Why today’s leading enterprises are increasingly embracing Android

Android is an overwhelming favorite for mobile phones — almost 72% were powered on Android OS in January 2021[1] — that it’s tempting to think of the platform as being mostly built for personal devices.

But Android is also a powerful platform for business. And increasingly, it’s the choice for enterprise companies looking to bridge the gap between their systems, mobile apps and the consumer. A survey by the research firm IDC found that of 250 multinational corporations based in the U.S., 77% prefer Android.[2]

What’s the big plus for enterprise? Mostly it’s the reliability offered by Android, coupled with the ease of use for customers and employees alike. IT teams report a higher satisfaction rate than with iOS or a mix of the two systems. They reported fewer security issues, not to mention fewer problems integrating with backend systems.

It’s been no secret that the past year has been challenging for business. For example, the entire business model for restaurants changed overnight to one where takeout, curbside pickup and delivery have become key to survival. Many of the touchscreen kiosks where customers are placing orders and tablet devices that keep orders flying through the kitchen are powered by Android. Generally, Android-powered kiosks are less expensive than traditional kiosks and by adapting an existing mobile app for kiosk use, businesses can save money and bridge the gap for consumers.

The medical industry has also turned more and more to Android. Healthcare facilities use touchscreen products for workstations, mobile devices and other uses, but the unprecedented rise in self-service kiosks has brought with it a whole new generation of solutions for greeting, checking-in and helping patients find their way in healthcare environments.  Android-powered products are expected to continue to lead the market.[3]

And we haven’t even touched on retail, which has seen a massive shift in how sales are made. Point-of-sale (POS) terminals are found everywhere, coming out from behind the traditional cash wrap in the form of self-checkout kiosks, curbside mobile device scanning, even pay-with-your-face technologies - and many are Android products.[4]

Today, it’s hard to find a sector where Android isn’t already being deployed, from financial services to transportation to manufacturing.[5] Here’s a few ways that Android creates an ideal solution.

Widest selection of devices. No matter what you need to run your business — employee-facing handheld devices, tablets and fixed computers that power your team, customer-facing self-service kiosks that get a workout on a daily basis, smart displays communicating with your customers — Android has devices from a seemingly endless array of companies geared toward your industry. You’re not limited to a small range of devices with limited capabilities.

Unbeatable management capabilities. In these days when your workforce is constantly on the go — or you have hundreds of fixed interactive devices running custom applications — it’s important that managing your fleet is simple and secure. This means both mobile devices, where we can control the locked down app interface, and fixed devices where we treat it as an appliance with a single use case. Android lets you maintain control over your all your company’s resources.

Tightest security around. One of the main reasons that organizations are increasingly investing in Android is because it’s highly secure. End-to-end security features work together to prevent information leaks, block malware, and keep hackers out of your system. Android starts on the hardware level with next-level user authentication and continues with software protection that continually scans your devices for threats.

On top of all this, Android has solutions tailored to enterprise corporations. For instance, if you need advice on which companies offer the right products and services for you, Android Enterprise Recommended is a shortlist of providers with exactly what your company needs.

For the past six years, Elo has been a leader in Android Enterprise. Its latest generation of trailblazing products is helping enterprise companies reach their goals — and it’s no wonder the company’s Android devices are the fastest growing products in the Elo lineup.

Elo’s broad portfolio of commercial-grade Android-based hardware, peripherals and secure operating system bridge the gap between the consumer mobile and enterprise worlds. The common architecture ensures that there’s no learning curve for your workforce, because most already use Android devices. And the consumer-facing products are intuitive and user-friendly.

Built for the workplace, Elo delivers a unified architecture across device sizes and provides no-hassle interoperability between Elo Android products and peripherals, resulting in easy configuration, deployment, operation, and support. And Elo is certified by Google for Play Services — the first supplier of fixed devices to earn this designation. There’s a reason why 65 percent of professional sports stadiums across the U.S. run on Elo’s technology. The company has a solution for every size and every touchpoint. Elo’s unified architecture enables enterprises to unlock the full potential of Android possibilities, with support for screens ranging from 7 inches to 65 inches and an open framework that enables you to configure your environment however you want. Deploy any display, handheld computer, or peripheral to support your use case.

Then there’s EloView?, a SaaS platform for automated device enrollment, content management, and remote device management and control. This proprietary Elo solution enables OS updates, auto provisioning, and management of all Elo Android devices through an intuitive web interface. You’ve seen it in action, even if you didn’t know it. Whether a stadium with 650 point-of-sale systems spread throughout or the self-order kiosks spread across a 7,000-restaurant chain, EloView makes device management easy.

Further, with configurable Google Mobile Services (GMS) capability, the customer is able to select full GMS, a custom selection of Google Play apps and services, or full Android Open Source Project (AOSP). These selections can be made via the device, EloView or through OEMConfig. For IT teams and developers, this flexibility is invaluable, as it allows them to pick and choose which GMS apps or services they would like to have at a very granular level.

Perhaps most importantly, Elo makes it easy for your team to customize its solution with a developer tool kit. It includes access to self-service documents, code samples, and discussion boards. A dedicated dev support staff makes it easy to get the system up and running.

For more than 50 years, Elo has been helping organizations get the most out of interactive technology. It’s the right solution for enterprise companies looking for the next generation of Android products and services.

Stay tuned for our next post, where we explore the benefits of Android for point-of-sale during and post pandemic.

[1] https://www.statista.com/statistics/272698/global-market-share-held-by-mobile-operating-systems-since-2009/#:~:text=Android%20maintained%20its%20position%20as,with%20a%2071.93%20percent%20share

[2] https://www.techcircle.in/2019/05/22/over-three-fourths-of-us-multinationals-prefer-android-to-ios-idc-study/

[3] https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/healthcare-mobile-applications-market

[4] https://www.einnews.com/pr_news/537361552/point-of-sale-pos-terminals-market-to-reach-us-163-88-bn-by-2028-acute-market-reports

[5] https://www.android.com/intl/en_in/enterprise/devices/