Android MDM specific request

Posted by cho--e@reddit | sysadmin | View on Reddit | 9 comments

I have a specific request and I’m not sure where to turn. I have this setup in 5 different conference rooms (as requested by the boss).

A Samsung Android tablet that boots to one specific app in kiosk mode. Then this is casted to a chromecast tv, which is split with an hdmi splitter to 4 other monitors around the room all displaying the same output.

I need the tablets to be locked into kiosk mode, and if possible, run an automation that opens smart view, and selects the specific chromecast to cast to. Also, I need the devices to never timeout even on battery. Lastly, I need to be able to connect remotely for when a user Inevitably screws something up. I have to make it dummy-proof. I’ve been racking my brain trying to find a single solution for all this. Right now it’s done manually and it’s insane how many people cannot follow 3 steps. Any input on mdm with automation would be greatly appreciated for a small fleet of 5 tablets.

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sembee2@reddit

Fully Kiosk would probably work.
It will let you lock the device down.
It's cheap as well and will be simple to implement.

cho--e@reddit (OP)

Do you know if fully kiosk lets you access the device controls pulldown menu?

The device is fully locked, so it doesn't let you do anything. You can unlock it, but of course that gives you access to everything.

Can i run the automation to select smart view, select the specific chromecast device and cast with that?

alicevernon@reddit

You could try an ScalefusionMDM. It locks tablets in kiosk mode, stops timeouts, and lets you fix things remotely. Might save you from all the manual setup.

Intrepid_Turnover758@reddit

Totally get what you mean. Conference room setups can get tricky, especially when multiple people are involved. An Android MDM could help here - you can lock the tablets in kiosk mode so no one drifts out of the app, stop them from timing out, and even set up automation to connect straight to the right Chromecast. On top of that, having remote access means you won’t have to be physically there every time something goes off track. SureMDM is pretty solid for handling Android devices like this and could make the whole thing much smoother for your small fleet.

Maleficent_Onion4939@reddit

Hey, I work at Nomid MDM (https://www.nomidmdm.com/en) and we deal with this kind of setup all the time. Locking tablets into kiosk mode and keeping them awake is no problem at all. Remote access is something we support too.

Automating Smart View casting might be a tougher nut to crack, but we’re open to exploring ways to make it work. (it's pretty easy for us to automate opening the app, the issue is picking the specific chromecast).

If you’re interested, feel free to shoot me a PM and we can dig into some options.

headlesskid@reddit

had the same issue with meeting room tablets and ended up using Hexnode MDM it handles kiosk mode, remote support and auto-launch pretty well. Worth testing for a small fleet.

IronJagexLul@reddit

Do you have intune ? Intune can out into single app mode i believe But automating screen cast uhhh doubtful. And remote view would need to be a 3rd party like teamviewer or screenconnect or something.

Since it's samsung have you looked at KNOX management?

42gears and soti are probably to expensive for this but if 42gears is on the table it would check all your boxes. You can do whatever you need with 42gears that you can to a android device.

Not sure on the automating screencasting. Automating things on android is kinda ehhh dont think entirely possible. If the app doesn't support some kinda config file to run off of its probably not happening.