Motorola confirms Android security improvement

Motorola confirmed that its decision to buy 3LM was aimed at improving Android's competitiveness with rival smartphone platforms in security. Executives hoped to use 3LM's experience to develop OS-deep security and enterprise tools that Android currently lacks. Motorola's ultimate aim, InfoWorld was told, would be to give antivirus, encryption and remote administration controls that could be managed by third party software.

Many of the developments would be intended to catch up with security implementations that people commonly associate with the BlackBerry but which has also been available on iOS 4 and Windows Mobile. Android already has technology like remote wipe and encryption for incoming or outgoing data, but it only just added on-device encryption in Android 3.0 and misses some of the advanced password and remote management controls of its own.

Motorola has been one of the most actively interested in bringing credibility to Android in the enterprise and signaled its intent this fall when it released the Droid Pro, a fast device patterned after the BlackBerry's fixed QWERTY design and loaded with software for work.

The push could be essential to Android as a whole. Corporate buyers have been gradually allowing non-BlackBerry smartphones and tablets into the workplace, but Android has usually trailed behind iOS in adoption as the lack of consistent security features has meant adding software or forgoing Android altogether.

By Electronista Staff