Tag: Android

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News Software Technology

Configure kiosk features directly on a device with EmKioskConfig

EmKioskConfig App

Our technical teams recently released a new tool that will make the life of IT guys a lot easier. It lets you configure the kiosk mode directly on a mobile device, without the need of a PC. Users who previously worked with Scan2Stage on a computer will instantly feel familiar: The UI was designed similar to the EmKiosk menu, making the usage as simple as possible.

Getting started

After opening the application on your Android device, the main settings screen will appear. Divided in two sections, it lets you choose settings related to the kiosk mode itself, and everything related to device settings. Kiosk settings include basic layout options or which apps should be hidden, and device settings include Wi-Fi or barcode scanner settings. Thanks to the intuitive UI, every feature can be turned on or off with toggle switches. The setup can be done entirely on a mobile device, which will act as a master device or server, and nearby devices will be the devices to receive the configurations. After you are done, simply tap on SAVE on the bottom of the screen.

Apply settings with Direct Clone

Similar to when setting up devices using the desktop version, all settings will be applied via Direct Clone from the EmKit menu on the device. When creating the backup file, make sure you tick the EmKiosk section as well. In the next step you can set a password (optional) for this backup file. And lastly, open up your Direct Clone server and start the cloning process. Now move over to the client device, and launch Direct Clone there as well (when setting up a device: Press and hold power button, and then tap Direct Clone in the menu, or navigate to EmKit menu, and then tap Direct Clone). Tap on START DIRECT CLONE SERVICE, and the process will start.

Compatibility

EmKioskConfig runs on all Android-based Point Mobile devices as listed below. All upcoming models will be compatible as well. Please note that at this point, EmKioskConfig is not pre-installed yet, and has to be installed manually.

ModelOS version
PM45 (Android 9 only)45.76 and higher
PM85 (Android 9 only)85.26 and higher
PM9090.11 and higher
PM45141.06 and higher
PM3030.02 and higher
PM6767.02 and higher
PM7575.02 and higher

Learn more about the EmKit ?
Not sure how to get EmKioskConfig? Contact us ?

Categories
Software Technology

How to monitor your battery’s health with EmHealthReport

One of the most important things when using enterprise mobile devices on a daily basis is battery life. Technology has come a long way in terms of screens, memory, expandability, and of course functionality, but the more features a device has, the more taxing it becomes for your battery. While most modern devices offer replaceable batteries, big capacities, and advanced power management, it still makes sense to check and monitor the health of your batteries regularly – especially when managing a large fleet of devices. Ultimately, batteries are consumable articles and wear out over time. In this post, we will take a look a closer look on the battery situation on Point Mobile devices.

EmKit on a PM75 mobile computer
EmHealthReport app in the Productivity section of the EmKit

It all starts with EmHealthReport

Our EmKit has been around for a while. Power users have known it since its debut in 2017, and since then it underwent a lot of updates with tons of new features added to it. One of the latest updates concerns the battery: EmHealthReport is a little application in the EmKit that gives you a detailed overview of your battery’s wear level, age, temperature, and more. It is pre-installed on all of our devices running on Android 9 or higher, and there is a standalone application that can be installed optionally for devices with Android or lower. You’ll find the application under EmKit ? EmHealthReport.

EmHealthReport feature list

The following table explains which features are included in EmHealthReport. 

Feature Description

Battery Asset
Information

 Battery Manufacturer Date Date when the battery was manufactured
Battery Serial Number Point Mobile battery’s unique serial number

Battery
Health-related
Information

 Battery Level Remaining battery capacity expressed as a
percentage of battery power
Battery Age Indicating state of battery age data to
determine when it should be replaced
Battery Voltage Indicating battery voltage as measured at
the time of query
Battery Temperature Indicating battery temperature as measured
at the time of query

eMMC Health-related Information

 Pre-EOL Information Indicating status of eMMC
health data
Device life time estimation
type A		 Indicating estimated used
percentage of eMMC
Device life time estimation
type B

Additionally, EmHealthReport also indicates the wear-level of both battery and the eMMC module as seen below. 

Battery:

  Status Description

Good

 Battery status is good as the number of
battery charging cycles is under 400.

Dismission

 Battery is required to replace as the
number of battery charging cycles is above 400.


eMMC:

  Status Description
Normal
 eMMC is healthy
Warning 80% of eMMC’s available blocks are in use
Dead 90% of eMMC’s available blocks are in use
Unknown Cannot detect the eMMC information


For further tips on how to prolong your battery life, check out Google’s Android Help Center by clicking the link below.

Learn more on Google’s Android Help Center ?
More info about the EmKit ?


Categories
Industries Software Technology

Three main reasons for Android popularity in the business world

PM30hc used by medical workers to manage patient data
Android is the operating system of choice in many industries thanks to its superior security features and easy management

For all mobile devices including consumer smartphones, Android has become the dominant operating system in the globe. Many attribute its success primarily to its open-source nature and the variety of budget devices, but Android has other definitive advantages over its competitors. The strength of Android is shown exceptionally well in business applications, which resulted in its dominance across many industries where mobile smart devices are deployed.

