How Android TV Manager Can Simplify Fleet Management
Having a companion Android TV manager to help manage these bundled devices can greatly improve customer satisfaction. Better-performing telco hardware empowers customers to better enjoy their subscriptions, after all.
That said, product bundling only works if customers derive maximum value from them. When telcos bundle a smart TV, they enable their customers to enjoy bandwidth-heavy activities like streaming music, movies, and TV shows. Similarly, providing smartphones and tablets as part of the bundle means more opportunities to utilize broadband services fully.
Meanwhile, customers appreciate the savings they generate when availing of bundles. Instead of paying a premium price for devices such as phones, TVs, or set-top boxes, they can acquire a unit at heavily discounted rates. Plus, the contract tie-in of one or two years isn’t much of a big deal.
Simply put, bundles are a win-win situation for telcos and their customers. Subscribers get discounts on devices that help them maximize their subscription usage, which inevitably keeps those customers resubscribing for years to come. Better yet, popular product bundles stand to increase a company’s market share.
Challenges in Fleet Management for Telcos
Product bundles are like any other piece of IT hardware. They consist of equipment running on firmware and managed by an operating system. Until the subscriber fulfills the terms of their contract, these bundled devices remain the property and responsibility of the telco. As such, the company must ensure that each device runs up-to-date system software.
Many telecom companies remain bound by their legacy systems. They often run nearly-obsolete hardware and outdated software that remains in use for the greater part. While legacy systems still manage to fulfill their original objectives, they have little to no room to accommodate newer changes in technology.
As a result, even the management and maintenance of newer devices will have to happen via legacy systems. In most cases, this means that most maintenance tasks undergo inefficient processes that often take longer than necessary.
The Problem with Using Legacy Systems
For telecom companies with pre-cloud computing legacy systems, this means a more complicated means of managing each telco bundled hardware. For example, many older device management systems use TR-069. This is an older protocol designed for remote updating of user-premise hardware.
Instead of updating hardware manually via service technicians, administrators can now remotely maintain and update devices located in customer homes. Over time, however, reports showed that systems utilizing both TR-069 and TR-064 (older protocol) couldcan still make them vulnerable to DDOS attacks. While workarounds are still possible to keep these legacy systems safe, using modern protocols offers a better option for today’s telcos.
Advantages of Android TV Manager in Fleet Management
Many operators have historically designated Android TV as their de facto standard when deciding which operating system to use for their bundled devices—and for a good reason.
Google’s Android TV OS mirrors its popular Android system for mobile phones, tablets, and other smart devices. It allows users to install and use apps on their TVs like smartphones. Commands and instructions also become more simplified thanks to the built-in Google Assistant. For subscribers, this means an easier and better user experience.
For operators, having Android TV-powered devices also meant a more practical approach. Instead of developing their own software, telcos can utilize Android TV with a minimal outlay. They also benefit from Google’s frequent software updates and patches, which can be expensive to undertake independently.
Even better, the arrival of cloud-based solutions meant faster, safer, and more efficient ways to manage fleet devices that run under Google’s OS remotely. Using an Android TV manager meant keeping tabs on the location of each fleet device. It also provides remote repair and maintenance tasks as well as securing both device and data.
Unlocking the Potential of Android TV Devices with Android TV Manager
For Android TV devices to work as intended, they’ll need all the help they can to stay up-to-date. Reliable Android TV manager software can help perform the remote administration and management of everything from the operating system, firmware, and all individual applications.
Cloud connectivity allows telco IT admins to connect to each device and perform low-level management tasks. This covers everything from over-the-air (OTA) firmware management to ad-hoc support. IT admins can remotely administer individual devices or the whole fleet at any time. This also means admins can remotely install new applications and delete outdated
ones.
Managing the security of each telco fleet device also poses a concern. Telcos are free to collect user data from bundled equipment so long as they do in compliance with their local privacy laws and subscriber agreements. This data can be wildly helpful in determining customer wants and addressing potential problem areas before they snowball.
Insights from this data can also help set the trend in providing the content that customers want. That’s why an Android TV manager that can remotely enforce security and privacy policies can add great value to telco bundles.
Of course, security also means protecting the physical hardware from unauthorized access. Enforcing strict user-level policies means only authorized users can access the device or modify settings. It also means having the ability to track or monitor the location of each device to ensure that actual subscribers with live subscriptions use them. If need be, admins can freeze or disable individual units with access or account issues to prevent further use or damage.
For Every Telco Android TV Device, There Should Be an Android TV Manager
Telco companies that invigorate customers with exciting hardware bundles are companies that can go the distance, even in trying economic times or fierce market competition. It’s not just about making smart devices a little more affordable for subscribers. Bundles can also lead to better subscription usage and longer contracts.
To further improve the customer experience, consider deploying a fleet of devices that run under Android TV—and be sure to invest in the right Android TV manager software to manage that fleet. Doing so will improve customer satisfaction and loyalty.
