Video Conferencing & Meeting Rooms
Google EDLA Certified — Does That Actually Make an Android Smart Board Better?
It makes a board better in one specific way: Google's own apps, including the Play Store, Chrome, Drive and Classroom, run on the board itself under licence, on a build that has passed Google's compatibility tests. EDLA (Enterprise Devices Licensing Agreement) does not guarantee a number of years of Android updates, a newer Android version, better performance or Microsoft Teams Rooms certification. EDLA boards at SourceIT include the LG CreateBoard 65TR3DQ on Android 14 (S$2,587.50), the Samsung WA65F on Android 14 (S$3,212.50) and the Avocor S Series AVS-6510 on Android 13 (S$2,236.52), all listed 31 Oct 2026. MAXHUB's E3, U3 and U4 education panels are also EDLA certified and are price on request.
What does EDLA give you, and what doesn't it?
| Question | EDLA answer | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Google Play Store and Google apps built in? | Yes, licensed from Google | Google: only Play Protect certified devices may include Google apps such as the Play Store |
| Passed Google's compatibility testing? | Yes | Google cites "100,000+" compatibility tests and checks against preinstalled malware |
| Play Protect malware scanning? | Yes | Google Android Help and android.com/certified |
| A fixed security patch schedule? | Unclear | Promethean (2023) says EDLA requires security updates every 90 days. Samsung (2025) says updates "as needed for at least the first two years". No Google document found confirms either. |
| Major Android version upgrades? | Not required | No source checked says EDLA mandates OS upgrades |
| Faster or smoother performance? | No | Certification tests compatibility, not speed |
| Microsoft Teams Rooms certified? | No | Microsoft: certified Teams devices have no Google Play Store or Play Services, by design |
From Google Android Help ("Check and fix Play Protect certification", accessed 31 Oct 2026), Promethean (6 Jun 2023), Samsung Business Insights (15 Jul 2025) and Microsoft Learn ("Teams Rooms security", 5 Aug 2026). We could not find a Google-authored page setting out EDLA's requirements, so treat any vendor's list of "EDLA rules" as second-hand.
What is EDLA, in plain terms?
Phones and tablets get Google's apps through Google Mobile Services licensing. Larger, fixed devices such as interactive displays could not, so many older boards ran plain Android with their own app stores, or reached Google apps only by mirroring a laptop. EDLA is Google's licence for those devices. Samsung describes it as letting "larger Android devices (with screen sizes greater than 18 inches)" run Google apps and services natively. Vendors including BenQ and ViewSonic date Google's interactive-display support to late 2022, so EDLA boards are a fairly recent category.
For schools on Google Workspace for Education, that matters: teachers can open Classroom, Drive and Slides on the board without a laptop. For offices, the Play Store means apps like Chrome and productivity tools install the normal way.
What does EDLA not fix?
- The update clock. Android Enterprise expert Jason Bayton, who is not a Google employee, explains that Google backports security fixes to each Android version for about three years, after which the device maker must patch it alone. Google's October 2026 Android Security Bulletin covers Android 14 to 17, and Android 13 is no longer listed. An Android 13 EDLA board sold today relies on its vendor for new platform fixes. See Your S$5,000 Interactive Display Runs Android. Should You Be Worried?
- Vendor commitments. We found no published year count of Android updates from Samsung, LG, Avocor, MAXHUB or Yealink. EDLA does not create one.
- Hardware. EDLA boards span very different chips. Avocor's S10E series pairs 8 GB of RAM with an Amlogic T982, a quad-core chip designed for 8K televisions, while MAXHUB's U4 lists 16 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage. Certification says nothing about speed; Your Smart Board Has 8GB RAM. So Why Does It Still Lag? explains why.
- Teams Rooms. Microsoft says its certified Teams devices run a modified AOSP build without Google Play. Teams installed from the Play Store on an EDLA board is the ordinary Teams app, which Microsoft lists for phones and tablets. No Samsung, LG, Avocor or MAXHUB Android board appears on Microsoft's certified touchboard list. More in Microsoft Teams on Android Smart Boards.
EDLA tells you Google has checked the software. It does not tell you how long anyone will keep checking it.
Can you manage EDLA boards centrally?
Usually, yes. EDLA boards can be enrolled as fully managed Android Enterprise devices in mobile device management tools; Relution, for example, documents EDLA enrolment for whiteboards. Vendors add their own tools: Samsung's Device Management Solution (cloud version free for one year), LG ConnectedCare (sold separately) and MAXHUB Pivot. We found no Google page confirming Google Admin console support for EDLA interactive displays, so check this with the vendor if you plan to manage boards alongside Chromebooks. Management across platforms is compared in Android LFD vs Windows LFD.
Is an EDLA board worth paying more for?
Usually yes if your users live in Google apps, or if you want to install mainstream Android apps without sideloading. It matters less if the board will mostly run a Windows OPS module, or if it is a Teams Rooms device. EDLA is also available as an add-on: Avocor sells an Android 13 EDLA OPS module that brings Google Play to its displays.
Before buying any EDLA board, ask the vendor:
- Which Android version does it ship with, and is a major upgrade planned?
- How often are security patches released, and until when?
- Which management tool is included, and what does it cost after year one?
- Can whiteboard files be saved to Google Drive or OneDrive and cleared from the board automatically?
Buying in Singapore
SourceIT supplies EDLA boards including the LG CreateBoard 65TR3DQ (Android 14, S$2,587.50), Samsung WA65F (Android 14, S$3,212.50), Avocor S Series AVS-6510 (Android 13, S$2,236.52) and Avocor E50 AVE-6550 (Android 13, S$3,728.05), plus the Avocor EDLA Android 13 OPS module (S$526.81). Prices listed 31 Oct 2026. The MAXHUB U4 U6540 (Android 15, EDLA) is price on request. Browse LG CreateBoard, Samsung Interactive Displays and MAXHUB Interactive Displays. For a quotation, use Request for Quotation on the product page, call (65) 6978 3502, email Sales@sourceit.com.sg or use our contact page.
Frequently asked questions
What does Google EDLA certified mean? The board is licensed by Google to run Google apps and the Play Store natively, has passed Google's compatibility tests and includes Play Protect scanning.
Does EDLA guarantee security updates? Not a fixed number of years. Vendors describe different patch rules, and we found no Google document stating one. Ask the vendor for its own commitment.
Can an EDLA board run Microsoft Teams Rooms? No. Microsoft's certified Teams Rooms on Android devices run without the Google Play Store by design, so an EDLA board is not a Teams Rooms device.
Does EDLA make a board faster? No. Certification covers software compatibility and security checks, not the processor, memory or storage.
Which EDLA boards does SourceIT sell? The LG CreateBoard TR3DQ, Samsung WAF, Avocor S Series and E50, and MAXHUB E3, U3 and U4 panels, plus Avocor's EDLA OPS module.
