Google debuted a new Android Management API for enterprise mobility management earlier this month, labeling the launch of the new service as the latest step in its endeavor to strengthen Android’s position as the go-to solution for business customers. The application programming interface should significantly facilitate the process of deploying and managing mobile devices in an enterprise environment, Google said, adding that developers won’t be required to deal with highly specific issues as part of their framework implementation because the tech giant itself is providing them with a highly functional managing agent that’s as ready for deployment as possible the moment it reaches them.
The Android Management API was designed around policies, with the Mountain View, California-based company integrating it into its existing offerings. In a simple example provided by the firm, a Google representative said that a device fleet management policy can now be created and defined with a single Google Cloud project followed by a small number of REST API calls. Developers are essentially only required to define how the Android Management API is to handle any individual device and let the framework do the rest instead of creating complex policies on a per-case basis. The illustration below is a highly simplified model of how the Android Management API was designed to work but should get the point across nonetheless. Google’s latest offering seeks to streamline the process of enterprise mobility management and allow the company’s clients to save resources in this segment, the internet giant said.
Google’s partners and independent developers are now able to use the beta version of the Android Management API which supports all devices running Android 6.0 Marshmallow and later builds of the omnipresent operating system, with its only other software requirement being that the clients it’s tasked with managing have the Google Play Store app installed. The API also doesn’t discriminate between OEMs and supports all brands of Android products, being able to apply the same policies to offerings from different companies. The current version of the service is relatively simple in nature and created for devices like kiosks and digital signage but more complex capabilities will be introduced to the API in the near future, Google said.
Android Management API Beta