How can we distribute a Contact List?

[rmcpdias]

Hi, good afternoon.

Does anyone here knows how to distribute a contact list to a group of Android Smartphones managed by AirWatch? 

Nothing personalized, just a list with all the contact numbers that could be used, the same for all devices/users.

Best Regards,

Rui

[MatthewSwenson]

We use the Content app for this use-case.  You can upload a PDF, xls, or pretty much whatever format you have and push it out to whichever users you desire.

[rmcpdias]

Hi Matthew,

Can you give me more details about that App? Who is the manufacturer?

Best Regards,

Rui

[rmcpdias]

Hi Matthew,

you were referring to the Workspace ONE Content App, sorry!

I already downloaded it, but how can you share a Contact List with it?

Best Regards,

Rui

[MatthewSwenson]

Content is an app that is part of the AirWatch/WS1 solution.  I don't know off-hand which packages include it in pricing.  When you log into the console, you should see a Content section on the left.  That is where you upload the information.  As long as the device has the app installed (usually from Play Store or App Store), the files will then be synced to the devices.

That being said, it is important to note that for the Content app, "Auto" and "Automatic" don't mean what you would expect. The user must periodically open the app to cause it to sync with the server.  At that point, the app "automatically" downloads such content.  It doesn't really "automatically" go to the device silently/in the background.

[rmcpdias]

Hi Matthew,

but how can we use that approach for a contact list?

Best Regards,

Rui

[MatthewSwenson]

My last post might have answered the second question?

But basically, you use the Content section of the console to upload a file into UEM managed content (Content -> List View).  Then you must assign the content by OG or by User Groups within OGs.  You cannot use Smart Groups, sadly.  (Important to understand that user group assignments limit the OG assignment to a subset of users.  You can't just assign to an User Group.)

[rmcpdias]

Hi Matthew,

but we wanted that the contact list to be available on the Contacts App and on the Phone App. 

Content only allows us to distribute files?

Best Regards,

Rui

[MatthewSwenson]

Export your contact list in one of the supported file types and then upload it to the console.  That is what we do.

Unless I am misunderstanding?

This approach isn't going to create contacts on the user's device, but it will give them a way to view a prepared list.

If you are wanting to create contacts on the device, other people probably have more experience, but you will probably have to set up email integration with Boxer, I suspect.

[MatthewSwenson]

You could try uploading the contacts as vCard files or similar.  Or you might have to look at Boxer integration.  I haven't tried either of those things, so I'm just suggesting some ideas.

[rmcpdias]

Hi Matthew,

yes, we thought about the vCard approach, but then the vCard would have to be imported in every phone. 

VMware Technical Support recommend us to use Boxer.

Best Regards,

Rui

[KeithHallKeithH]

Our service technicians would love to have a list of contacts at the ready. If there was a way to distribute the VCF automatically via smartgroup, tagging or user group this would be a huge benefit. We don't allow the use of Apple accounts and push applications via ABM aka (DEP.) We are using Outlook for iOS as the company standard mail app currently.

Maybe there's a way within Outlook to make this happen. Each remote site has a coordinator that could manage a group contact list through Outlook. If each user is added to the shared contact list for each remote site then theoretically they would get those contacts once they sign in to their Outlook account on the iOS devices..

I hope this helps.

[rmcpdias]

Hi Keith.

Most of our users don't have an Outlook account. And even with that, how could we synchronize the contacts with the Contacts App on the phones?

Best Regards,

Rui

[Pvz1]

Entao Rui, encontras-te a solucao?

[rmcpdias]

Infelizmente ainda não...

[AntonThirifays]

Hi,

You can manage that easily if you have Exchange with EAS as architecture.

Just create an iOS profile (does not work for Android) and activate payload "Exchange ActiveSync", make sure you have a hostname exposed to the internet to route it to your on-prem exchange servers, put necessary information and this should work.

On regards of authentication, we use certificate based but I reckon you can achieve the same with username / pw