Most of us don't carry separate phones for work and personal. But we do work in industries that traffic in sensitive information; data that needs to be accessible on the go, but kept away from prying eyes.
To keep things secure, BlackBerry has BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES), Samsung has Knox, and Apple inked a mobile enterprise deal with IBM last year. Now Google is jumping in with Android for Work.
Google said it's teaming with partners - one of which is BlackBerry - to help "businesses bring more devices to work by securing, managing and innovating on the Android platform."
Key components include work profiles, an Android for Work app, Google Play for Work, and built-in productivity tools.
Building on the security enhancements within Android 5.0 Lollipop (like default encryption), work profiles will isolate work-related data. "IT can deploy approved work apps right alongside their users' personal apps knowing their sensitive data remains secured," Rajen Sheth, director of product management for Android and Chrome for Work, said in a blog post. "People can use their personal apps knowing their employer only manages work data and won't erase or view their personal content."
If you have an older Android device (Ice Cream Sandwich through KitKat), you'll use the Android for Work app. "The app, which delivers secure mail, calendar, contacts, documents, browsing and access to approved work apps, can be completely managed by IT," Sheth said.
To make sure employees aren't downloading malware-laden apps to a work network, meanwhile, Google Play for Work will let businesses deploy and manage apps across all users running Android for Work.
Finally, Google has created a suite of business apps for email, contacts, and calendar, which supports Exchange and Notes and allows for document editing.
Among the apps that will integrate with Android for Work is Box. "For many years, Box has been at the forefront of working with an ecosystem of partners that bring security and management to a borderless, mobile world. We're extremely excited to be deepening that focus with Google," the company said.
