Google LLC today expanded the general availability of its device management service Android Enterprise Essentials to partners in the U.S., the U.K, Japan, France and Germany.

Launched in January, Android Enterprise Solutions is a mobile management and security solution aimed at small to medium-sized enterprises. The service is pitched as making it easy to protect business devices and data through a set of default features designed for companies with simpler needs and small budgets.

“Mobility is critical to how businesses keep their teams connected, especially in a hybrid world where so many of us can work from anywhere,” Roxas Chow, a software engineer at Google, said in a blog post. “This trend is great for team productivity and it gives businesses the tools they need to digitize their work and serve customers. Yet these businesses must be ever mindful of threats to device security — 47% of companies have seen an increase in cyberattacks since the work from home shift.”

Devices with Android Enterprise Essentials are automatically enabled with critical features enabled, including remote-wiping lost or stolen devices and enforcing a screen lock or preventing unauthorized “sideloading” of applications. Using the service, devices can be sent directly to employees, who can automatically set them up and put them to use right away with no training required. If action is needed, businesses can view and manage devices via an easy-to-use streamlined portal.

While pitched at smaller enterprises, Android Enterprise Essentials also works for larger organizations that wish to extend core protections to devices that don’t need advanced device management. Essentials can serve as a starting point for customers who want to try out simple management at first and consider upgrading to more sophisticated management solutions in the future.

Existing users include the National Services for Health Improvement, a U.K.-based organization focused on improving patient outcomes for its network of global healthcare clients. Essentials is claimed to provide a quick method to mobilize its teams without a complex setup process.

Android Enterprise Essentials is now available through a network of resellers. New resellers include The Barcode Warehouse Ltd. and Telserve Ltd. in the U.K.; LDLC Pro, DAMS and Saphelec in France; Brodos AG and Everphone GmbH in Germany; Synnex Japan Corp. in Japan and Vox Mobile Inc. in the U.S.

Image: Google