The two modes in short
Classic mode is the approach DeepManage has used from the start. The DeepManage app on the device takes Android’s management rights directly: device owner on a company device, profile owner in a work profile. Policies, apps and commands come to the device from the DeepManage server. There is no dependency on Google, so it also works in networks without internet access.
Android Enterprise mode is management through Google’s Android Enterprise service. Google’s Android Device Policy app manages the device. DeepManage passes policies and the app list to Google, and Google applies them on the device. The DeepManage app is installed as a companion app and handles what Google does not provide (location, messages, Live Control).
Both modes rely on Android’s enterprise management framework. We explain the framework itself in What is Android Enterprise?.
Side by side
| Classic mode | Android Enterprise mode | |
|---|---|---|
| App that manages the device | DeepManage app | Google’s Android Device Policy app; the DeepManage app is installed as a companion |
| How policies reach the device | Directly from the DeepManage server | Through Google |
| App distribution | APK upload and content management; no Google Play needed | Managed Google Play (public and private apps), managed app configuration |
| Enrollment methods | QR code, NFC, enrollment link, manual code | QR code, enrollment link, zero-touch, Samsung Knox Mobile Enrollment |
| Management modes | Fully managed, work profile (BYOD and COPE), dedicated/kiosk | Fully managed, work profile (BYOD and COPE), dedicated/kiosk |
| Internet and Google services | Not required, works in closed networks | Required |
| Live Control | Supported | Fully managed devices only |
| Content management and console notifications | Available | Not yet |
| Remote lock, wipe, reboot | Available | In development; a device can be removed from the organization |
| Extra rules (watermark, geofence-based rules, per-SIM restrictions) | Available | No equivalent in Google’s model |
| Reports | Classic report set | Compliance reasons, Android version and security patch, app inventory |
Which should you choose?
Classic mode is the right choice when:
- devices or the server run in a closed network without access to Google services,
- apps must be delivered outside Google Play (in-house APKs, devices without an app store),
- you need classic-only features such as file delivery, watermarks or geofence-based rules,
- the fleet includes embedded or special hardware without Google services.
Android Enterprise mode stands out when:
- apps will be distributed through Managed Google Play, with updates left to Google,
- new devices should enroll out of the box with zero-touch or Samsung Knox Mobile Enrollment,
- your policy calls for management that follows Google’s Android Enterprise program,
- devices are online and can reach Google services.
For many organizations the answer is both: devices in closed networks or on special hardware stay in classic mode, while office and field staff phones are managed in Android Enterprise mode.
Using both together
Both modes run in the same DeepManage console. Users, roles, the LDAP connection and the organization structure are shared; classic devices are managed under the “Android” menu and Android Enterprise devices under the “Android Enterprise” menu. Each device can be in one mode only, and existing classic devices are not migrated; the new mode is used for new enrollments.
Everything the console offers in Android Enterprise mode is on the Android Enterprise integration page.
Deployment
In the cloud service, Infoline prepares what the Android Enterprise connection needs. On-premises installations need a server that can reach the internet and Google services, and the organization’s own Google Cloud project. Installations without internet access keep working in classic mode.