Overview on Android Enterprise In Android 11

I attended the webinar by Google on the new updates in the Android Enterprise version of Android 11. It was an enriching session covering updates on both company-owned and employee-owned devices. The focus was on enhancing some of the existing capabilities of Android Enterprise and providing more freedom to the user without compromising security and compliance.

Looking at the overall list of proposed functionalities, I think they can be categorized in 3 categories. 

1. Must Have
2. Good to have
3. Basic

This categorization is done based on the impact on mobile device management by these features.

• Must have: these are essential features as they have a very high or direct impact on mobile device management.

1. Work profile enhancement: This enables data containerization  and enhances profile management due to the extensive list of asset management and device security policies available. Hence it must have feature in the final release. 
2. Common Criteria Mode: This device security feature helps to enhance Bluetooth and Wi-Fi security
3. Work apps prior permission: this provides admins more freedom to allow only permitted apps and restrict other apps
4. Password Quality: This feature allows admins to define a minimum password length and complexity to help a user to prevent any breach.
5. VPN Enhancements: This is for restricting user access to VPN set by admin to address any breach.

• Good to have: These are not essential features as they have little impact on mobile device management.

1. Work profile notification: This feature will have little effect on user activity but will help in work profile management.
2. Work profile password: providing the user to reset profile password can jeopardize the security policy of the company.
3. Notification on admin activity: When the admin sets auto-accept all permissions, the user is notified of an app and location permission request.

• Basic: these features don’t have a direct impact on mobile device management and may not be included in the final release. Below is the list of APIs which are likely to feature in the final release of Android 11. 

1. Auto time: updating network time automatically on a device
2. Auto time zone: updating network time-zone automatically on a device.
3. Factory reset protection (FRP): helps in keeping data safe if the device is lost or stolen
4. Admin-configured network settings: permits the user to change any configuration settings enabled by the admin
5. Protected packages: Permission to clear app data or force-stop protected packages installed previously on the device
6. Primary location settings: set the primary location settings on the device

By taking a middle path, the focus of the final release is to provide more flexibility while ensuring that device security is properly addressed. This is a very important update considering the current scenario, enterprises are going for a combination of company-owned and employee-owned devices to enable remote work for their employees. 

I also would like to know what others have to say on the above updates and how they plan to leverage the features in due course of time.