The mobility ecosystem is constantly evolving. To get the most out of your Android Enterprise deployment, you can't simply “set it and forget it”. Success requires proactive planning to ensure your organization is maximizing device value, tighten security, and prepare for future platform capabilities.
Finding where to focus your resources can be a challenge, so we've built this 2026 roadmap planner to help you navigate the year ahead.
Q1: Establish a Modern Identity Foundation
Key Focus: Upgrade to a Managed Google Domain (MGD)
We’ve focused heavily on this over the past year and it's because it is foundational to every modern Android Enterprise deployment.
Actionable Goal: Initiate and complete the upgrade of your Android Enterprise binding to a Managed Google Domain (MGD) on your production EMM instance(s).
- Why This is Essential: The MGD upgrade is a prerequisite for unifying your mobility management under your corporate identity provider. This is an immediate win for security and administrative efficiency, eliminating reliance on legacy service accounts.
- Core Benefits:
- Simplified Administration: Centralize control and eliminate the management of multiple, legacy accounts.
- Enhanced Security: Secure your deployment by leveraging existing corporate identity policies, including Single Sign-On (SSO) and mandatory 2-factor authentication (MFA) for administrators.
- Seamless User Experience (UX): Enable end-users to enroll using their corporate work email address, granting immediate access to subscribed Google services.
Where to start: Check out our Feature Focus on managed Google domains. Need more assistance? Register for Insiders, and we’ll be happy to help!
Q2: Optimize Enrollment for Efficiency
Never underestimate the power of a smooth enrollment. Streamlining the process drives measurable cost savings and, critically, defines the user’s first experience with their device or Android Work Profile.
- Actionable Goal: Audit all your enrollment and provisioning workflows to identify efficiencies, reduce friction points, and standardize the best-fit process for every use case.
- Focus Areas:
- Android zero-touch enrollment Audit: Review your corporate-owned device (COPE/COBO) fleet to ensure that every device model capable of zero-touch is being enrolled automatically. Validate that your new zero-touch Admin Roles (like Device Manager and Configuration Manager) are implemented to enforce the principle of least privilege.
- BYOD/Work Profile Simplification: Audit the steps an end-user takes to enroll their personal device (BYOD) into a Work Profile. Look for ways to provide the simplest path, such as easily accessible QR codes or direct enrollment links, to reduce time-to-productivity.
- Outcome: A streamlined process accelerates device deployment, reduces helpdesk requests related to provisioning, and standardizes fleet setup.
Where to start: Grab a device and run through your set-up processes. Looking for some tips? Why not share a video of your provisioning process with the community and see if your peers can help.
Q3: Internal Enablement and Expertise
Equip your IT and helpdesk teams with the knowledge to manage a modern Android fleet and maximize user support experiences.
- Actionable Goal: Develop an internal Android Enterprise Training Program for support staff to upskill your team on the platform's core components and latest features.
- Rationale: Investing in internal knowledge is the most cost-effective way to boost first-call resolution, reduce escalation time, and -most importantly- improve user satisfaction.
- Curriculum Focus Areas:
- Foundations: The basics of EMM policy and core components.
- App Distribution: How to manage app updates and distribute both public and private apps via the Managed Google Play iframe.
- Troubleshooting: How to read and triage a device bug report and effectively utilize the EMM diagnostic tools.
- Bonus: If your team is already upskilled, use this time to check over your internal documentation and make sure it is up to date with your own best practices.
Where to start: Start with your EMM’s first-party training materials, and keep your eyes peeled for future announcements in this space.
Q4: Innovation and Strategic Feedback Loop
The final quarter is for looking ahead. Dedicate some time to trialing new technologies and—crucially—embedding a formal feedback mechanism into your mobility strategy.
- Actionable Goal: Execute a "Try Something New" strategy that prioritizes user feedback and pilots emerging platform capabilities.
- Focus Areas:
- The User Survey: Do a short, focused survey with a subset of your users to see if you can improve one of your existing deployment types (e.g., how to simplify the Work Profile experience or optimize the home screen for your dedicated devices). Use this feedback to drive policy adjustments for the next year.
- Strategic Pilots: Trial new form factors or modes:
- XR Headsets: Pilot Extended Reality (XR) hardware for a specific business use case (e.g., remote maintenance, complex training) to determine its fit as a task-specific device.
- Desktop Mode: See if you can replace some low-demand laptops/desktops by trialing the native Desktop Mode on Android devices, extending the value of your existing hardware.
- Virtual App Delivery (VAD): Explore VAD by using Cameyo by Google to stream legacy Windows or Linux apps to the browser or delivered as PWAs.
- Improve Update Controls: Finalize your update strategy for the new year by revisiting your Unified Update Controls (UUC), setting clear freeze periods, and ensuring maximum predictability for OS and security patches.
Where to start: Check out our product news & info or Insiders to see if anything is of interest!
Now, over to you! What are you trying to achieve through 2026? Is 2026 a year of steading the ship or exploring something new? Or do you have anything you would add to the above?
