The big change in Android Marshmallow is that its adopts iOS's approach to app permissions. That means users can now change the permissions that apps have whenever they want, not only choose those permissions at app installation.
In previous versions of Android, many users didn't know what all those requested permissions meant; plus, they had to accept all or none. As a result, users granted all sorts of iffy permissions.
Now in Android Marshmallow, users can go to the Settings app to see what permissions each app uses and revoke or enable each permission independently at any time.
Better, IT can also manage these app permissions as granularly for apps that reside in Android for Work or other managed container (for BYOD deployments) or on fully managed (supervised) corporate-issued devices, notes Imran Ansari, the Android product manager at MDM provider Soti.
Android Marshmallow's other policy refinements are similar in their incremental nature to iOS 9's. For example, new policies let IT force a device's screen to stay on or a Wi-Fi connection to remain active while the device is plugged in. Soti's Ansari says these forced-on features will appeal to IT in public-facing deployments, such as for kiosks, payment terminals, ordering systems, and lobby sign-in systems. "Users won't be greeted by a blank screen or get connection errors," Ansari says.
Android Marshmallow also lets IT admins disable the use of a smartwatch as an authentication token, so a smartwatch cannot be used to bypass a password requirement. And it lets IT force installation of OS updates as they become available, as well as delay those updates for as long as 30 days, so IT can test apps on a new OS version first.
Finally, Android Marshmallow offers new policies to control whether users can safe-boot their device (booting into safe mode can bypass MDM controls) and to control whether notification details can appear on a paired smartwatch's screen, to keep company information secret. Android Lollipop (and iOS 8 and 9) let users control the setting, but not IT.
In previous versions of Android, many users didn't know what all those requested permissions meant; plus, they had to accept all or none. As a result, users granted all sorts of iffy permissions.
Now in Android Marshmallow, users can go to the Settings app to see what permissions each app uses and revoke or enable each permission independently at any time.
Better, IT can also manage these app permissions as granularly for apps that reside in Android for Work or other managed container (for BYOD deployments) or on fully managed (supervised) corporate-issued devices, notes Imran Ansari, the Android product manager at MDM provider Soti.
Android Marshmallow's other policy refinements are similar in their incremental nature to iOS 9's. For example, new policies let IT force a device's screen to stay on or a Wi-Fi connection to remain active while the device is plugged in. Soti's Ansari says these forced-on features will appeal to IT in public-facing deployments, such as for kiosks, payment terminals, ordering systems, and lobby sign-in systems. "Users won't be greeted by a blank screen or get connection errors," Ansari says.
Android Marshmallow also lets IT admins disable the use of a smartwatch as an authentication token, so a smartwatch cannot be used to bypass a password requirement. And it lets IT force installation of OS updates as they become available, as well as delay those updates for as long as 30 days, so IT can test apps on a new OS version first.
Finally, Android Marshmallow offers new policies to control whether users can safe-boot their device (booting into safe mode can bypass MDM controls) and to control whether notification details can appear on a paired smartwatch's screen, to keep company information secret. Android Lollipop (and iOS 8 and 9) let users control the setting, but not IT.
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