Google has beefed up its Android enterprise features in a bid to get its platforms in more businesses. That’s right folks, Android is ready to work.
One of the new Android enterprise features may make Honeycomb tablets like the Motorola Xoom fit better into corporate policies. Google Apps administrators will now be able to encrypt the data on tablets with Android 3.0.
This is an incredibly important feature and it is one of the reasons that there is a little hesitation in allowing tablets in the workplace – it’s another device to lose that could leak out sensitive data. For all the guff Research In Motion is getting for Bridge on the BlackBerry PlayBook, this is one way to ensure that corporate data doesn’t remain on the device.
Another new Android enterprise feature is an update to the Google Apps Device Policy app. Along with being able to remotely wipe devices, IT administrators can now reset passwords remotely and locate a lost or stolen device on top of Google Maps. This feature is available for corporate devices running 2.2 Froyo and higher.
Google Apps Lookup has also been released and this gives you a quick way to check out the organizational charts of a given company. As you would expect, you can do lookups with voice and text, as well as contact them via e-mail, text, chat or phone. This requires version 2.1 and above.
I don’t think that RIM will be shaking in its boots quite yet in the corporate space but it’s just a matter of time before the Android enterprise features become compelling enough for many businesses to give it a go. The corporate space is just one of the places that the little, green robot is expected to grow, as research suggest it will account for nearly half of the overall smartphone market in just a few, short years.
[Via PC World]