Exploring Newline Q Pro Series and Google EDLA Certification

What exactly does being Google EDLA Certified mean to me on my Q Pro Series interactive panel?

The Newline Q Pro Series interactive panel boasts ‘Native Google EDLA Certification’, but it might be a little difficult to understand exactly what that means in the ‘real world’.

Google EDLA (Enterprise Devices Licensing Agreement) Certification means that Google has extended the ability for manufacturers to provide Android-based devices with the full suite of Google Mobile Services (GMS).  In more simple terms, the Q Pro Series comes with a built-in bundle of Google most popular applications, such as Google Drive, the full Chrome browser, the Google Play Store, YouTube and more.

It also allows a far better experience with the Microsoft Office suite of tools, not least of all because it offer Two-Factor Authentication to ensure security of assets and personal information.

The Q Pro Series brochure description is along the lines of “Seamless integration with Google Apps enhances instruction by providing easy access to Google Classroom, Google Drive, and other Google applications.”

But what is it like to actually use the Q Pro Series panel, and what differences will I see from the earlier Newline Panels?

We have outlined the key points below:

• Panel User Interface
• Google Play Store
• Google Integration
• Microsoft Integration
• Security

The Panel User Interface

The interface is probably the single most obvious change when you turn on the panel.  The default UI is definitely more ‘tablet’ or ‘phone’ like (figure 1).

Figure 1

You have the ability to swipe left, right, up or down to access other apps., settings etc. (figure 2)  From the ‘Home’ page:

• Swipe Up – See all programs
• Swipe Down – See ‘Settings’
• Swipe to the left – See 2nd ‘Home Page’
• Swipe to the right – See ‘Google Feeds’

Figure 2

By ‘holding’ on an icon, you can move icons around, group them into folders and remove or uninstall them just with a drag-and-drop.  Just as you would on your phone (figure 3).

Figure 3

You can also drag icons over one another to create folders, to better organize your applications (figure 4).

Figure 4

Bypassing the User Interface Learning Curve

The new interface is very impressive indeed, but not everyone likes change and having to learn everything all over again.  Newline has made a smart move by including the option to return to the widely used Q Series interface (figure 5).  The benefit of a common interface, and also access to all of the new Google EDLA Certified functionality.  The best of both worlds.

Figure 5

You can switch the interface from the ‘Settings’ option, then ‘Display’ and ‘Theme’ and choose your interface (figure 6).

Figure 6

The Google Play Store

With the EDLA Certified native OS, you have access to the Google Play Store directly from the panel.  You can install application from the Google Play Store as you would on your phone or tablet (figure 7).

Figure 7

With the curated Newline App. Store, you were able to download applications, but there was no way to pay for the full version of the app.  With the fully integrated Google Play Store, you can use your regular Google Account to purchase paid versions of apps. and gain access to all of the functionality.

You will still be required to enter your password to purchase anything from the Google Play Store.

Note – The curated Newline App. Store may be something you prefer to offer for the download of applications.  It is not installed on the Q Pro Series by default, but you can install that with instructions from Newline Support.

If you want to ensure that the applications you install from the Google Play Store are appropriate for your audience, you can select the ‘Kids’ option in the store to see a curated, safe collection of age-appropriate applications (figure 8).

Figure 8

Google Integration

The simplest way to describe the Google integration is that all of the apps. you would want to use are already installed on your panel and ready to use (figure 9).

Figure 9

When you log into the panel as a user, you will be using your Google login and that will ‘flow’ through all of the applications and tools in the Google suite.  It’s simple band it just works as expected.

Microsoft Integration

This was actually the piece that was a pleasant surprise.  The Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) meant that I  was able to easily authenticate (figure 10) and access my business Outlook email and calendar, files, MS Teams chats and conferencing and other Microsoft applications using the regular authenticator on my phone (figure 11).

Figure 10

Figure 11

Security

The EDLA Certification will protect your sensitive information, such as personal data, documents against cyberattacks and any unauthorized access.  You can manage the device using the familiar Google
Admin tools.

Applications downloaded from the Google Play Store will be secure and have been scanned and guaranteed by Google Play Protect.

Note – For a 15 minute ‘first look’ video of my Newline Q Pro Series panel, click here.