Episode 14

How does Esper build on Android with Foundation?

Published on: 18th April, 2022

On this episode, David and Mishaal chat with Esper's very own Varun Chitre about Foundation, the Android distribution we provide to our clients for use on their fleets of various machines be it a kiosk or a walkie-talkie. We begin with the basics of why you'd want to deploy a new OS on new hardware — because we all know how enterprise fleets cling to life well past their "use by" dates.

  • 0:35 - What is provisioning and how do you do it efficiently when you have hundreds of devices to set up?
  • 6:03 - What are the key differences in managing provisions with BYOD versus corporate-issued devices?
  • 16:39 - What are the challenges in servicing these devices with infrastructural services from different sources including Google, device makers, and AOSP?
  • 29:49 - What security risks come with a lack of over-the-air software updates?
  • 33:33 - Is it possible to get a robust Android experience loading it onto old Windows machines you might already have?

Android Bytes is hosted by Mishaal Rahman, Senior Technical Editor, and David Ruddock, Editor in Chief, of Esper.

Esper enables next-gen device management for company-owned and managed tablets, kiosks, smart phones, IoT edge devices, and more.

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Our music is "19" by HOME and is licensed under CC BY 3.0.

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About the Podcast

Android Bytes (powered by Esper)
A weekly show that dives deep into the Android OS
Android Bytes (powered by Esper) is the podcast that dives deep into the engineering and business decisions behind the world’s most popular OS. https://www.esper.io

Android powers over 3 billion devices worldwide and is the platform of choice for over a thousand companies. You’ll find Android on smartphones, tablets, watches, TV, cars, kiosks, and so much more. How does Google architect Android to run on so many form factors, and how do companies fork AOSP to make it run on even more devices? These are the kinds of questions the Android Bytes podcast considers each week.

Join cohosts Mishaal Rahman and David Ruddock, two journalists with extensive knowledge covering the Android OS platform and ecosystem, as they speak to system architects, kernel engineers, app developers, and other distinguished experts in the Android space.

Get in touch with us at Esper.io if you’re looking to use Android for your product — we have the experience you need.

About your hosts

David Ruddock

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David is the Editor in Chief of Esper, and cohosts Android Bytes. David spent over 10 years as the Editor in Chief of Android Police, where he reviewed more phones than he'd care to admit, broke dozens of exclusive mobile industry stories (and also, phones), and ran one of the web's most vibrant Android communities.

Mishaal Rahman

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Mishaal is the Senior Technical Editor at Esper.io and a cohost of the Android Bytes podcast. At his previous role as Editor-in-Chief at XDA-Developers, Mishaal was at the forefront of Android tech journalism, breaking story after story on new OS features and platform changes.