Samsung Knox 2.0 to launch with the Galaxy S5

Samsung has announced its Knox 2.0 security software for Android devices, which will come pre-loaded on the Galaxy S5 handset and be activated by tapping an icon on the home screen.

The Secured Enhanced (SE) Android container now supports two-factor authentication, VPN+, certification management and support for the fingerprint scanner in the forthcoming Samsung Galaxy S5. Single sign-on is also supported so IT admins can easily purchase and deploy business apps to employees.

The Knox container is now able to scan and validate applications from the Google Play store. Once an app is deemed secure, it is granted enterprise privileges within the container, which means users don't have to switch between personal and business workspaces.

Samsung has also launched a dedicated Knox marketplace, as a business focused app store. CA Technologies and Good Technology have both announced their management software will now integrate with Knox.

Samsung claims that since launching in October 2013 the firm has sold over 25 million devices with the software and has around 7,000 Knox activations each day. "Thanks to the rapid adoption of Knox over the past five months, we needed to evolve the Samsung Knox platform to meet the changing needs of our customers and the enterprise as a whole," said JK Shin, president and CEO at Samsung.

Shin went on to note that Samsung will listen to customer and partner feedback to improve the secured Android software going forward.

IT Pro