Is Samsung's SAFE certification actually useful or is it just a marketing ploy?
BYOD has been a growing trend, and as many of us know, a part of that trend that is not so awesome is making all of the devices that come through the door work with our MDM tools. I got an email about Samsung having a program that certifies that it's devices are SAFE, which is a "clever" acronym for Samsung Approved For Enterprise. Does anyone know if this actually means that there is anything new about SAFE devices, or is it just a catchy thing to put on the spec sheet when trying to nail down contracts with enterprise users?
Answers
Probably a little bit of both. One of the main problem with implementing security protocols with Android devices is that fragmentation makes it hard to say if what works on one device with function properly on another. You can do what your policies dictate with pretty much any device, but it can take a lot of effort with a large workforce. By having some uniformity, at least among devices from one manufacturer, it should make it easier to approve and configure the Samsung devices. SAFE means that "AES 256-bit encryption, enhanced support for Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) Exchange ActiveSync, and support for virtual private network (VPN) and mobile device management (MDM) solutions" are all baked in. I personally like the NFC feature that lets Galaxy IIIs exchange docs et al easily and securely, but that will become the norm shortly as even low/mid-range devices are starting to feature NFC.
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Check out the info on Samsung's site about SAFE.
http://www.samsung.com/us/article/samsung-approved-for-enterprise
"The SAFE™ Solution: Samsung Approved For Enterprise™
SAFE-certified devices meet rigorous security criteria and are configured specifically with enterprise use in mind. The deployment of SAFE smartphones and Samsung Galaxy Tab™ tablets helps ensure that your organization’s mobile workforce is protected to the greatest possible degree through On-Device Encryption and Mobile Device Management (MDM). SAFE devices are also equipped with enhanced features that maximize efficiency and productivity through Virtual Private Network (VPN) connectivity and enhanced Corporate Email/Calendar/Contact features."