Teams App requires integration with Customers

Question

Hello,

We'd like to sell a Teams app to medium/large businesses that require a (potentially custom) back-end integration. It's probable that the integration would require a contract in place. I couldn't find any documentation or mention of this kind of use case.

1. Is it possible to meet the certification requirements with an app that requires integration before it can be used?
2. How would the monetization platform work with this use case?
3. Is it possible to require an administrator to activate the App with an API key?

Thanks,

Justin

Answer 1

1. For the app to meet certification requirements, it would need to adhere to the guidelines provided by Microsoft, which includes aspects like functionality, performance, security, and compliance. The app would also need to provide a seamless user experience that aligns with the Teams environment.
2. In terms of monetization, the Teams platform provides several options such as subscription-based models, in-app purchases, free trials, and test previews. For an app that requires back-end integration, a subscription-based model might be the most suitable. This could potentially involve different subscription tiers, with each tier offering a different level of integration complexity.
   https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/platform/concepts/deploy-and-publish/appsource/prepare/monetize-overview
3. As for requiring an administrator to activate the app with an API key, this would likely be part of the app's setup process after it has been installed from the Teams store. This process would need to be clearly documented and easy for the administrator to follow.

Thanks, 

Prasad Das

************************************************************************* 

If the response is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and upvote it. You can share your feedback via Microsoft Teams Developer Feedback link. Click here to escalate.