KC (KCS 1.27) release notes — December 4th 2019

1. Additional profile configuration settings

Continuing with this release, Knox Configure is providing admins additional schema-driven updates to remotely configure, change and manage device settings. These additional profile configuration settings are unique to Samsung device models, and are not provided by Android Enterprise. These additional profile configuration settings are available to Normal, Setup and ProKiosk profiles.

These additional profile configuration settings are only available to devices running Knox version 3.4 and above. Supported devices are exposed to these additional profile configuration settings within the existing Home & lock screen, Sound & display, Device connectivity, Device settings, and Security settings profile configuration categories.

2. Enhanced battery and power management settings

Admins have requested better Knox Configure battery life options to provide their device users an experience that avoid loops due to low remaining battery life.

With this release, an admin now can set a limit when the device battery stops charging once it reaches a maximum setting of 85% total power.

This new setting is available within the Device settings portion of the profile configuration screen flow and is available to tablets devices only running Knox version 3.4 and above. This enhancement helps admins better control battery thresholds while also providing a maximum charge setting of 85% to avoid issue associated with keeping the tablet on its charger too long.   

3. EAP now available for wearable devices

Customers are currently unable to deploy wearable devices in areas where enterprise Wi-Fi is required for internal communication. Requesting customers want to connect to a staging profile, deploy a profile, exit Kiosk mode on the wearable, authenticate into an Enterprise Wi-Fi (EAP-PEAP), pull-down a certificate, then re-deploy a Kiosk supported profile. However, this is not practical for deployments supporting thousands of wearable devices.

To remedy this issue, an admin can now create a profile and set its Advanced Wi-Fi setting's security type to 802.1x EAP (using either PEAP or TTLS). Once the admin associates target devices to this profile, they configure the deployment area's AP resource with 802.1x EAP as a hidden state. The admin then verifies that the configured devices have Wi-Fi connectivity.  

The implementation of this feature affords administrators the ability to provision large numbers of EAP Wi-Fi supported wearable devices at once time and save a substantial amount time and money in the process.  

4. Download profile summary as a PDF

To date, admins have requested the ability to download profile settings in PDF to review profile settings.  Such admins report that a PDF provides an easier means to both review settings and use the output to create profiles in other accounts.
 

With this release an authenticated user can now download profile summary settings in PDF. The PDF output closely resembles the KC profile summary page displayed once a profile is configured and saved. A profile PDF can be generated from either the Profile configuration dashboard or the bottom of the Profile summary once the profile configuration is configured. The PDF does not exceed 5 MB, and has a UTC timestamp of the time it was downloaded.

This enhancement affords admins an easier means to access profile configuration settings when creating profiles for other accounts, thus saving time and money.

5. Re-assign devices to current license after renewal

To date, when a Knox Configure license expires, a profile is unassigned from its assigned device. However, customers often want to renew their existing license used by deployed devices, but when the license is renewed, customers are unable to re-assign their devices. Additionally, when an unassigned device is assigned a profile using a renewed license, the devices are consuming new seats even though they have activated the license before.

To remedy this license utilization issue, devices no longer consume new license seats when re-assigned to profiles using the same license. However, devices need to be manually selected within the KC console and re-assigned the license.

This enhancement enables customers to re-assign their unassigned devices to a profile and reuse a renewed license without consuming additional license seats, saving both time and money.

6. WebKiosk mode default inactivity timeout

To date, there is no inactivity threshold to terminate a WebKiosk session and reduce exposure of sensitive user information when a Kiosk user does not properly end their session. To avoid the exposure of sensitive information, admins require a short inactivity value to close an open WebKiosk browser session and reduce the window sensitive financial information is exposed.

To reduce this exposure window, a WebKiosk browser session is now invalidated, closed, and reset to the home screen after 5 minutes of inactivity without an admin having to pre-define an inactivity timeout manually for the Kiosk supported profile.