Managing Android devices with OEM app configurations

BlackBerry UEM supports Android OEMConfig apps, which allow you to use app configurations to manage device manufacturer APIs. Many Android devices, including devices from Samsung, have proprietary APIs on the device. UEM provides the ability to manage settings controlled by Knox Platform for Enterprise and BlackBerry APIs using profiles and IT policy rules. However, other Android device manufactures may also have device-specific APIs with settings that they want administrators to manage. To provide this functionality, the manufacturer can provide an OEMConfig app for devices that allows administrators to manage device features through app configuration settings.

Samsung provides the Knox Service Plugin app to allow configuration of Knox Platform for Enterprise devices. The Knox Service Plugin (KSP) is the Samsung OEMConfig-based solution that allows you to use Knox Platform for Enterprise management features on your EMM solution. For more information about setting up KSP in UEM, see Create a Knox Service Plugin profile.

Minimum device requirements for KSP: A version of Android and Knox that UEM supports.

For more information about KSP, see the information from Samsung.

To download the KSP app, visit Google Play.

If you choose to use the Knox Service Plugin, consider the following:
  • Samsung devices don't give precedence to either the Knox Service Plugin or UEM IT policies and profiles. The device uses the most recent settings it receives.
  • Samsung recommends using UEM to manage Samsung specific options where possible and using the Knox Service Plugin to manage only settings that can't be configured in UEM in another way (for example, recent updates to Samsung device capabilities that can't yet be managed by your version of UEM).
  • If you use the Knox Service Plugin, ensure that the app configuration settings match the behavior configured in the IT policy and profiles also sent to the device to avoid inconsistent device behavior.

For more information about Android Enterprise OEMConfig, visit http://www.appconfig.org/android.html.