BlackBerry’s CEO has taken a swipe at Android’s security

BlackBerry CEO John Chen took a swipe at Google this week, suggesting the Android-maker’s new security push is too little, too late. In today’s world of BYOD, Chen says businesses need to prioritize security from the start, not add it after the fact. Android For Work will be built into Android Release L, and will also be available separately for earlier versions of Android going back to Ice Cream Sandwich. Google is relying a bit on the hard work done by Samsung to entice businesses by adopting portions of Samsung’s Knox security platform. With Android For Work, businesses can separate work data from personal data through containerization. The segregated data can be managed from the IT admin console and locked, wiped, or restored as needed without touching the owner’s personal information. Android For Work also allows for the bulk installation of apps to an entire fleet of devices. According to Google, companies won’t have to modify their apps to function within the Android For Work environment. It’s a big step forward for Android, one that should make it more attractive to businesses. In a blog post, BlackBerry’s Chen contends Google’s efforts are a good first step, but are only the start.