"The Register notes ... that Nokia's kit is made in China."
Er, it all is?
Google has launched an Android Enterprise Recommended program it says "makes it simple for businesses to confidently select, deploy and manage Android devices and services that meet elevated enterprise requirements validated by Google" and has left Samsung off the list. Android enterprise recommended logo We've got this logo …
I don't see how Android could be recommended for business when calendar, contacts, notes, and app backups are slurped off to Google, unless you're very very careful.
And even if it is set up by IT right, a user will just add their Google account to it and the settings for that account are set to slurp by default.
I'm unconvinced that an MDM system's got everything under control, especially when all the basic apps (Dialler, Keyboard, Play Services, etc...) are Google's. Google can push out as many 'new helpful features' as they want and hopefully your MDM system will do something about it sooner rather than later.
@Dan 55
That you are unconvinced is irrelevant - the organisations that will pay Google for these services enter into a legally enforceable contract with Google with terms understood by both parties.
A moment ago you betrayed the fact you were unaware that paid-for Google services even existed, so I'm not sure why you think you're qualified to comment.
> No, you confused Enterprise data management with Google's cloudy services.
No, I really haven't. The very services you stated in your OP as being slurpy - calendar, contacts, notes, and app backups - are not slurpy if you pay Google to use them. Its called G Suite:
Please read about it before commenting again:
https://gsuite.google.com/intl/en_uk/features/
Buying alternative secure app management from Blackberry or someone else is also an option. I won't provide solutions for all situations, since I was merely countering your original assertion that all Google Android devices are slurpy. Nor am I rating them over similar for iOS.
If your hypothetical company won't pay for software and services, then they only really have ad-supported or Freeware to choose from.
Then don't install the free Google apps. There are alternatives. As I said, Blackberry and others will manage an app store of secure apps for you, and allow you to control which ones your users can install. There are options. Whatever.
Your original assertion - that all Google Android phones are slurpy - was just incorrect. That is all.
If you find iOS a better starting place, then fine. I know the MOD issue Blackberry-controlled iPhones. But it remains true that not all Google Android phones slurp back to Google *if you pay them*.
Then don't install the free Google apps.
You haven't seen Android lately, then. Calendar, Contacts, and maybe even Dialler are very often the Google apps. Installing a different calendar and contacts app doesn't change the fact that the back-end calendar and contacts storage can still be synced.
There are options. Whatever.
There are options, but you may find that settings are reset or new settings are added with the next Play Services, app, or Android update and then stuff is uploaded.
But it remains true that not all Google Android phones slurp back to Google *if you pay them*.
What part of not wanting Google to hold any business data at all do you not understand? Why would non-US enterprises want to hand it all over to Google (paying them or via Android tricksy slurp) when stuff like the CLOUD Act could become law quite soon?
If you configure your devices in work-managed device mode then it only has the apps you push.
Our devices have about 20 apps in the Google Play store, nothing else is available. The only apps there by default are the browser and the dialler. Everything else, maps, email, SMS etc. has to be specifically approved by the MDM administrator.
It's quite nice to see a brand new Android load up without any of the non-removable pre-installed rubbish.
>It's quite nice to see a brand new Android load up without any of the non-removable pre-installed rubbish.
So it seems there will be 'vanilla' Android phones that still have loads of non-removable pre-installed rubbish and Enterprise Recommended 'vanilla' phones that don't have the non-removable rubbish.
Good selling point, as I suspect with many handsets that is potentially another GB or more of memory available for the app's you actually want. Or is it that Enterprise Recommended is going to be a hidden setting, instructing the phone not to load certain pre-installed app's?
> I don't see how Android could be recommended for business when calendar, contacts, notes, and app backups are slurped off to Google,
If you are a business and pay Google for email and other services, they don't slurp data for advertising - or display any ads. This has been the case for years.
If you are a business and pay Google for email and other services, they don't slurp data for advertising - or display any ads. This has been the case for years.
Nice business data you've got on your Android phone. Be a shame if anybody slurped it. Store it with us to avoid that.
Is there any independent audit of what Google stores about users of Android, Chrome, Chrome OS, Android TV, any web site with any Google hosted content (apis, fonts, analytics, adverts), Google services (maps, translate, plus, groups, YouTube)?
