Curious about Android Enterprise Recommended (AER)? Let me put it this way, Ever had that feeling – that you want to take a break and escape off to somewhere?
Imagine that you have earned a long-awaited vacation!
Since it’s been so long, you will be overwhelmed with ideas on where to go and what to do. To single out “the best plan” from these many choices is kind of impossible right?
This is exactly the same with picking an Android device for corporate use from a plethora of devices. But don’t worry, Google is here with a remedy, AER.
Android enterprise recommended (AER) is a validation program offered by Google to help businesses find the best devices and services that suit their enterprise functions and budgets.
Android or Apple…. did you just hear a war horn?
Apple offers strong device-management capabilities, but deploying Apple devices across an entire workforce can require a substantial investment.
Larger enterprises may have the resources to support such deployments. However, organizations with tighter budgets may need more affordable alternatives.
Android devices can provide enterprise management capabilities across a broader range of price points. This allows businesses to balance management requirements with hardware costs.
What is Android Enterprise?
As mobile adoption increased, employees began using personal devices for work. This introduced a wide range of managed and unmanaged devices into corporate environments, creating consistency and security challenges.
Google responded by introducing the Device Administration API with Android 2.2 Froyo.
However, the API did not fully meet enterprise requirements. OEMs and carriers therefore developed custom APIs to provide additional management capabilities.
As BYOD, COBO, and COPE deployments became more common, organizations needed a more standardized management framework. Android Enterprise addressed this need through capabilities such as containerization.
These features allow organizations to protect corporate data while preserving the user experience.
Android Enterprise was initially optional in Android 5. Google later made support mandatory for devices running Android 6 and later.
How did it come down to Android Enterprise Recommended?
Thousands of Android device models are available worldwide, and vendor-specific operating system customizations can make each model slightly different.
Selecting a suitable corporate device therefore requires considerable time and effort.
Businesses must evaluate factors such as:
- Hardware security
- Security-update delivery
- Enterprise management support
- Zero-touch provisioning
- Hardware specifications
- Purchase price
Android Enterprise Recommended simplifies this process by providing a list of devices and services that meet Google’s validation requirements.
Google also supports participating Original Equipment Manufacturers through technical assistance and training.
AER devices
AER devices are the Google certified devices that best meet the organizational goals. Validating a device’s enterprise worthiness helps corporate managers in filtering them with less time and effort.
AER not only benefits the corporate organizations but also the OEMs in increasing their market share, as there is no better marketing strategy than “AER badged” to help them improve the sales.
Google initially tried to line-up a bunch of devices based on their zero-touch compatibility and enterprise support. But due to the lack of knowledge about OEMs software support, consistency in the deployment of updates and enterprises’ minimum hardware expectations, the selection criteria were incompetent and thus needed an upgrade.
Google then formulated a complete set of specifications against which each device has to be tested. The ones that qualify this verification will be badged by Google as an AER certified device.
Some of those specifications include:
- Bulk deployment support (Zero-touch provisioning).
- Android security update delivery within 90 days of release from Google.
- Hardware specifications for Rugged devices and Android 7+ devices.
- Consistent app experience in both managed profile (BYOD) and managed device.
Google initially published an AER devices list with just 22 devices during its release (February 2018), which has over 100 devices to-date.
AER EMMs
Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM) providers joined the AER program nearly a year after its introduction. Its sole aim was to aid businesses to find the right partners that would provide them with necessary management solutions.
EMMs have come a long way from choosing between OEM’s own custom Mobile Device Management (MDM) and App Management (MAM) APIs to support based on popular demand, to supporting the whole set of Android Enterprise APIs that Google has recommended. AER program is also emphasizing on prioritizing Android Enterprise over legacy device management.
Some of those requirements include:
- Support for any 2 of these common management scenarios, BYOD, COBO or COSU.
- Ability to deliver advanced security and management features.
- Clearly demonstrate the knowledge and capability of supporting the solution.
Just like devices, the EMMs that qualify this testing will be awarded AER badge. But unlike devices, Google also verifies the user experience in using the EMM, apart from the device and app management features.
AER MSPs
Managed Service Providers deliver services such as infrastructure, networking, security, and application support to customers, typically through a subscription model.
These services can reduce reliance on the traditional break-and-fix approach while supporting more consistent day-to-day operations.
Within AER, MSPs and EMMs form the service-provider category.
An AER-validated MSP must be equipped to deploy and support enterprise management solutions for its customers. It must also meet Google’s applicable program, marketing, and promotional requirements.
AER MSPs should be able to guide customers through areas such as:
- Legacy management migration
- Device selection
- Device provisioning
- Management-solution deployment
- Ongoing technical support
Why go for Android Enterprise Recommended ?
AER helps organizations select devices and service providers that meet defined enterprise requirements.
It also provides training and support to validated service organizations.
AER is not a mobile management solution. Instead, it is a set of requirements intended to help businesses identify suitable Android devices and management services.
Android Enterprise supports both:
- Personal use on corporate-owned devices
- Separation of work and personal data on employee-owned devices
AER promotes these capabilities while emphasizing security, manageability, and consistency.
Key benefits include:
- A broad portfolio of eligible devices at different price points
- Support for rugged-device deployments
- Regular security updates
- Greater confidence when selecting devices and services
- Consistent device-management APIs
- More consistent functionality between vendors
- Standardized management capabilities across Android devices
- Separation of personal and corporate data
- Application control through Managed Google Play
- Support for recommended security and management features
Hexnode and Android Enterprise Recommended
With Hexnode’s easy to use admin portal and exceptionally excellent technical assistance team, we have made the device deployment and management so easy that you don’t have to worry about that anymore.
Though Hexnode isn’t listed in the Android Enterprise Recommended EMM list as of now (but Hexnode is an AE EMM), we offer one of the best device and app management solutions along with excellent kiosk management features. We offer both full device and work profile management for Android 5+ devices.
Hexnode offers a lot of AER listed specifications like
- Transfer setup details via QR code.
- Preconfigure devices with advanced zero-touch enrolment.
- Set lock screen restrictions.
- Set advanced passcode restrictions.
- Wipe and lock work data.
- Silently distribute work apps etc.
Wrap Up
AER revolutionized the market by introducing a streamlined and standardized selection criterion to reduce the burden of selecting one from the heap of devices and services. The only thing enterprises have to do today is to cross-check their requirements with that of Google’s. If they match, just select one from the list of devices and services that lays in their budget.
With the depreciation of Device Admin (DA) API from Android 10, we are looking at a huge shift in the market, a complete migration from DA to AE. Google has prepared the best solution to prevent the chaos accompanying this so-called migration.
Integrate with Hexnode and enjoy stress-free device management!
