Mobile Device Management Focuses on Android Applications
17th November 2017
IT security specialist Avanti says it is enhancing supply chain mobility with the launch of Avalanche 6.2, powered by Wavelink. It’s designed to meet the increasing demands of supply chain enterprises migrating to Android.
Recently, Ivanti teamed with VDC Research to produce a whitepaper that looks at the evolution of mobility in warehousing, outlining evolving requirements that are shaping the future of mobile applications within the supply chain. Based on its survey of warehousing professionals, VDC Research found that 56 percent plan to upgrade their existing fleet of mobile devices. Of those, 35 percent said that these upgrades are being driven by current mobile platforms, including Microsoft’s Windows CE or Windows Mobile, nearing end-of-life. This is making way for the emergence of a new generation of modern Android-powered handheld devices, purpose-built and ruggedized for the supply chain, that are now taking the place of legacy mobile devices within today’s warehousing operations.
New features available in Ivanti Avalanche 6.2 include:
• Device and vendor specific enablers for leading manufacturers. For manufacturers including Datalogic, Honeywell, Panasonic and Zebra Technologies, Ivanti Avalanche puts granular control of mobile devices in the hands of the administrator, resulting in a deeper level of device management and control. Unlike standard MDM, Ivanti Avalanche also allows administrators to update barcode scanner firmware and other device-specific functions.
• Enhanced enrollment and reporting capabilities. As devices across facilities and regions are synched with Ivanti Avalanche, administrators can set global enrollment rules and broadcast enrollment through a devices poll that identifies availability. Once discovered, the Ivanti Avalanche-connected device is automatically provisioned with enrollment settings and applications. Enhanced reporting gives administrators improved insight into the state of the individual devices under management, and takes action to ensure compliance and peak performance.
• Android scalability enhancements. Ivanti Avalanche supports multiple Android Smart Device Servers (SDSs) and enables the localized services to be employed while reducing strain on network bandwidth. For greater control and security, the new solution offers enhanced device restrictions on the latest versions of Android, including the ability to disable camera use, and blacklist/whitelist applications on KitKat forward versions of Android, as well as support for Zebra Mobility Extensions (Mx), and integration with Ivanti’s Smart Device Remote Control.