While you can develop for android under windows, you may want to look into switching to linux in order to make some of this scripting a little more natively elegant.