Business contact data is often provided via Exchange. However, if you do not use Exchange, there are other ways to provide your users with this contact data. In this How-To, we would like to introduce you to a simple option (without special apps and servers) for a one-off provision of contact data.
Aim
In this how-to, we will show you how you can make all business contacts available to your users easily and in compliance with data protection regulations. This works both for fully managed company devices (COBO/COPE) and for private Android devices with a work profile (BYOD). This allows private and business contacts to be separated on BYOD and COPE devices.
Implementation
1. Exporting contacts
First of all, you need to export a list of the desired contacts (vCard) to a .vcf file. If you use a special app for your contacts, use it to export the .vcf file. Contacts can also be exported to a .vcf file via a Google account (example in the image). If necessary, an existing contact list (e.g. a .csv file) must first be converted to .vcf format. This can be done with the Windows Contacts app or with special apps (vCard Converter), for example. For data protection reasons, do not use online tools for this.
2. Distribute contact list via the Cortado administration portal
For secure and data protection-compliant forwarding of the .vcf file to your users' devices, log in to the Cortado administration portal.
- Then select Administration→ Files.
- Upload your .vcf file to the administration portal (arrows in illus.). To do this, proceed as described in our help article How to make files available to your users on mobile devices.
- Select the file in the left-hand column (left arrow in illus.) and assign it to the desired users or groups (right arrow in illus.).
3. Import contact list into the Contacts app
- Users will then find the file in the Cortado app under Files (arrow in left illus.).
- The file can now be downloaded by tapping on it (arrow in right illus.).
After downloading, the file can be shared. On devices with a work profile (COPE or BYOD), only the business contacts app is offered for sharing contacts (left image). It is not possible to save the .vcf file in the private profile of the device (right image). This ensures the separation of private and business contacts on the Android device. (On fully managed company devices (COBO), there is only one app for business contacts).
- In the next step, select the Contacts app under Open with (arrow in left illus.).
- All existing contacts in the .vcf file are now displayed. Tap on Import (arrow in left illus.).
- After the successful import, you will find all contacts from the .vcf file in the Contacts app (right image).
If you want to provide your users with additional contacts at a later date, repeat all of the above steps. Make sure you only import the new contacts into the .vcf file to avoid duplicates.