Custom App Hosting

Decide whether Reach or your team hosts and releases the web and mobile front ends.

Overview

Custom App Hosting defines who owns, deploys, and operates the customer-facing web and mobile applications.

• What it is: hosting ownership for the customer-facing web and mobile app layer
• Why teams use it: align deployment, releases, and operational ownership
• Who it is for: brand teams responsible for digital operations, release management, and support readiness

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At a glance

It applies to:

• Web browser experience
• Mobile apps on iOS and Android

It does not affect backend ownership.

Reach continues to own and operate:

• Core platform services
• APIs
• Billing, provisioning, and system logic

Unless explicitly agreed otherwise, all brands launch under a Reach-hosted model.

Hosting models

Reach-hosted

Reach owns and operates the front-end applications.

• Deployment is managed by Reach
• Releases follow shared platform release cycles
• Monitoring, uptime, and incident handling are managed by Reach
• Updates are aligned with platform-wide changes

Brand-hosted

The front end is deployed and operated independently.

Full ownership includes:

• Deployment
• Release management
• Monitoring and uptime

Integration with Reach backend APIs remains unchanged.

This model requires operational readiness on the brand side.

Typical use cases

• Fastest launch with minimal operational overhead
• Existing web or app platform already in place
• Need for an independent release cadence
• Preference for Reach-managed operations

When each model is used

Scenario	Recommended model
Fastest launch with minimal overhead	Reach-hosted
Existing web or app platform already in place	Brand-hosted
Need for an independent release cadence	Brand-hosted
Preference for managed operations	Reach-hosted

Ownership boundary

Layer	Ownership
Frontend, web and app UI	Reach or Brand, based on model
Backend services	Reach
APIs and integrations	Reach
Billing and provisioning	Reach
App store presence, mobile	Configurable

Scope

Included

• Definition of the hosting and release ownership model
• Clear responsibility split across teams
• Operational alignment across:

  • deployment
  • release
  • escalation

Not included

• Changes to backend ownership
• Net-new custom front-end builds
• Functional changes to the mobile app beyond configuration

Mobile app in the Reach-hosted model

Reach can create and publish a brand-specific instance of the standard mobile application.

What this means

• Core app functionality remains unchanged
• Stability and performance are maintained
• Only branding and configuration layers are customized

Mobile app setup flow

1

App instance creation

A dedicated instance is created from the shared app framework.

2

Branding application

Supported branding includes:

• Logo
• Colors
• Banners
• Supported UI components

The brand provides:

• Final assets
• Brand guidelines

3

App store ownership

Publishing can be done under:

• Reach developer account
• Brand developer account

4

Store listing preparation

This includes:

• App icon
• Screenshots
• Feature graphics
• Store descriptions

Ownership is shared across design from Reach and content from the brand.

5

Marketing and communication readiness

Prepare go-live communication, including:

• App store links
• Email or API-driven messaging

6

Submission and review

Reach submits the app after approval.

Typical review timeline: 4–7 business days, depending on platform.

Release and change management

Reach-hosted

• Releases follow the shared cadence
• Changes are bundled with platform updates

Brand-hosted

• Releases are controlled independently
• Coordination is required for backend dependencies

Key considerations

Hosting model impacts:

• Release speed
• Operational ownership
• Support model

Brand-hosted requires:

• Monitoring capability
• Incident response setup
• Defined on-call ownership

Functional changes to mobile apps require separate scoping.

Brand inputs

• Preferred hosting model and rationale
• Surfaces in scope:

  • Web
  • iOS
  • Android
• Target launch timeline
• Desired release cadence
• Operational readiness, if brand-hosted:

  • Monitoring
  • Support
  • Incident response
  • On-call contacts
• Constraints:

  • Domains
  • App store ownership
  • Release approvals
• Designated approval owner

Requesting this bolt-on

For the standard request process, commercial notes, and support, see Bolt-ons catalog.

Technical details

For the implementation-specific setup details, visit: App set-up technical details

Frequently asked questions

Can we change the hosting model later?

Yes. Reach scopes the operational and release impacts first.

What happens after we purchase?

Reach confirms the hosting model and required brand inputs.

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Questions or clarification? Reach out to your respective account manager or email us at [e-mail] for help and support.