Locking down apps and browsing for a business?

[Gruff]

I am currently doing research for my company to recommend an android tablet for our use in manufacturing.

I know next to nothing about tablets or android so please bear with me.

1) Is there a built in tool in android so we can lock down the device so it may only be used for explicit tasks
on our floor.

Initially I would like to set up a paperless time card system. By this I do not mean a time clock app.
We have tried that sort of thing before and it just doesn't fit with our culture. I am thinking instead of a simple spreadsheet app that would allow the end user to add Job numbers, start times, end times, and comments on rows.
At the end of the day be able to email the file to the office.

Our email is web based so the browser would have to allow that to occur.

I am sure I can write a desktop app that would pull these into our MRP/ERP system.

What we do not want is users downloading other apps, playing games, surfing the web,

What sort of lock down options do I have?

Regards,

~Tom

 

[leeshor]

Oh my, you didn't (don't) want much, do you?

There are a few apps intended for keeping apps from being run. They were designed to keep children from doing dangerous stuff on their parents' tablets. Some are fairly flexible as far as what apps can be locked but I'm not certain it could keep someone from surfing though I don't see why not.

The initial lock screen is a one user screen, no profiles like in Windows. The Google Play Store app does have the ability t be locked with a separate PIN to keep people from downloading stuff from the Store.

So the answer to your #1 question is, not really.

Allow me to provide an example of the way one of my customers is using the Transformer, (several, in the field). The survey department is using their tablet on a MiFi device to provide connectivity, mainly to their home office, for VPN. That's how they are doing time keeping, by logging into the office to use the paperless time clock.

They have eliminated the use of a yellow notebook they used to carry by tracking start times, end times and measurements in the field and sending them back to the office by E-Mail. They are using sever apps for much of this, including a spreadsheet but the other apps may be a personal preference thing.

The biggest differnce between what you are asking for and what tyey do is that every person has their own tablet.

Hope that gave you some food for thought.

btw: Welcome to the forum.....

 

[Gruff]

Oh my, you didn't (don't) want much, do you?

Only the world.

Right now this project is in the concept phase. We may to issue one unit per employee or we may want to staple units to posts and fabrication machines throughout the plant.

I am a Windows desktop software developer but I wear a lot of hats these days, IT manager among them.

The last thing I want is for an unending stream of users coming to me with tablets where the software is fried for one reason or another.

I was hoping that we could avoid that with some planning.

BTW I moderate over at the XtremeVBtalk.com forum. Should you ever drop by say Hi.

~Tom