Giant tech company Samsung Electronics announced on Monday, June 18, that its new Galaxy S3 flagship phone will be the company's first SAFE-branded smartphone, meaning it is Samsung Approved for Enterprise. The new branding indicates the device includes a set of features designed to optimize the smartphone for use in a business environment, in a time when increasingly more companies adopt BYOD (bring your own device) policies.
According to the company, the SAFE-branded Samsung Galaxy S3 comes with a full suite of enterprise-ready features and capabilities out of the box, along with support for 338 IT Policies. Samsung mentioned a host of enterprise-focused features, including on-device AES-256 bit encryption, enhanced Microsoft Exchange support, as well as integrated support for a range of Virtual Private Network (VPN) and Mobile Device Management (MDM) solutions.
"It's now safe to say that the 'Next Big Thing in Enterprise' is here with the near-term availability of SAFE-branded Galaxy S III devices at five U.S. carriers," Tim Wagner, Samsung Mobile's Vice President of Enterprise Sales, said in a statement. "The highly desirable, SAFE-branded and QA-tested Galaxy S III smartphone systematically defragments Android to provide a consistent level of IT compliance for individuals who demand the very best in both their personal and professional lives."
BlackBerry maker Research in Motion (RIM) has long been the favorite for enterprise use, but now the company is struggling to keep up as Apple's iPhone and other high-end smartphones running on Google's Android platform are grabbing chunks of its market share. The enterprise space has become increasingly more important, and Samsung pointed to a September 2011 report from research firm IDC, according to which Android is expected to become the top platform for smartphones by 2013.
Some companies remain reluctant towards BYOD policies when it comes to Android, fearing that Google's platform may not be safe enough to meet high security standards. Samsung, however, expects SAFE to eliminate such enterprise security concerns. According to the company, SAFE-branded phones are safe enough even for deploying within regulated industries such as government, health care, or financial services.
"SAFE provides a comprehensive approach to making Android devices secure and manageable by systematically meeting the rapidly evolving needs of IT and the growing number of businesses allowing employees to 'bring your own device' (BYOD) to work," reads the press release. "Samsung created SAFE as a way to defragment the Android OS across multiple versions from Gingerbread to Ice Cream Sandwich at U.S. carriers."
To make its new flagship smartphone even more appealing, Samsung offers a rebate of up to $300 for individuals willing to switch to the new Samsung Galaxy S3. Check out Samsung's Web site for more details on the SAFE2SWITCH offer, "a trade-up program that offers competitive pricing for qualifying smartphones for both individuals and enterprise customers."
The Samsung Galaxy S3 will be available in the United States at AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon Wireless and US Cellular by July.
