Apple’s Demand For iPhone Business Developers – Just The FAX

I had read the legends of what it was like to develop for Apple’s iPhone / iPod touch. The word is that Apple’s program can be quite lucrative, but also quite strict. I wasn’t even in the program yet, but I already learning about how ridged the rules could be. I suppose it’s my fault. I did make the harder choice. I had the easy option of releasing programs as “Michael Garofalo” but I wanted “Photics” to be my developer name. Building a brand, especially with Apple, requires extra effort.

The first choice was simple. I had to choose between the Standard Program for $99 or the $299 Enterprise Program. This decision was obvious. I don’t have 500+ employees. It’s just me. Yet, I was surprised by the second choice. I had to decide to register as an individual or as a business. This is a tricky choice when that’s essentially the same thing. Maybe one day I’ll be able to hire people. It’s nice to have the option of building a developer team. Plus, I wanted my iPhone apps to be presented in the same manner as my Android apps. It states “Photics” on the Android Market, so why shouldn’t it be the same for Apple’s app store? I was warned that there would be additional paperwork… but I wasn’t prepared for what would happen next.

After completing my application, I had to wait. If this was with Google, I’d be done already. Although, since I’m still in the process of getting a Mac computer, I don’t really have a reason to be grumpy. The wait wasn’t that long. About 1-2 days later, I received an email. It was a request to verify the identity of my business. OK, no problem.

Wait… it wants me to do this via FAX.

Um, what year is this?! It’s 2009 not 1989. While my computer has a FAX modem, I don’t have a land-line. I remember reading job applications. In the rare instances where my résumé was requested by FAX, I simply skipped them. I don’t want to work with low-tech. It’s so passé to use a FAX machine. Isn’t it supposed to be trendy to protect the environment? Doesn’t Apple promote such values in their computer hardware? Why not in their paperwork too? Wouldn’t an email be better?

I emailed back, asking if it was OK to simply email the required document. Nope, for legal documents, they require a FAX. At least Apple was friendly about it. They have their rules and they’re going to defend them. That seemed honorable and reasonable to me. So OK, if you want a low-res printout, I can handle that. I scanned in my document, put it on a laptop and then I went searching for a land-line. I must admit, I did enjoy listening to the screeching sound as our modems connected… beep… beep… bing… bing… eeeeeeeeee. There is something more official feeling about a FAX.

So now, I wait. My Mac Mini is being delivered and I’m waiting for a response from my FAX.