Android Enterprise offers two primary options for integrating Android Enterprise features into your EMM solution. This page provides a brief summary of each option.
1. Android Management API
| Development effort | EMM console: API integration, front-end development |
| Enterprise types | Managed Google Play Accounts enterprises |
| Use cases | Employee-owned devices (BYOD) Company-owned devices for knowledge workers Company-owned devices for dedicated or shared use |
| Minimum Android version | Android 5.1 |
The Android Management API is self contained—it supports both device and app lifecycle management without requiring you to build your own DPC. Instead, the API works in conjunction with Android's DPC, Android Device Policy. Android Management API is automatically capable of communicating management settings to Android Device Policy, which in turn enforces the settings on devices without any additional integration or on-device coding.
Set up devices for management
The Android Management API uses enrollment tokens to bind devices with an enterprise. Passing an enrollment token to a device initiates provisioning, a process that also includes installing Android Device Policy and adding a managed Google Play account to the device.
A successfully provisioned device is represented by a Devices resource. For
more information, see Enroll and provision a
device.
Manage devices and distribute apps with policies
The Android Management API's Policies resource allows you to configure and
save unique groups of enterprise management settings. IT admins still use
managed Google Play to discover apps manage app permissions, but can distribute
apps by adding them to policies.
You can use Policies to manage the full range of Android Enterprise device
deployments. For example, to manage devices for knowledge workers, you
could create a policy that:
- Enforces minimum password requirements.
- Remotely installs apps or makes apps available in managed Google Play.
- Specifies a maintenance window for system updates.
To manage company-owned devices for dedicated or shared use, you could create a policy that:
- Locks down a device to a single app or sets of apps.
- Disables features such as camera, notifications, and location mode.
When you associate a policy with a device, the API automatically sends the policy settings to Android Device Policy on the specified device or the specified user's device(s). After Android Device Policy receives the settings, it automatically enforces them on the device.
A complete list of policy settings is available in the Android Management API reference.
Get started with the Android Management API
- Review the steps required to release a solution.
- Review the Android Management API developer documentation.
2. Custom DPC and Google Play EMM API
| Development effort | EMM console: API integration, front-end development
DPC: Android app development (see build a DPC) |
| Enterprise types | Managed Google Play Accounts Managed Google Accounts |
| Use cases | Employee-owned devices (BYOD) Company-owned devices for knowledge workers Company-owned devices for dedicated or shared use Mobile application management (MAM) |
| Android versions | Android 5.0 and below for MAM Android 5.1+ for all other deployment scenarios |
The Google Play EMM API supports mobile application management. To support device provisioning and management, you need to develop your own DPC using Android's framework APIs, and manage the communication between your EMM console and DPC.
Set up devices for management
Your custom DPC should guide users through the device setup process. To provision a fully managed or dedicated device, you can support the following provisioning methods (see the Overview for more detailed descriptions):
- Android zero-touch enrollment
- QR code provisioning
- NFC device provisioning
- DPC-identifier install
To set up a work profile on an employee-owned device, the following provisioning methods are available (see the Overview for more detailed descriptions):
- Install DPC from Google Play
- Google Accounts method
Manage devices
To manage devices, you need to develop a way to send the management settings an IT admin configures in your EMM console to your DPC. Your DPC should enforce the settings it receives using Android's framework APIs. For more details, see Device management.
App management and distribution
An iframe that supports app discovery, private app publishing, web app publishing, and app store curation is available for you to embed directly in your EMM console. You use the Play EMM API to remotely install apps on device, add apps to a user's managed Google Play store, manage app updates, and more. For more details, see the mobile application management overview.
Get started with the Google Play EMM API
- Review the steps required to release a solution.
- Review the Google Play EMM API developer documentation.
Next: Release your solution