Why Developers Love Android

Android is the most popular operating system in the world. As of July 2023, the Android OS held a 70.89% share of the global market, with the next most popular, iOS, at 28.36%. A growing fraction of Android OS users are enterprise retailers – and their software development teams – prefer these systems for greater agility to respond to consumer and market demands and to keep costs low. Furthermore, retailers are taking a serious look at Android not only for their mobile devices but for the entire IT environment.

Android OS Benefits

Android is an open system, which removes some of the limitations enterprises have with proprietary operating systems. With Android, they can innovate and more easily integrate new features and applications. Additionally, using a modular architecture, retailers can expand their IT environments to support different ways to interact with customers. Android Enterprise systems with flexible user interfaces (UIs) can enable engagement on commercial mobile devices, self-service kiosks, and interactive digital signage, as well as at a stationary or mobile point of sale (POS) at the checkout, which keeps lines short and increases throughput. Furthermore, with unified architecture, retailers can offer their customers consistent experiences across all points of engagement.

Android Enterprise is also highly secure. Android’s commitment to security is apparent through enhancements, such as app signing, authentication, biometrics, encryption and key generation and management, and more. Additionally, because Android systems are cloud-based, it’s easier to create a redundant system with backup so that vital data is always accessible and protected from loss.

The OS can also help businesses operate more sustainably. An enterprise with unified architecture that runs everything from touchscreens and payment devices to barcode scanners, RFID readers, and cameras on the Android Enterprise OS saves energy. Elo research shows that a seamlessly integrated Android environment can reduce energy costs by $40 per POS system per year for merchants using legacy Windows systems. Over five years, an enterprise can reduce energy costs by $200,000 per 1,000 devices.

Marketers can also use the news of energy usage and carbon emissions, something 58% of adult consumers are more concerned about now than prior to 2020. In addition, 85% are willing to take definitive action to promote sustainability, such as making purchasing decisions based on a business’s commitment to the environment. Retailers who demonstrate they share their customers’ values can build loyalty and customer lifetime value.

Making Developers’ Lives Easier with Android

Many developers are familiar with the OS, which means it’s easier to find qualified job candidates or outsourced developers and for IT teams to maintain these systems. Furthermore, when Android is the OS that runs a retailer’s entire IT environment, it helps keep the enterprise’s development costs and tech debt low.

Also, with Android, developers don’t have to start at square one with new applications. The platform includes valuable tools and resources, for example:

• Android Studio, an integrated development environment (IDE) that includes a build system, emulator, testing tools and frameworks, lint tools to check for coding errors, and built-in support.
• Android Jetpack, a suite of libraries that help developers write code that works across Android versions in less time and follow best development practices.

Another advantage of Android for developers is time. Because Android is familiar and includes resources that make development easier, IT teams can take applications to market faster, helping enterprises achieve their business goals quicker.

Android for Digital Signage

While retailers may consider the Android OS when upgrading mobile POS or even a stationary POS terminal, they may overlook the advantages of Android for digital signage—but they are significant.

With Android, enterprise retailers have OS-level security controls in addition to regular Android security updates. They also gain robust remote device management capabilities. They can provision devices, upload new software, push updates, and change content from a centralized system. The retailer’s IT team can also run diagnostics to ensure optimal digital signage health so they can address issues proactively and maximize uptime.

Additionally, enterprise retailers will find a range of Android touchscreens and displays that give them the flexibility to customize solution designs to meet their needs and complement their brands.

The Elo Android Advantage

Elo’s best-in-class new product development process ensures that Android hardware, including the industry’s first large-format and fixed Google Mobile Services (GMS) devices, is of the highest quality and will deliver the best performance. Systems undergo environmental tests for temperature cycling and thermal shock, vibration and drop texts, power supply tests, and radio qualification/regulatory evaluation, and Elo products achieve 50,000 hours mean time between failures (MTBF).

Elo Android devices and solutions developed for the Android OS are a winning combination for enterprises with goals of offering consistent, loyalty-building experiences, adapting to changes in consumer behaviors and their industry with agility, operating more cost-effectively and sustainably—and making life easier for their development teams. Overall, the cost-savings, energy savings, technical debt reduction, and enhanced CX all contribute to a better bottom line.

To learn more about Android’s advantages, contact Elo