Securing corporate data on mobile devices just got a bit easier for Google Apps admins.

Thomas Claburn, Editor at Large, Enterprise Mobility

July 13, 2010

2 Min Read




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Administrators for Google Apps Premier and Education editions on Tuesday were granted new powers over their companies' mobile devices.

Building upon enterprise support capabilities introduced last year and in February for BlackBerry, iPhone, Nokia, and Windows Mobile devices, Google has added six new mobile device management options to help IT administrators secure corporate data.

The added capabilities include: requiring devices to use data encryption; auto-wiping devices after a set number of failed password entry attempts; disabling the device's camera; ensuring that old passwords are not reused; requiring password changes after a set period of time; and disabling data synchronization when roaming to reduce data charges.

These settings can be accessed through the Mobile tab, under the Service Settings menu in the Google Apps control panel.

In February, Google added the following options for mobile devices: the ability to remotely wipe data; the ability to lock idle devices after a set period of inactivity; the ability to require a password; minimum length requirements for passwords; and the ability to set other password requirements, like the inclusion of specific letters, numbers, and punctuation.

In the ">blog post announcing the new options, Google software engineer Dale Woodford said that the company continues to work to enhance its device management options and to expand its list of supported devices.

The most significant addition to that list will be Android devices, which will be supported later this year, Woodford said.

About the Author(s)

Thomas Claburn

Editor at Large, Enterprise Mobility

Thomas Claburn has been writing about business and technology since 1996, for publications such as New Architect, PC Computing, InformationWeek, Salon, Wired, and Ziff Davis Smart Business. Before that, he worked in film and television, having earned a not particularly useful master's degree in film production. He wrote the original treatment for 3DO's Killing Time, a short story that appeared in On Spec, and the screenplay for an independent film called The Hanged Man, which he would later direct. He's the author of a science fiction novel, Reflecting Fires, and a sadly neglected blog, Lot 49. His iPhone game, Blocfall, is available through the iTunes App Store. His wife is a talented jazz singer; he does not sing, which is for the best.

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