What Is an Enterprise App Store? Business and IT Glossary

An enterprise app store is an online digital marketplace controlled by an enterprise, where people can download software to their phones, tablets, and computers. The great success of mobile apps, especially for iOS and Android, has come largely from the ease of accessing and downloading apps through public app stores.

For enterprises, the need to get apps and content to their constituents is similarly critical. Over-the-air (OTA) distribution makes it easy for users to keep their software current and maintained. While the current focus of enterprise app stores is mobile, we see app stores making software available for PCs and Macs as well. The distribution architecture is also expanding to include portal elements that provide access to content as well as apps.

When enterprises deploy apps, they want to manage distribution, promote user adoption, and control releases and updates in ways that meet their specific needs, without adapting to the practices of a public app store.