Zebra announced the launch of software tools for staging of mobile devices with Android OS called StageNow.
StageNow is based on the idea of Rapid Deployment. Using barcodes scanned into StageNow client (with a new possibility of using NFC tags) you can setup wireless connectivity and stage mobile device with all necessary settings and applications. In addition, it is possible to do both OEM OS updates, wipe devices, enroll them to an MDM, change system settings like regional settings, certificates, system time, etc.
StageNow client will be preinstalled on devices with Android KitKat marketed during 2015. For staging devices with Jelly Bean will be possible to use the original Rapid Deployment Client that some features / options here will not be supported.
StageNow server will be available free of charge. Install will require just desktop Windows OS, not a Windows server.
StageNow is not intended as an MDM system, but only as a tool to ease the initial device staging.
StageNow will not support mobile devices with Windows Mobile OS (WinCE / WM) or devices from manufacturers other than Zebra.