How the COPE policy redefines control, trust, and flexibility

Enterprise mobility has shifted from being purely an IT-based decision to becoming a business operations decision. With higher security expectations, regulatory scrutiny, and more distributed workflows, choosing the right device management policy has become pivotal to ensuring secure and smooth operations. 

The Corporate-Owned, Personally Enabled (COPE) device management policy offers a sustainable and long-term path forward for enterprise mobility. Enterprises that opt for the COPE policy equip their workforce with mobile devices that operate within the same ecosystem. These devices are managed by the organisation, but employees are free to use them for personal use without restrictions. 

As enterprises plan for 2026, they must consider security, employee experience, and device durability when choosing a device management policy. The right device management policy enhances operational efficiency, positioning businesses for long-term success.

Most enterprises operate across a fragmented device landscape with employees using different operating systems, personal devices, and unmanaged endpoints to access sensitive business information. This increases an organisation’s exposure to risks and introduces inconsistencies in security postures, compliance enforcement, and incident response. 

Standardising devices across teams and departments reduce this complexity, giving enterprises enhanced device security and improved device management. A unified device ecosystem allows IT teams to apply consistent security policies and respond quickly to potential threats. By standardising mobile device fleets, companies embed security into daily operations as opposed to treating it as a reactive solution. 

Galaxy devices are protected by Samsung Knox¹, a government-grade security platform built into every Galaxy device from the chip up. For enterprises, this strengthens protection against sophisticated threats while simplifying compliance across regulated industries. By deploying Galaxy devices under the COPE policy, device security becomes a strategic enabler that allows enterprises to scale mobility with confidence.

Enterprises have traditionally been forced to choose between a corporate-owned devices (COD) policy or a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policy. The COD policy offers greater control for organisation, but has limitations when it comes to personalisation. The BYOD policy prioritises the user’s choice but introduces security and compliance risks. 

The COPE policy removes this trade-off by bridging the gap between security and user experience. Employees can personalise their device to suit their needs within clearly defined parameters, while IT teams retain control over device management through mobile device management (MDM) solutions like Knox Manage.

With the Galaxy Enterprise Edition devices, businesses can set up work profiles for their employees to separate personal data from business data. This separation is key to delivering flexibility without compromising on security. COPE policies enable enterprises to align organisational requirements with employee expectations for usability and autonomy, making devices easier to manage at scale. 

Beyond maintaining device security, COPE policies keep productivity levels consistent across teams and environments. Frontline teams often operate in environments that are unpredictable, physically demanding, or disconnected from the traditional way of offering IT support. When these teams rely on consumer-grade devices that operate across different operating systems, the chance of these devices failing during critical moments increases.

With a COPE policy, enterprises minimise device downtime on the frontline by standardising devices across teams. This ensures that teams are working on durable and reliable devices, such as the Galaxy XCover7 Pro or the Galaxy Tab Active5 Pro. These devices are purpose-built for harsh realities, ensuring consistent performance and access to apps and information regardless of environment. 

With features such as Glove Mode², organisations increase worker safety and productivity as teams are able to use devices without removing their gloves. Programmable keys let teams quickly access apps for faster task execution. 

The COPE policy means enterprises choose the type of devices employees use without compromising employee productivity.
With the Galaxy Ruggedised devices, frontline teams can rely on a single device that supports both work and play, while businesses maintain control over performance standards.

As enterprises look ahead to 2026, enterprise mobility strategies must reflect how work is actually done in today’s landscape. COPE policies, supported by Galaxy devices, strengthen security posture and reduce device fragmentation. In turn, enterprises benefit from a device ecosystem that is secure, resilient, and adaptable by design. 

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