Rapid Deployment is used for quick initial configuration (staging) of Zebra/Symbol/Motorola mobile devices with Windows CE, Windows Mobile or Android operating systems. The Rapid Deployment client is pre-installed on all Zebra mobile devices running Windows CE, Windows Mobile and Android 4.4 (KitKat), 5 (Lollipop) and 6 (Marshmellow).
Rapid Deployment is essentially a special FTP client that can read the 1D or 2D configuration barcodes generated by the Motorola MSP. These barcodes store the Wi-Fi/WWAN settings, to which the mobile device connects and contacts the FTP server, which address and login details are also in the barcodes. The last piece of information contained in the barcodes is what software packages are to be downloaded from the FTP server. The software packages may include any necessary software (CAB/APK) and device settings and/or MDM client that will provide connectivity of the mobile device to the MDM server (Soti MobiControl, Ivanti Avalanche etc.). Subsequently, the device management can then be handled from the MDM.
You can test the Rapid Deployment client on Zebra devices with Android 4.4, 5 or 6 (TC55, TC70, TC75, TC8000, TC51, etc.):
- Connect your device to the internet
- Launch the Rapid Deployment Client app
- Select Scan Barcodes
- Scan the 2D barcode or all 1D codes from the document RDP_test_install.pdf
- If the connection is successful, the Remote Desktop and EHS apps will be installed
- EHS will lock the device desktop and publish 4 icons: Welcome Video, Readme First!, Remote Desktop Test and Rapid Deployment
- Read the Readme First!
- You can try the Remote Desktop Test to connect to a remote server
- To enter EHS admin mode, select Tools > Admin Login (password is symbol)
- To return to EHS user mode, select Tools > Admin Logout
- To uninstall the above demo, run Rapid Deployment and scan the 2D barcode or all 1D codes from the document RDP_test_uninstall.pdf
StageNow is a free utility for initial configuration (staging) of Zebra mobile devices running Android OS. On devices with Android 4.4 KitKat and later, the StageNow client is already pre-installed, on Android JellyBean it can be added.
The system consists of a StageNow server and client. The StageNow server is the PC part, which runs on Windows 7/10/11 OS. On the PC, the administrator prepares configuration profiles - i.e. Wi-Fi or WWAN settings, how the mobile device behaves, application installation packages (APKs), etc. Configuration 1D or 2D barcodes can be generated for each profile, which can be easily loaded into the StageNow client on mobile devices. The barcode can contain all settings from the profile, including Wi-Fi/WWAN, through which the unit connects to an internal or external FTP server and downloads the necessary software - APK installation files. Certificates, MDM system clients, Android OS updates, etc. can be installed on the device in a similar way.
You can try how StageNow works here.
There are 3 apps available in the factory settings for staging your Zebra Android device using barcodes:
- StageNow (on Android KitKat and later) = a client of the same name from Zebra, which can configure Android autonomously or using an FTP server
- Rapid Deployment = older staging client working with an FTP server, client for MSP and AirWatch systems, no longer supported on Android 7+.
- MobiControl Stage (on Android KitKat and Lollipop) = SOTI MobiControl client
To run the demo, all you'll need besides your own Zebra Android mobile device is a configured internet connection and FTP communication enabled on port 21:
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Connect your device to the internet
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Launch the StageNow app
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Scan the 2D barcode marked with a red 1 or all numbered 1D codes from one of the following documents depending on your Android version:
- Upon successful connection, the Microsoft Remote Desktop, Ivanti Velocity, and Enterprise Home Screen apps will be installed
- Enterprise Home Screen locks the device desktop and publishes 3 icons: Remote Desktop, Velocity, and Calculator
- Try it out:
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Remote Desktop to connect to a remote server using RDP
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Velocity to connect to an IBM terminal server accessible via the Internet and connect to a web server (mobilitysolutions.cz)
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To enter Enterprise Home Screen admin mode, select Tools > Admin Login (password is abcd)
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To return to Enterprise Home Screen user mode, select Tools > Admin Logout
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To uninstall the above demo, run StageNow (available via the Tools menu) and remove the 2D barcode marked with a red 1 or all numbered 1D codes from the MSWebDemo_Uninstall.pdf document. The Remote Desktop, Ivanti Velocity and Enterprise Home Screen applications will be uninstalled and the device will automatically reboot.
For Android, there is an official Remote Desktop client developed by Microsoftem.
Similar to the Remote Desktop client on Windows CE, the Android Remote Desktop client works with .rdp files that can store predefined connection information (except for the password).
To install the Remote Desktop client on an " "Enterprise" Android device from Zebra that does not have access to Google Play, an installation .apk file can be downloaded from the Internet, e.g. here.
To demonstrate how the Remote Desktop client works on Zebra Android devices you can use the following demo, for which you will only need a configured internet connection with FTP communication enabled on port 21 in addition to your own mobile device:
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Connect your device to the internet
-
Launch the StageNow app
-
Scan the 2D barcode marked with a red 1 or all numbered 1D codes from one of the following documents depending on your Android version:
- Upon successful connection, the Microsoft Remote Desktop, Ivanti Velocity, and Enterprise Home Screen apps will be installed
- Enterprise Home Screen locks the device desktop and publishes 3 icons: Remote Desktop, Velocity, and Calculator
- Try Remote Desktop to connect to a remote server
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To enter Enterprise Home Screen admin mode, select Tools > Admin Login (password is abcd)
-
To return to Enterprise Home Screen user mode, select Tools > Admin Logout
-
To uninstall the above demo, run StageNow (available via the Tools menu) and remove the 2D barcode marked with a red 1 or all numbered 1D codes from the MSWebDemo_Uninstall.pdf document. The Remote Desktop, Ivanti Velocity and Enterprise Home Screen applications will be uninstalled and the device will automatically reboot.
Zebra Android devices can be locked using the freely available Enterprise Home Screen utility so that the user can only access applications published by the administrator to the desktop. Access to admin mode is only possible with knowledge of the password.
Enterprise Home Screen is similar to the AppCenter utility known from Zebra/Motorola terminals with Windows CE and Windows Mobile operating systems.
To demonstrate how Enterprise Home Screen (EHS) works on Zebra Android devices, you can use the following demo, for which you will only need a configured Internet connection with FTP communication enabled on port 21 in addition to your own mobile device:
-
Connect your device to the internet
-
Launch the StageNow app
-
Scan the 2D barcode marked with a red 1 or all numbered 1D codes from one of the following documents depending on your Android version:
- Upon successful connection, the Microsoft Remote Desktop, Ivanti Velocity, and Enterprise Home Screen apps will be installed
- Enterprise Home Screen locks the device desktop and publishes 3 icons: Remote Desktop, Velocity, and Calculator
- Verify that only selected apps are accessible to the device user
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To enter Enterprise Home Screen admin mode, select Tools > Admin Login (password is abcd)
-
To return to Enterprise Home Screen user mode, select Tools > Admin Logout
-
To uninstall the above demo, run StageNow (available via the Tools menu) and remove the 2D barcode marked with a red 1 or all numbered 1D codes from the MSWebDemo_Uninstall.pdf document. The Remote Desktop, Ivanti Velocity and Enterprise Home Screen applications will be uninstalled and the device will automatically reboot.