Android for Work

2015

Number of clients of Android for Work — 19 thousand, the number of partners — 80

At the beginning of November, 2015 the Google corporation told about progress of the Android for Work platform in business market. First, the number of the partners advancing this technology doubled in only four months. Secondly, thousands of the companies use a product worldwide.

As the director of product management of Android for Work Andrew Toy wrote on November 4, 2015 in the blog Google, this platform is tested, implemented or already about 19 thousand organizations and the enterprises in the different countries of the world work with it. The representative of Internet giant did not tell the names of clients.

About 19 thousand companies use the Android for Work platform worldwide

But names of the partners helping Google to distribute Android for Work are known. Among them — BlackBerry, Citrix, Cisco, F5 and SAP and also a number of mobile device manufacturers and mobile operators. By the beginning of November, 2015 the number of the companies advancing technology grew to 80 with 40 in July, told That.

"We released Android for Work this year earlier to help the companies with the choice of Android and flexibility with work with it. Android for Work — is more than a shrink-wrapped software product which dynamically develops and expands an ecosystem more than from 80 partners who are equally conceiving in the direction of business transformation. Having selected Android and its flexibility, the companies enjoy use of the platform in the devices differing in the prices and form factors – from ultrastylish to ultraprotected" — Andrew Toi said.

In Google say that updating of Android devices to the version of Marshmallow 6.0 (the freshest by the beginning of November, 2015) will help to accelerate implementing solutions of corporate mobility and to improve them as in this operating system a lot of the functions intended for business needs is implemented. For example, the platform contains the system of notifications on the status of employees and integration of working contacts, and IT administrators can simplify certificates, quickly create new accounts and distribute more specific rights to access to this or that service.

The Android for Work platform adds to IT administrators full control of  politicians, distribution of applications and  remote erasing of corporate data from  the device.^[1]

Announcement of Google Android for Work

At the end of February, 2015 Google submitted the new Android for Work platform by means of which the company expects to strengthen the positions in the market of mobile devices of a corporate class. The announced technology will allow personal and working data to coexist safely on one gadget.^[2]

Telling about opportunities of Android for Work, representatives of Google paid attention that by February, 2015 in the world there are more than 1 billion active smartphones and tablets running Android OS which are used for business needs: for example, for work with office documents, corporate mail, management of transactions, etc. However not all users realize the true potential of the mobile platform, the initiative of Android for Work is directed to it.

Google storms business market with Android for Work

Android for Work assumes separate data storage and files of personal and corporate character, without a possibility of their mixing and mutual use. The platform is directed to as much as possible to use resources of mobile electronics for the solution of business challenges. At the same time developers paid special attention to security issues and information managements.

Android for Work contains four principal components:

• Working profiles. In personal Android device the user will be able to create a special profile which will separate and will protect working data from the persons which are not connected with professional activity of the owner of the device. At the same time the employer and other staff of the company will not be able to see personal data of the user. Working applications are marked with a special icon.

• Android application of for Work. The option Android for Work will be available by default in the environment of Android 5.0 Lollipop. Owners of those phones and tablet PCs which do not support this version the operating system can install the separate application.

• Google Play for Work. It is the special version of the directory of software of Google by means of which the companies can easily control and manage implementation of necessary mobile applications in corporate network.

• Set of business applications. Google offers the software which is built in Android for Work ensuring functioning with e-mail, contacts, the calendar, office documents, etc.

The Android for Work project was supported by several large producers of smartphones, including Samsung, Lenovo, Sony and BlackBerry. Besides, a number of developers of corporate solutions, such as SAP, AirWatch, MobileIron and Citrix, showed willingness to integrate Android for Work with the products.

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