Android migration: Why should businesses choose Android Enterprise for their mobile device estate?
Of the many recent technological changes, few have made more impact than mobile. More than half of all internet traffic now comes from mobile devices, and the range and capabilities of mobile platforms have grown at explosive rates. In this post we look at the implications of this for the workplace, and explain how migrating to Android for work can help to optimise your workforce mobile device estate and productivity in a cost-effective, flexible and secure way.
The last five years have been turbulent for business mobile. The range of available devices and applications has grown; meanwhile regulatory and legal changes (more stringent data protection legislation, consequent customer expectations of better security), social change (particularly the switch to remote and hybrid working) and the digitalisation of everything from supply chains to HR records have forced organisations to scrutinise their mobile provision.
There has also been great upheaval within and across mobile platforms. Windows Mobile 10 was officially retired in 2019, leaving the field dominated by Android and iOS. Google, which had already launched Android for Work back in 2014, positioned itself to pick up former Windows users with a new business-specific offering, Android Enterprise.
The legacy of the COVID-19 pandemic, changing expectations and economic pressures mean that organisations now face several challenges when it comes to workforce mobile device estate. These include:
The rise of remote working and the need for employers to provision mobile devices with secure work/both work and private capacity, accordingly.
A strong focus on data privacy in both the corporate and personal spheres, which means employers must effectively separate private and work functionalities wherever bring your own device (BYOD) and/or corporate-owned personally enabled (COPE) approaches are used.
Ever-increasing cybersecurity threats (and the legislative/regulatory penalties that may be incurred if security is breached).
Why choose Android Enterprise for your device estate?
The workforce mobile field is now dominated by Android and iOS, but at The Barcode Warehouse we favour Android (not least because Android Enterprise offers exceptionally high levels of security and capability across the board, regardless of the device used) and we have helped multiple customers – from various sectors including transport and logistics, utilities and retail – migrate to the platform.
When helping our customers with Android migration, we have found the flexibility of Android Enterprise to be a key advantage. For example, one client was moving from Windows to Android, which on the face of it is quite a transformation. But Android Enterprise allowed us to provide a build that gave the client almost exactly the same experience they had on Windows.
This not only allowed the client to future-proof their business, but also to effortlessly transfer any remaining Windows devices to Android over time, progressing at their own pace to newer devices that will remain supported for years to come – bearing in mind that Android OS can be used across multiple formats; not just tablets and smartphones but also scanners, barcode readers, kiosk applications, EPOS and more, and can be integrated with enterprise mobile management (EMM) solutions on all of them.
As one client put it: ‘The Barcode Warehouse has introduced Newsprinters to and helped us move over to an Android platform across all operations from Windows applications. This was smooth and we experienced no issues or downtime throughout the change. The service we receive is excellent and all communications are clear and concise’ (Matt Wadsworth, Commercial Operations Manager, Newprinters).
Where can I learn more about migrating to Android for work?
For a more detailed exploration about the benefits and processes of Android migration, please download our new e-book, Why Android Migration Matters Now. Alternatively, get in touch with us to discuss your options.
