Google Android Security Improves, But Trails IPhone And BlackBerry

Network World - With the flourishing recognition of Android, IT administrators are confronting final to encouragement smartphones from employees that use the open source mobile working system. But whilst safety of Google Android is improving, IT pros say it hasn't actually held up to the more developed platforms.

"Android still needs to make a few improvements in its safety model," says Randy Nunez, mobile computing lead at Ford Motor Co., that supports worker use of iPhone, BlackBerry, Symbian and Windows Mobile, but does not now encouragement Android. "Windows Mobile and BlackBerry had a head beginning and they have a few really developed products in the space."

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The iPhone as good has turn an agreed craving device, even even though it was primarily directed at consumers.

Android is "following a together trail with the iPhone," Nunez says. "With the iPhone 2.0, once they expelled encouragement for Exchange ActiveSync and the passcode and safety policies, it done it more tough to say no," Nunez says. "And Android, with their 2.2 release, is subsequent to in the iPhone's footsteps in that way."

David Glenn, executive of craving operations for Del Monte Foods, a San Francisco-based food prolongation and placement company, says smartphones must be supply at least 3 key safety features in order for his firm to encouragement it. The phone must force users to sort a cue to be able to bring it up from an inactive state; IT must be able to remotely clean information from the phone; and information on the phone must be encrypted.

"It has to encounter the mandate or you cannot hurl it out," Glenn says.

Del Monte Foods has granted worker use of a paltry number of Android phones. Glenn himself uses a Motorola Droid X.

"We do encouragement the Droid X and we're seeking at the Droid 2 correct now," Glenn says.

As Nunez mentioned, the 2.2 chronicle of the Android working network has bolstered security. Motorola has even launched an Android phone directed at the BlackBerry market, called the Droid Pro, with safety features inclusive the aptitude to remotely clean information from the phone and the MicroSD card. ( Play the Google Android quiz. )

Android encryption

Google's Android now supports countless features in Microsoft's Exchange ActiveSync, inclusive SSL encrypted delivery and remote wipe.

"Android 2.2 provides a number of extended Exchange features, similar to the add-on of the numeric pin cue options, remote clean capabilities, things similar to that that make it more tasty for enterprises to adopt," Nunez says.

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