Operate large device fleets automatically
Logistics, field service, manufacturing, and retail use hundreds of standardized devices – often rugged, often shared, always in use. Cortado turns deployment, apps, and policies for the entire fleet into a repeatable process.
Starting point
Why large fleets need their own rules
In warehouses, workshops, vehicles, and stores, the mobile device is a work tool like a tool or scanner – whether handheld, tablet, smartphone, or scanner. It gets shared, dropped, and lost – and it still has to work the same way every day.
What can still be done manually with twenty devices becomes an operational risk with several hundred: inconsistent configurations, outdated apps, devices with no clear status. Operational responsibility often lies not with IT, but with operations. In these scenarios, Android is often the primary operating system – Apple devices are also used alongside it.
CHALLENGES & SOLUTION
Where large device fleets fail – and how Cortado solves it
Standardized fleets have different requirements than individual company smartphones: Rollouts must run automatically, configurations must be identical, and operations must work without a specialist team.
High operational complexity
Locations, shifts, device types: With device groups, roles, and inherited policies, the fleet remains manageable even with thousands of devices.
Manual provisioning
Automated enrollment from the factory or via QR code handles setup – devices configure themselves instead of moving through IT one by one.
Lack of standardization
One reference configuration per usage profile applies equally to all devices – new devices automatically adopt the standard.
Failures disrupt operations
Replacement devices are in their desired state within minutes; status, operating system versions, and policy violations are visible at any time.
Mixed device landscape
Android and Apple run on one platform – using the native management standards of both worlds instead of two separate consoles.
Operations without a specialist team
A clean portal instead of a maze of consoles: Operations and fleet managers can also manage the fleet in day-to-day work.
Rollout
Automated rollout in large quantities
New device fleets do not have to be unpacked, set up, and repacked. Through automated enrollment from the factory or via the reseller, devices enroll themselves on first startup and apply your settings.
- Enrollment via Apple Business Manager, Android Zero-Touch, Knox Mobile Enrollment, or QR code
- Apps, Wi-Fi profiles, and restrictions from first startup
- Identical configuration for every device in the fleet
- Subsequent deliveries and replacement devices follow the same process
USAGE PROFILES
Fully managed, shared, or rugged in the field
Standardized fleets rarely run in only one mode. Cortado covers common usage profiles on one platform – for both Android and Apple devices.
Fully managed company-owned devices
Clear specifications, central apps, and no personal use – the standard for devices used exclusively for work.
Go to Android managementDedicated & shared devices
Devices for one task or shift work: only approved apps, a locked-down interface, the same state at every handoff.
Go to kiosk modeApple devices in the fleet
iPhone and iPad are automatically enrolled through Apple Business Manager and managed in the same portal as the Android devices.
Go to Apple managementTHE SOLUTION IN DETAIL
What Cortado covers for device fleets
From initial provisioning to decommissioning – centrally managed for the entire fleet.
Mass enrollment
Automated enrollment and QR enrollment bring entire deliveries into operation without manual work.
App & policy distribution
Business apps, managed configurations, and restrictions are assigned centrally and stay up to date across the fleet.
Device Lifecycle Management
Commissioning, device replacement, repair, and return follow a defined process instead of being handled case by case.
Lock, locate, wipe
Lost or defective devices can be locked, located, and selectively or fully wiped remotely.
Reporting & compliance status
Device status, operating system versions, and policy violations are visible in the dashboard at any time.
Less support effort
Recurring tasks run automatically – reducing the workload for both IT and operations.
IMPLEMENTATION
In three steps to regular operations
You define the usage profiles in your operations – fully managed, shared, or rugged in the field – and which apps and policies apply to each profile.
You test the configuration with a small device group in day-to-day use – directly in the administration portal, with no project lead time. What proves effective becomes the binding template for the fleet.
Devices arrive preconfigured at all locations. Subsequent deliveries and replacement devices automatically adopt the same standard.
CUSTOMER CASE STUDIES
Device fleets in operational use
Organizations that centrally manage their mobile devices with Cortado during ongoing operations.
Dispatch orders delivered remotely to tablets
Logistik & TransportDrivers at Beeken Transport und Logistik receive orders and freight documents on tablets, managed with Cortado MDM.
Reliable furniture deliveries thanks to Mobile Device Management
Logistik & TransportIE Logistic manages delivery and assembly on mobile devices – the teams’ devices are centrally managed with Cortado MDM.
Digital construction site: mobile working at Gebr. Donhauser
Bau & HandwerkConstruction company Gebr. Donhauser Bau uses mobile technologies to make processes on the construction site and in the office more efficient.
WHO IT’S FOR
Ideal for organizations with standardized fleets
We work with these operational contexts particularly often – the requirements for rollout, standardization, and operations are similar everywhere.
Logistics & transport
Vehicles, warehouses, and transshipment: devices that reliably transmit orders, scans, and documents.
Field Service & technical services
Service technicians and field service with rugged devices, fixed app sets, and access to order data.
Manufacturing & plant operations
Devices on the line, in the warehouse, and at the factory gate – often shared and used in shift work.
Retail & store operations
Store devices for checkout, customer consultation, and inventory that must be configured the same way everywhere.
TRUST
Award-winning and recognized
Cortado is an Android Enterprise Silver Partner, has been recognized multiple times as a Leader in Mobile Device Management, and carries the Software Made in Germany and Software Made in Europe seals of approval.
FAQ
Questions about large device fleets
When is it worth automating a device fleet?
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As soon as devices are used across multiple locations, in shifts, or in significant quantities, manual setup takes more time than establishing a standard. In practice, automation usually pays off with just a few dozen devices – at the latest when replacement devices and subsequent deliveries become regular.
How does the automated rollout work?
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When devices are purchased, the reseller assigns them to your enrollment account – via Apple Business Manager, Android Zero-Touch, or Knox Mobile Enrollment. When first switched on, each device automatically enrolls with Cortado and applies apps, policies, and network profiles. The process does not change whether there are ten devices or a thousand.
Can Apple and Android devices be managed together?
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Yes. Cortado manages Android and Apple devices on one platform, each through the manufacturers’ native management standards. Policies, apps, and status are visible in one portal – without separate consoles for each operating system. In operational fleets, Android is often the primary operating system, while Apple devices run in the same process.
How do we manage shared devices in shift operations?
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Shared devices are operated as Dedicated Devices: They show only approved apps, can be restricted to one interface, and are ready in the same defined state at every handoff. Personal data is never generated in the first place.
Does this also work with rugged devices and handheld scanners?
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Yes. What matters is that the devices support their operating system’s management standards – this applies to common rugged models and handheld scanners. They are enrolled, configured and monitored like any other device.
Bring your device fleet under a clear standard
Try Cortado MDM with no obligation – or discuss your fleet strategy directly with our team.