Androids Security Gaps Make IT Managers Nervous
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But there are issues beyond security. For example, you
can't attach your Android device to your computer and sync your Outlook or
Lotus Notes contacts, calendar and other material with your phone. First you
have to sync with Google. This adds an extra step, and it's a step that a lot
of companies don't want to take. This is a significant issue that explains why
RIM and Apple fit more comfortably into the enterprise in many cases.
Of course, much of the reason why Google collects the
data it collects, and why it demands that Google's applications be used for
synchronizing information, is that Google wants to build up its own choices
rather than Microsoft's. This may be understandable, but it's the wrong answer
for large enterprises. These companies aren't about to abandon Outlook or Notes
and go with something they view as unproven.
This was a prominent area of concern for security managers I interviewed when I was preparing my upcoming feature on the collision between consumer and business technology. They don't view Android as being completely enterprise-ready. Fortunately, there are companies that can provide additional software that will remedy this, but not every enterprise wants to spend this money if they can avoid it. It's much easier to simply decide that Android devices aren't quite ready for prime time.
Whether there is, in fact, a lack of enterprise-level
features in Android devices is beside the point. Right now the perception is
that the Android phones aren't enterprise-ready. If Google really intends to
have Android take over the market share currently owned by RIM and Apple, then
this perception will have to be changed. To accomplish this, Google is going to
have to improve security, find a way to protect personal data either from
malware or from Google, and provide a way for companies to connect more
completely with the corporate environment.
While it may meet Google's goals to have the world going
to Google for all information, it doesn't necessary meet the goals of its
customers, especially when those customers are companies that really don't want
to share their critical data with Google, or to store it in Google's cloud.
With those goals, Google is effectively kissing the enterprise goodbye. Perhaps
that's OK with Google, but I suspect it's not-otherwise why would the company
have gone to the trouble to include the enterprise tools that are there
already? More likely, the company just needs a more customer-oriented focus.
This was a prominent area of concern for security managers I interviewed when I was preparing my upcoming feature on the collision between consumer and business technology. They don't view Android as being completely enterprise-ready. Fortunately, there are companies that can provide additional software that will remedy this, but not every enterprise wants to spend this money if they can avoid it. It's much easier to simply decide that Android devices aren't quite ready for prime time.
Wayne Rash is a Senior Analyst for eWEEK Labs and runs the magazineÃÃÃs Washington Bureau. Prior to joining eWEEK as a Senior Writer on wireless technology, he was a Senior Contributing Editor and previously a Senior Analyst in the InfoWorld Test Center. He was also a reviewer for Federal Computer Week and Information Security Magazine. Previously, he ran the reviews and events departments at CMP's InternetWeek.He is a retired naval officer, a former principal at American Management Systems and a long-time columnist for Byte Magazine. He is a regular contributor to Plane & Pilot Magazine and The Washington Post.
