Samsung has just announced that – “Galaxy S5 users worldwide can now use KNOX Workspace, which offers a series of core security enhancements to better protect device integrity from kernel to apps, and – The new KNOX 2.0 features cutting-edge core platform security, improved user experience, and an expansive ecosystem to better meet the rapidly evolving enterprise mobility needs of customers, including KNOX Workspace, EMM, Marketplace and Customization.”
For years, BlackBerry has ruled the enterprise market segment with their BlackBerry Enterprise Services (BES) – giving the business that much-needed ‘peace of mind’ they require when dealing with sensitive business issues. Samsung has long tried to get into the enterprise and government fields – realizing the amount of business dollars and future security of having those steady customers. Once you get a foothold in those areas, it starts permeating a mindset of equating Samsung with security and the rest – just ask BlackBerry – is history.
Last year Samsung came out with a new security feature for certain Samsung model smartphones, called KNOX. It was a good first effort that really allowed an employee to use their device for both work and personal use – protecting both the companies data stored on your phone as well as protecting your personal data from company abuse. Striving to make it even more secure, Samsung announced their KNOX Workspace software as part of their security ecosystem. The new KNOX 2.0 is Samsung’s “end-to-end secure mobile platform designed to provide advanced data and privacy protection for enterprise users. It provides better support for IT departments looking for reassurance and convenience as they implement and manage their Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) strategies.”
The KNOX platform is no longer one product, but a platform with a portfolio of multiple products designed to work together to satisfy the strictest needs of the business enterprise customers. KNOX 2.0 encompasses KNOX Workspace, EMM, Marketplace and Customization. KNOX Workspace is currently available on the new Samsung Galaxy S5, which can be activated by IT Managers. The upgrade will be available to other Samsung Galaxy devices through OS upgrades in the coming months. If you were already using KNOX 1.0, the Mobile Device Management (MDM) used in that version is fully compatible with KNOX 2.0 and Workspace users of KNOX 1.0 will automatically migrate to KNOX 2.0 through the OS upgrade.
There have been numerous improvements in KNOX 2.0 and it looks as though Samsung is really working to be accepted by the enterprise market. JK Shin, President and CEO, Head of IT & Mobile Communications Division, Samsung Electronics stated:
“KNOX has been widely deployed by enterprises since it became first commercially available in the market in September 2013. As a result of this rapid adoption, we needed to evolve the Samsung KNOX platform to directly address the ever-changing needs of the enterprise as we demonstrate our commitment to protect and respond to future enterprise mobility and security challenges.”
Please let us know on our Google+ Page if your business uses Samsung’s KNOX security – what are the good and bad features…as always, we would love to hear from you.