Google Courts Businesses With Android for Work Initiative
Google is ramping up its efforts to make Android more business and enterprise-friendly. — At its annual I/O developer conference on Wednesday, Google announced an “Android for Work” initiative, a means of separating …
Context & Ripple Effects
Google is pairing Android’s broad mobile reach with an enterprise pitch at I/O, alongside the Android L developer preview. The initiative centers on separating work and personal use, addressing a barrier for organizations considering employee Android devices.
First-order effects
- Business IT teams gain a Google-backed framework for keeping corporate activity distinct from employees’ personal Android use.
- Google gives Android a more direct enterprise position as organizations weigh device platforms and management requirements.
Second-order effects
- Android device makers and enterprise-management vendors face pressure to align their products with Google’s work-and-personal separation model.
- Apple’s iOS becomes a clearer competitive benchmark for Google: Android’s larger user base gives Google distribution, but enterprise buyers will judge the controls rather than consumer scale alone.
Third-order effects
- If Android’s enterprise controls are adopted broadly, mobile-platform competition shifts from handset features toward the governance of work data on personally used devices.
The trend: Consumer mobile platforms are adapting their operating systems for enterprise governance as personal devices enter workplace workflows.