The Korean electronics giant is working with software developers, such as Citrix and SAP, to offer enterprise apps that have been tweaked to work better with Samsung's mobile devices features like S Pen. Samsung Solutions Exchange will give business users apps that have been tweaked to take advantage of Samsung device features like S Pen.
Just when it seemed like things could not get grimmer for BlackBerry, rival Samsung has made another grab for the company's core group of business users. The Korean electronics giant on Wednesday unveiled its latest push in the mobile enterprise market the "Samsung Solutions Exchange," a sort of app store for business programs. The company isn't simply rounding up apps ideal for enterprise users. Rather, Samsung is talking with customers to find out what they need and then working with software developers to provide programs that use features specific to Samsung devices.
At launch, Samsung is not creating new apps but is helping software makers tweak their apps to take advantage of unique Samsung device features such as its S Pen, gestures, and screen mirroring. For example, health-related apps may now incorporate Samsung's gesture technology to allow ER doctors to use a tablet after they've already scrubbed in for surgery.
Samsung, which became the world's largest smart phone vendor more than a year ago, has been aggressively ramping up its push to attract corporate users for its technology. Samsung has released its device software development kit and more than 1,000 APIs to partners in the Samsung Solution Exchange. Those include smaller companies such as Xora and Citrix, and will eventually include bigger names such as SAP and Microsoft.
The company launched Samsung for Enterprise, or SAFE, technology two years ago in an attempt to make its devices more business friendly. Its many features include encryption, VPN connectivity, and mobile device management capabilities such as remote wipe. And it also launched its Knox security platform to make its devices secure enough for the U.S. Defense Department and other organizations.