Targeted advert usage is only part of the story.
Google has too much power & dominance.
Amazon, Apple, MS, Adobe, Facebook etc all need investigated too over data acquisition and retention. Also what is spent on lobbying and front groups, takeovers etc.
They might just hand it over for good old industrial espionage.
My old company did plenty of work for the navy and many milatry forces arround the world.. and more than once ppl from my company got stopped at the border so they could clone the hard drive.. (yes, we did use encryption, but they will force you to surrender the codes).. up to a point that is was forbidden to go to the us with a laptop that had any kind of restricted/propietary info.
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ROFL. The last two places I've worked (former not current) gave us Samsung phones 'for business use only' but didn't use MDM. As the last one the IT Director was too much of a cheapskate to impliment it. He was told about the potential problems but nope he said they would be fine.
He was very embarrassed when his phone (S7) was hacked and everyone in the company started to get dozens of spam emails supposedly from him.
He 'walked' rather than admit to his mistake. Still he got a nice severance package (6 figures)
Given the resource available to the US government they should be able to conduct forensic analysis of some of the phones sold in US and actually identify any snooping. In the absence of actual evidence, the don't buy recommendations look more like protectionism. Besides, other than maybe some Samsung models, aren't all phones made in China?
It looks as though Google understands the needs of enterprise edge devices even less than Microsoft did with Windows Phone 10. Why would an enterprise device want to have anything at all to do with Google's app store, or anything else run by Google, for that matter? Even if it tried to access a Google server, the request would simply fail as the devices would typically be running on their own VPN with no outside access. And as for frequent updates, that's the last thing you want in an enterprise situation, especially ones being pushed without any oversight or control.
AC because of previously working for a company that makes REAL enterprise Android devices and has frequent run-ins with Google and their Android T&Cs.
I like the idea of Chinese manufacturers. This is likely to mean that if some US 3 letter agency wants to spy on the user, they will get the correct level of cooperation from the manufacturer, i.e. none.
Perhaps Huawei is not a good idea for the MOD and the like. Most people have more to worry about being spied upon by US, big business owned, spooks. The CIA, NSA, HSA are government sponsored criminals. Their function is not even to protect the US populace. It is to protect the wealth of a very small group - mostly middle aged and over, white, males with a high degree of sociopathy.
Maybe Google shouldn't have bought them and effectively shut them down. Then maybe they'd still be an American company (probably making their phones in China like everyone else).
Regarding the US government's suggestions, Google doesn't only do business in the US afterall. I imagine if Google wants to do business in China, they need a chinese partner like Huawei.
"Motorola, Huawei, BlackBerry and Nokia" aren't the best bunch of Android makers.
Huawei I think is banned [or will be] in the US soon.
Motorola doesn't have the clout it use to have.
Nokia is owned by Microsoft and they may just kill the phones.
BlackBerry is small potatoes.
Oh and Blackberry is still a Canadian company headquartered in Canada.
If you use the same reasoning then apple is a Chinese company.
"Oh and Blackberry is still a Canadian company headquartered in Canada."
BlackBerry Limited, formerly RIM, exited the handset market in 2016. BlackBerry Mobile which is TCL now makes BlackBerry branded handsets. The KeyOne & Motion are the first BlackBerry Mobile devices. TCL as you'd know is Chinese.
"Nokia is owned by Microsoft and they may just kill the phones."
Nokia Android devices are made by Foxconn for the Finish HMD which bought the Nokia feature phone division from Microsoft Mobile in 2016.
And Google sold Motorola Mobility to Lenovo in 2014.
I'm guessing that the US is saying it's worrisome because it's mainly a Chinese founded company and phone. The problem is though, if China really wanted to breach security in the US they wouldn't have to use a Chinese founded company. China makes all the phones you see whether it's an iPhone, Samsung, One plus, or even Nokia. So if China wanted to get some data they can just put it in the software or in the phones motherboards or whatnot in every phone they make. No one would notice and not only would it be able to go past most security in the US, but pretty much every other country that has access to these phone companies. I don't see what the US is worried about, again, if China wanted to, the US would be fucked inside out without lifting a finger.