The last few weeks, we’ve been focusing our efforts on a new feature called Group Containers. As we wrap up our series, we thought now would be a good time for a brief summary of everything we’ve discussed so far.
We started by explaining, “why now?”. It’s simple: when App47 started, the companies that were deploying mobile apps tended to be on the cutting-edge, and thus had employees who were well-equipped to navigate the onboarding process. But as time has gone on and more “regular” organizations have started using apps, that statement just isn’t true anymore. Your average employee today might have an iPhone, but that doesn’t mean they’re tech savvy.
Put another way, while the increase in popularity of mobile apps has been good for productivity, it’s created a log jam with less technically experienced users who still need–somehow–to get on board the App47 platform. So, an easier onboarding experience is a must.
We then moved to a brief explanation of how Group Containers work.
For the end user, it’s dead simple: we offer an array of authentication methods for new users (email, SSO, AD or LDAP, etc.). A user will pick up her phone, find the app store installed, authenticate, and immediately gain access to the apps she should be allowed to install. For admins, thankfully, Group Containers don’t create too much work. After updating the UI and signing the app store, an admin just needs to select the Group Container function. From there, the container will be available for download.
We capped off the series by talking about why Group Containers matter. You shouldn’t be surprised by the answer: security. While Android apps have well-known APIs to securely share information between them and the app store, iOS is a bit more complicated; there’s no way for an app to communicate with a web clip profile. By moving to a container deployment model, we can heighten the security of our iOS deployments. It’s a simple upgrade that makes a big difference for your security posture.
While we don’t think that Group Containers are a silver bullet, we’ll sing their praises all day long. Group Containers enhance the onboarding experience for your end users, are easy for your admins to navigate, and increase security across the board for iOS users. They’re a great feature, and we’re happy to be implementing them!
If you’d like to learn more about Group Containers and how they might work in your organization, contact us or reach out to schedule a demo today. We’d love to hear from you!
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Photo by Michael Maasen on Unsplash
