Kindle Fire HDX Might Work in the Enterprise: 10 Reasons Why
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The Amazon Kindle Fire HDX was announced recently with much fanfare. The tablet comes with both 7- and 8.9-inch options. Although the design itself hasn't changed much compared with last year's model, Amazon has boosted its functionality in a big way. Perhaps the biggest addition is its HDX display, featuring a 1,920-by-1,200 resolution in the 7-inch model and an impressive 2,560-by-1,600 resolution in the larger model. Speaking of the larger model, it comes in the customer's choice of WiFi-only or WiFi and 4G LTE. Perhaps the biggest surprise from the Kindle Fire HDX, however, is its potential appeal to corporate customers. For the first time, Amazon has made a play for the enterprise by adding applications for business users. From the addition of a built-in OfficeSuite to support of popular corporate features, like Outlook, the Kindle Fire HDX might just work for enterprise customers. Yes, that's right: An Amazon product that started out as mainly as an e-reader and consumer device might start making its way into the office. Take a look at the reasons why in this eWEEK slide show.
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Kindle Fire HDX Might Work in the Enterprise: 10 Reasons Why
by Don Reisinger
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Welcome to the OfficeSuite
Amazon's Kindle Fire HDX will ship with the built-in OfficeSuite that includes word processing, spreadsheet and presentation applications. Add that to the Kindle Fire HDX's ability to print all kinds of documents wirelessly, and the company might have a winner on its hands.
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Built-In 4G LTE
Amazon made the exceptionally smart decision to bundle 4G LTE into its Kindle Fire HDX. If the company wants to attract more enterprise customers, that is the best feature to offer because it enables access to the Web anywhere and everywhere.
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Google Apps for Business Support
Amazon has bundled support for Google Apps for Business in the Kindle Fire HDX. Although it's not necessarily the most popular corporate platform, it's gaining considerable ground on Microsoft's Office. It's nice to see Amazon include different options in the Kindle Fire HDX.
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But It Supports Outlook Too
If Google Apps for Business is coming to the Kindle Fire HDX, it would only make sense that Amazon would also include Outlook support for customers who need it. According to the company, full Outlook access will be available in addition to Exchange support to allow for access to email while on the go.
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Mayday Is a Big Selling Point
One of the big complaints companies have is their inability to access support whenever they want. With the included "Mayday" feature, the Kindle Fire HDX will come with on-device support 24/7. Expect that to be a huge selling point for customers.
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True Mobility Matters
Amazon's Kindle Fire HDX appeals to the many corporate employees and companies that want devices that are easy to bring along on long trips. The Kindle Fire HDX delivers that with its lightweight, 11-ounce body (for the LTE version) and a thin, 0.35-inch frame. It also comes with up to 11 hours of battery life, making it a nice companion on long trips away from power plugs.
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Extreme Affordability
Who can argue with the Kindle Fire HDX's price? The 7-inch model starts at just $229, while the 8.9-inch option will set customers back only $379. Amazon has found a way to deliver a high-quality product at an extremely affordable price, and that factor alone will get the attention of enterprise buyers.
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Encryption Is Built Into the Hardware
The Kindle Fire HDX comes with hardware-based encryption, which means data stored on the tablet should be kept secure. In addition, the tablet includes certificate enrollment for secure access to corporate resources, full network configuration options for IT managers and application management. It's truly a full-featured enterprise product.
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VPN and Authentication Support
Access control has proved to be one of the chief ways Amazon is making its sales pitch to the enterprise. The company's new Kindle Fire HDX comes with full support for VPNs and authentication protocols. The device also comes with a Single Sign-On feature for access to corporate intranets.
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Android, but Not Really
Many IT decision-makers look at Android as a huge security risk and don't want Android devices accessing corporate networks or databases. Although Amazon's platform is based on Android, Fire OS is actually the company's own take on Google's software. What that means is that Amazon keeps close eye on its operating system, secures it and fixes bugs more quickly than Google would. So, while companies might be investing in Android with the Kindle Fire HDX, it's not a full jump into Google land.
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