Bayton already posted an article that extensively explains why Android is a better choice for businesses. However, I’d like to pick the three most important enterprise features of Android in my opinion and give a more simplified explanation in this post.

1. The security

Contrary to the common association with iOS being the most secure mobile operating system, Gartner has ranked Android higher than iOS in terms of kernel security, exploit protection, network security, workspace isolation, and more, since 2016.

Source: Gartner, December 2017 

Businesses also find these two features below especially useful for keeping corporate data safe:

Corporate/personal data separation

Workers can use the corporate devices home privately without harming the work data since Android offers work profiles to be completely separated. Work data is securely isolated and separately encrypted on a disk.

Monthly security patches

Google supports monthly security patches for the device manufacturers and ensures the end-customers receive the benefits by operating the Android Enterprise Recommended program, which requires manufacturers to promptly respond to both regular and urgent security updates made by Google.

Get more information about Android Enterprise Recommended with this post ? 

Medical worker is using PM30hc to check the patient data.
Google supports monthly security patches that ensure data security.

2. The flexibility

However you want to deploy and manage the devices, Android allows you the most versatile management solutions. Any management scenario including BYOD, dedicated, or something in between is well-covered thanks to its unmatched flexibility – this means you can easily allow the employees to use personal devices for work by using a separately encrypted profile or choose to distribute company devices with limited access only.

From: bayton.org

3. Easy provisioning

Businesses purchase and use devices in bulk for all of their employees: sometimes all the devices are located in proximity and a master device can do all the provision with a bump. But sometimes devices are too far away and every time a new update comes out or the settings change, provisioning over the air is required. Android can accommodate these scenarios. Also, device manufacturers and system integrators offer one of the most convenient and easy-to-use solutions for Android provisioning.

These are the methods of provisioning available for Android devices:

  • NFC
  • QR code scan
  • DPC identifier
  • Zero-touch enrollment
  • Knox Mobile Enrollment
  • Other OEM-specific provisioning methods

Enabled by Android’s innate support for convenient device management, Point Mobile provides excellent provisioning and device management solution: Scan2Stage.

Scan2Stage offers convenient control of thousands of devices at once regarding update schedules, configurations, and more.

Scan2Stage is Point Mobile's convenient provisioning solution, free of charge.

Find more about Scan2Stage ? 

Categories
Technology

Google’s guide for choosing enterprise devices

Android Enterprise Recommended on computer
Browsing Android Enterprise Recommended website on lap top computer.

Although enterprise mobility devices have a relatively smaller market than consumer smartphones do, still there are thousands of devices with different specs and form factors to confuse you. To make it worse, while you can easily get reviews and comparisons of the latest smartphones through videos and blog posts created by well-renowned tech journalists or YouTubers, this is not the case for enterprise mobile devices. There is simply not much insightful public information you can get by just googling. When it comes to Android devices, however, there is one northern star that guides you through the rough terrain of scattered information: Android Enterprise Recommended.

What is Android Enterprise Recommended?

Android Enterprise Recommended (AER) is a program led by Google, designed to help businesses choose high-quality Android devices as well as software solutions. It is a list of validated devices against strict requirements, and through a public platform, it encourages manufacturers to match those requirements and register their devices to the program. The AER directory categorizes products by form factor, manufacturer, memories, etc., in which you can easily navigate it through to the product that you need. Currently, Point Mobile has five devices (PM30, PM451, PM90, PM45, and PM85) listed as Android Enterprise Recommended, and planning to register many more new products in the future, such as the PM67 or the upcoming PM75.

Point Mobile devices in Android Enterprise Recommended website
Point Mobile devices in Android Enterprise Recommended directory

What are the requirements that Google inspects?

Depending on the type of the device and the version of OS, Google sets a different standard. For a rugged device with Android 11.0, for example, it needs to be equipped with at least 2GB RAM / 16GB ROM, a processor faster than 1.1GHz, IP54 water/dust resistance, and MIL-STD-810G drop resistance. To keep the general user experience excellent, AER also requires manufacturers to include Google’s default system apps, additional device management apps and encourages them to follow the specific guidelines about how to design their interface, so that customers can enjoy standardized and intuitive experiences across different devices.

The security update standard requires manufacturers to publish update within 90 days with an announcement on their websites that has link to it from Google’s Security Bulletins. As most businesses buy devices in bulk and manage a fleet of mobile computers, AER states that manufacturers must offer at least two of the next three solutions: work profile management, full device management, dedicated device management.

Android Enterprise Recommended Badge.
Much sought after:
Android Enterprise Recommended Badge

Advantages of certified devices for businesses

So, why do manufacturers and software companies keep registering their products to AER? And why should buyers consider choosing a device or service from that list? Well, the answer is simple: AER guarantees that a product matches the minimum level of specs to be suitable for enterprise use, in terms of performance, security, and availability. The sheer amount of available products (of any kind really) can be confusing, and buyers don’t have time to check every single product on the market. So by recommending products that are safe to be used in a professional environment, Google is giving us a hand which makes it a lot easier to choose the right product.

Visit the Android Enterprise Recommended website ? 
Find Point Mobile devices in the Enterprise Solutions Directory ?