Samsung targets businesses with Enterprise Device Programme

Samsung unveiled its latest Galaxy smartphones during the recently held Mobile World Congress 2016, and along the new S7 and GS7 edge, it also announced a new enterprise programme aimed at encouraging businesses to adopt the company’s latest mobile devices.

The Samsung S7 and GS7 edge will combine Samsung KNOX, the company’s proprietary security features, with Google’s Android for Work, which allows companies to essentially partition the work and personal sides of users’ smartphones. The level of security offered by this pairing will be suited for even regulated industries that require security compliance, according to Samsung. It will also allow companies to let employees use a personal device, while also keeping personal data and company data separate and secure.

The Enterprise Device Program is designed to also give businesses greater peace of mind when it comes to adopting the Samsung Galaxy S7 and GS7 edge. Samsung hopes the two biggest draws will be the monthly security updates and the two-year device purchase programme.

Samsung started working on releasing monthly security updates in 2015, and the service has since grown to include over 100 countries. Ultimately, the company wants to allow business users to receive any critical security updates for Android as well as those that are specific to Samsung devices in a timely manner.

“With Android for Work, we’ve invested a lot to make Android a trusted platform for people to use in the workplace. With Samsung further reinforcing the platform with KNOX and committing to monthly security updates, the Samsung Galaxy S7 will be one of the best choices on the market today for enterprises,” said Hiroshi Lockheimer, Senior Vice President, Android, Chrome OS and Chromecast at Google, in a press release

The two-year device purchase programme is designed to attract more businesses with a promise to allow users to purchase the same device every two years starting with the device’s market availability. Samsung hopes this will allow businesses to streamline the upgrade process, and ensure all users are operating on the same version of the Galaxy S7 and GS7 edge across the board.

Samsung’s new business unit will also allow businesses to develop customized B2B apps across nearly every industry. Businesses can make use of Samsung’s developer kits as well, enabling VPNs, protecting data, creating a customized user interface and more. The new enterprise features also include mobile device management services, cloud configuration, built-in enterprise apps, encryption and single-sign on capabilities. The initiatives are expected to go in effect with the release of the Galaxy S7 and GS7 edge, so businesses with any Galaxy smartphone older than the S7 will have to upgrade to get the new benefits.