How do I integrate Configurator and iPad Electronic Flight Bags with applications that utilize a third-party license and subscription that is outside of iTunes?

Question

I am the EFB (Electronic Flight Bag) Manager for a small aviation company that are using 10 iPad with Retina Display as approved in-cockpit EFBs.  Our plan is to configure and manage these iPad EFBs with Apple Configurator 1.3.  We also use 2 third-party applications for charts, aviation weather, and other aviation functions that depend on a seperate license and subscription with the vendor outside of iTunes.  What I am finding through my new education in Configurator is that there does not seem to be a way to maintain the subscription status with those two applications.  Is there a way to isolate those two programs from Configurator control?  Better yet, is there a way to integrate them with Configurator without losing the subscription status and loss of huge amounts of data that are on a regular, FAA regulatory update schedule?  Configurator is awesome at managing iTunes managed applications and is perfect for our company.  I need to figure out how to make Configurator work with a subscription-based application.  Please help!

Answer 1

Here is what is surmise reading ForeFlight web site.
There is the app and the data.
You manage the app through configurator or some other MDM.   The acquiring and paying for the data is independ of the configurator. You can buy the data through the app or online.  You may want to buy online. This way you can do the buying independent of the ipad. Once you have purchased, the app will download the data.  You may have to tell it to procedure with download panel.
Some people use configurator to install mdm app then do the rest of the configuration from MDM.  This allows wifi updates of configuration.
You end up with managing apps from MDM. You manage with your data from from the online account.  You enter appropriate password on each ipad to gain access to the data. App will download your data.  My need to tell it what to download in app.
How do I buy a subscription?
Purchasing a subscription is fast and easy! You can purchase a subscription online or inside the app using your iTunes account.
To purchase a subscription inside the app, launch ForeFlight Mobile and then tap the 'Account' icon. You'll see a list of available plans to purchase in the 'Subscription Plans' table. Tap the one you want to buy. Follow the instructions for entering your email address and iTunes password. When the purchase is complete, you'll receive confirmation inside the app and immediately be able to continue using ForeFlight Mobile.
To purchase a subscription online, visit our secure online ordering page. You'll be asked to choose a plan and enter your credit card information. After your purchase is complete, you'll receive an email with a password to sign into the app on your phone or iPad.
http://www.foreflight.com/support/subscription#66
How do I update charts, plates, and the airport database?
ForeFlight Mobile has a download manager designed to make selecting, downloading, and updating your data easy- whether you like to store a little or a lot. Tap the Downloads icon from within the ForeFlight Mobile app. The Download Manager allows you to select the types of items you want to download and store on your device. ForeFlight Mobile will contact our servers and display the available updates. If you download updates that are not yet effective (future data sets) they will automatically be used by the software when they become effective. The download manager lets you pause a download and resume it later.
http://www.foreflight.com/ipad/faqs/#11