One of the main use cases we've been focusing on is enabling secure access to a legacy Android app for a large enterprise client. The client had a critical business app that was only available on Android and was tightly tied to older devices, but they wanted a secure, managed way to deliver it to employees on desktops and even web browsers. Using Anbox Cloud, we set up a streaming environment where the app runs in isolated containers. This allows employees to access the app securely from any device with centralized updates and without any client-side modifications. It has been a game changer in terms of both security and operational simplicity.
Anbox Cloud Appliance - Arm
Canonical Group LimitedExternal reviews
External reviews are not included in the AWS star rating for the product.
Secure access to legacy mobile apps has transformed how our teams work across devices
What is our primary use case?
What is most valuable?
Some of the standout features of Anbox Cloud are its container-based architecture, which gives incredible scalability, as you can spin up hundreds or thousands of app instances on demand. Another major advantage is its security model, where every app runs in its own isolated environment, which really helps with data privacy and regulatory compliance. Anbox Cloud also supports multi-cloud deployment, so you can run it on AWS, GCP, or on-prem, which gives us significant flexibility depending on the client's needs. Overall, it is a very powerful platform for delivering mobile apps.
Since we adopted Anbox Cloud, we have seen some really tangible benefits. For one, we reduced our app deployment time by about 40%, as before we had to rely on physical devices or emulators, which took significant manual effort. Now, provisioning new app environments happens in minutes. We also tracked a 25% reduction in support tickets related to app crashes or compatibility issues. Users now have a much more consistent, seamless experience, and we have measured a 15% increase in user satisfaction scores in internal surveys. From both a business and end-user perspective, it has really been a win.
What needs improvement?
There are a couple of areas for improvement regarding Anbox Cloud. One is around more granular monitoring out of the box. Right now, the default metrics are good, but we had to supplement with custom Prometheus exporters to get deeper insights, such as per-user resource usage and more detailed latency breakdowns. Another area is around licensing flexibility, as sometimes our enterprise clients want more granular control over licensing per region or per app instance, and that is not always as flexible as we would prefer. While it is a solid platform, more out-of-the-box customization and expanded licensing options would be really helpful.
One area that could be improved is the documentation for Anbox Cloud. While it is solid, some advanced configuration steps, such as setting up multi-region deployments or custom network setups, could use more detail. Another aspect needing improvement is support responsiveness; when we ran into a few blocking issues, it took longer than we expected to get a direct resolution. Finally, more out-of-the-box integrations with tools such as Kubernetes operators or CI/CD platforms would make it even easier to plug into existing workflows. Overall, it is a fantastic platform, but more depth on those fronts would really streamline adoption.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been working with Anbox Cloud for about six months now, integrating it into a few projects where we needed to provide Android app streaming in a secure, scalable way.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Anbox Cloud has been really stable in our experience. Once we got the initial setup dialed in, we have not seen any unexpected downtime or performance degradation, even under load. It is highly scalable; we have been able to provision hundreds of container instances almost instantly. As demand spikes, we just scale out, and it integrates very well with auto-scaling groups in AWS. It is definitely a solution that grows with our needs.
How are customer service and support?
Overall, customer support for Anbox Cloud has been pretty good, but it is a bit mixed. When we needed general guidance, their support team was responsive and knowledgeable, and we got solutions quickly. However, in a couple of instances, especially when it came to more advanced troubleshooting or custom configurations, it took longer than we hoped. They do have a dedicated enterprise support option, so we are considering that for a higher priority response. For the most part, customer support has been a solid resource, just with a few bumps on the more complex cases.
I would give customer support a 7 out of 10. They are generally knowledgeable and helpful, especially for common issues, and their ticketing system is organized. The delay we saw on some complex cases kept it from being a top-tier rating. If they improve response times on escalations, I would bump that up to an 8 or higher.
What other advice do I have?
My advice for others looking into using Anbox Cloud would be to start with a clear pilot project. Identify a specific app or use case so you can really measure performance, scaling, and user experience. Also, invest time upfront in planning your network and security configuration since that was one of our bigger lifts. Getting that right from the start saves a ton of headaches. Take advantage of their container orchestration because once you get the hang of it, it really helps with automation. Finally, make sure you evaluate the licensing model carefully to ensure you can get the right balance of cost and flexibility for your users.
Anbox Cloud is a great fit for organizations looking to modernize how they deliver Android apps, especially if they need a cloud-native, scalable solution. If you are willing to invest some time upfront in planning and configuration, it really pays off. I give this review an overall rating of 8 out of 10, which reflects that Anbox Cloud is definitely worth a look.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Facilitates digital transformation with seamless integration
What is our primary use case?
We are implementing Vicarious, a vulnerability management tool, and have integrations with Kubernetes using APIs. Also, we use Canonical to support access to technology documents, articles, and to open issues.
What is most valuable?
We have enjoyed the same experience as public cloud with a digital transformation since 2016, leading to a necessity to improve our environment using infrastructure as code.
It helps run Android and system containers using Ubuntu Pro. The product made it easier to insert new components and hosts in our private cloud, allowing us to update the number of hosts in our environment.
What needs improvement?
In Brazil, it is difficult to find technical professionals with OpenStack or this technology skills. The solution is complex to administrate, and the initial setup requires significant experience.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been using the solution since 2021.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It is perfect, not even a problem until now. We don't have any problems with stopping production or anything else.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It's simple to scale. We insert new components and hosts in the private cloud and can update the number of hosts in our environment.
How are customer service and support?
We have an excellent experience with support from Canonical. They provide great support, and our experience with the support team has been excellent.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We initially used OpenStack from VMware for our setup and had a simple deploy with them.
How was the initial setup?
The deploy with VIO from VMware was very simple, but the support wasn't set. With Canonical, we have excellent support and a good experience. However, the initial setup requires significant experience.
What about the implementation team?
We have four people administrating the solution who are infrastructure analysts with strong Linux experience.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
We have three clouds: one production, one for production, and one lab. We have a license supporting a specific number of hosts and update it each year, making the contract simple with them. It is not expensive.
What other advice do I have?
Overall, Canonical is rated ten out of ten. We don't have significant issues, and we have a great group of professionals, which makes administration easy.
waste of time
Tested about 10 different applications self-developed or 3rd party published; all of them result in 500 error via anbox dashboard. Error logs were empty as well so couldn't even trace what might cause the issue.