Samsung is aiming for the enterprise and those upgrading their smartphones and wish to use them at work with the new Samsung Approved for Enterprise (SAFE) Branding.

The South Korean tech giant has just given word that it will be launching a Safe Samsung Galaxy S III in the U.S. on all the four major carriers previously announced to sell the new flagship phone in the U.S. [Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile]

According to Samsung, the four carriers will start selling Safe Samsung Galaxy S III next month. Furthermore, US Cellular will also be selling the device next month.

What the SAFE branding offers is easier adoption of Samsung smartphones by enterprise organizations cautious of security.

SAFE devices from Samsung which includes the SAFE Galaxy S III supports a full suite of enterprise-ready features and capabilities with support for 338 IT Policies. Included in these supported features and capabilities are AES-256 bit encryption, Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync, Virtual Private Network (VPN) and Mobile Device Management (MDM) solutions.

These MDMs include AirWatch, Juniper Networks Junos Pulse, MobileIron, SOTI MobiControl, and Sybase Afaria.

Samsung says in a description on its dedicated page for the SAFE branding drive that:

“SAFE-certified devices meet rigorous security criteria and are configured specifically with enterprise use in mind. The deployment of SAFE smartphones and Samsung Galaxy Tab™ tablets helps ensure that your organization’s mobile workforce is protected to the greatest possible degree through On-Device Encryption and Mobile Device Management (MDM). SAFE devices are also equipped with enhanced features that maximize efficiency and productivity through Virtual Private Network (VPN) connectivity and enhanced Corporate Email/Calendar/Contact features.”

The enterprise has long been wary of letting its employees bring their own devices to work particularly because information, especially in large (and secretive) organizations, stored in devices used by employees are sensitive. Furthermore, organizations of this sort tend to want more control over devices with company data in them.

That is why previously, BlackBerry which has a host of enterprise-friendly features cornered the market of big businesses and government agencies.

However, Samsung is aiming to change that. With SAFE devices from Samsung, administrators can enjoy support for “desktop-like” central management, wirelessly configure and update settings, monitor and enforce compliance with corporate IT policies, remotely wipe or lock managed devices, enable or disable specific capabilities such as camera, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, microphone, data roaming and more, control overall access to application stores as well as silently push and remove applications.

Another feature of SAFE devices from Samsung, which will include the SAFE Galaxy S III launching in the U.S. next month, is on-device encryption using AES-256-bit technology. Samsung touts “comprehensive encryption of all data, including app-specific internal data and internal/external memory; on-device encryption can be enabled through a Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync IT policy, mobile device management IT policy, or manually on the device; and fast boot up and conversion time during the initial device encryption process,” as features of this on-device encryption.

“It’s now safe to say that the ‘Next Big Thing in Enterprise’ is here with the near-term availability of SAFE-branded Galaxy S III devices at five U.S. carriers,” said Samsung Mobile’s Tim Wagner in a statement.

“The highly desirable, SAFE-branded and QA-tested Galaxy S III smartphone systematically defragments Android to provide a consistent level of IT compliance for individuals who demand the very best in both their personal and professional lives,” the Samsung Mobile Enterprise Sales general manager added.

What’s more, Samsung wants people in the enterprise to switch to SAFE devices from their current mobile device as the company also reiterated its SAFE2SWITCH program, a prosumer / enterprise trade-in scheme for those using phones from other manufacturers and are interested in getting the SAFE Galaxy S III.

Samsung explains on SamsungSafe2Switch.com that prosumers and corporate customers can upgrade to a new Samsung smartphone and get up to $300 when they trade in their existing devices.

The process is as follows. Customers will determine their trade-in refund by indicating the manufacturer, model and mobile carrier the phone is on, and answering questions like “Is the phone functional?”, “Is there any liquid damage or corrosion?”, “Is the screen broken, damaged or leaking?”. After this, a quote is calculated for the “Trade-In Refund”.

Samsung said that people may get up to $300 in refund but we’ve played around with their calculator and the highest amount we’ve managed so far is only for the Apple iPhone 4S 64GB (non-CDMA) which trades in at $300. Other phones have a lower trade-in valuation.

Meanwhile, after calculating the trade in value of the phone, users will have to purchase a new Samsung SAFE smartphone and then mail their trade-in phone to Samsung within 30 days. Samsung will then mail a check to the customer for their trade-in refund.

Currently, the site is showing the Galaxy Nexus on Verizon and Sprint, the Galaxy S II, the Galaxy Note and the Galaxy S III as phones eligible on the SAFE branding program for the SAFE2SWITCH trade-in system.

About Solon Harmony Dolor

A passion for technology and journalism makes this upcoming writer very interested in social media and technology news. Fresh from finishing an English and Journalism degree from the University of the Philippines Diliman, he aims to bring interesting news to our readers .