SkieOSGlossary
Device management, in plain words.
The terms you will meet when you manage Android phones and tablets for an organisation.
- MDM (mobile device management)
- Software that lets an organisation configure, restrict, monitor and update the phones and tablets it manages from one central dashboard. Read more
- DPC (device policy controller)
- The Android app that enforces management rules on a device. When it is set as the device owner it can apply policies that ordinary apps cannot. Read more
- Device owner
- The most powerful management role on Android. A device owner app is set up when the device is first configured and can block factory reset, safe mode, developer options and unapproved installs. Read more
- Kiosk mode
- A locked-down state where a device only runs one app or a short list of approved apps. Often used for exam tablets, check-in screens and delivery devices. Read more
- Provisioning
- The one-time setup that enrols a device into management, applies its group and rules, and installs the management app. Read more
- Enrolment
- The step that links a specific device to an organisation, group and licence seat so it can receive policies.
- Policy
- A set of rules applied to devices, such as which apps are allowed, whether the browser is open and which settings are locked. Read more
- Policy precedence
- The order in which rules from different levels combine. In SkieOS, rules flow down from organisation to school, branch and class, with the most specific level applying last. Read more
- Allow list
- A list of apps that are permitted on a device. Anything not on the list is blocked or removed.
- Block list
- A list of apps that are explicitly forbidden. Allow lists are stricter and usually safer for children.
- BYOD (bring your own device)
- A model where people use devices they already own. For full device-owner management, a personal device must be reset and set up once. Read more
- 1:1 programme
- A programme where every student has their own school-managed device. Read more
- Factory reset protection
- Controls that stop a user wiping a managed device to escape its rules. Read more
- Geofence
- A virtual boundary on a map. A managed device can be flagged when it enters or leaves, such as a campus or hostel. Read more
- Lost mode
- A state that locks a missing device and records information that helps recover it. Read more
- Breach alert
- A notification sent when a device attempts to get around its rules or stops reporting, routed to the people responsible for that group. Read more
- Role-based access
- A model where each person only sees and changes what is within their own level, such as a teacher managing a class and a principal managing a school. Read more
- Seat licence
- A licence that covers one managed device. Organisations buy a number of seats and enrol devices up to that limit. Read more
- Safe search
- A setting that filters explicit results from search engines. On a managed device it can be enforced so the user cannot switch it off. Read more
- DNS filtering
- Blocking categories of websites at the network lookup stage, so unsuitable sites fail to load whichever browser or app is used. Read more
- Zero-touch enrolment
- A way for new devices to enrol into management automatically on first boot, usually arranged through a reseller.
- Hostel night mode
- A schedule that reduces a device to emergency use, such as incoming calls and a few essential apps, between set hours. Read more
- Exam mode
- A temporary lock to a single approved app or a very short list for the duration of an assessment. Read more
- Managed device
- Any phone or tablet enrolled in a management system and subject to its policies.