Google’s Android platform is more Enterprise-ready than at any point since its inception thanks to Android Enterprise, according to a new Strategy Analytics report: “Google’s Android B2B Evolution”.
The report examines how Google has optimized Android for business and how it is evolving its Pixel line to differentiate itself in a crowded smartphone market.
The B2B market has emerged as the new frontier, with the rapid growth in mobile working further catalyzed by 5G and the COVID-19 pandemic. The growth in BYOD (Bring-Your-Own-Device) and Corporate Liable (CL) devices issued by companies means that managing sensitive data has become an even more pressing concern. Strategy Analytics notes that Android now accounts for 64% of global B2B smartphone shipments, up from 45% back in 2011.
According to Andrew Brown, Executive Director of Enterprise Research at Strategy Analytics, and author of the report, “As an open-source platform, Android gained a substantial share of the mobile OS market, but this also created problems in terms of fragmentation, security and therefore using Android in businesses. While some OEMs developed their own security solutions, the introduction of Android Enterprise helps to create a standardized framework, ensuring that even if a company’s Android devices are supplied by different OEMs, they can offer similar levels of security and manageability in conjunction with UEM (Unified Endpoint Management) tools.”
Gina Luk, Associate Director, Enterprise Research at Strategy Analytics, added, “Google’s entry into smartphone application processors could further AI innovation and push forward its development of 5G devices. We expect to see Google continue to make Android more secure, especially with the growth in CL devices post-COVID, meaning IT departments will have fewer concerns in using Android devices in their environments. Google clearly intends to put the Pixel experience at the forefront of consideration for use in B2B environments.”
