Good Technology Secures Android for Department of Defense

Good Technology has developed a “Secure Android” solution that’s approved for use within U.S. Department of Defense Agencies. For managed services providers focused on the government vertical — and other verticals that need secure mobile device management — this development is worth watching. Here’s why.

Good Technology’s Secure Android solution is certified by the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA). The DISA is the branch of the Department of Defense that manages the Global Information Grid (GIG). The GIG, in turn, is a communications project that the DoD uses to collect, process, store, disseminate and manage information about war fighters, policy makers and other support personnel.

Going forward, U.S. DoD personnel can use Good Technology’s Secure Android platform to:

• Sign official documents on mobile devices
• Encrypt and decrypt email
• Access business apps on their Android devices
• Securely access intranet-based content from anywhere, at anytime

New Partner Program

Good Technology has used the DISA certification as a springboard to launch its new Secure Android Partner Program, which represents a major push into secure mobile device management. The first partner program member is Dell, which will deploy the Secure Android platform on the Dell Streak 5 tablet. Good Technology also offers the Good Dynamics Partner Program, which gives independent software vendors (ISVs) and systems integrators (SIs) a platform to build secure mobile applications.

Good for Government

Secure Android is the newest addition to the MDM provider’s Good for Government line of security for mobile devices. Good for Government is designed to give government agencies the highest level of encryption, visibility  and web management to mobile device deployments. Good for Government is a mobile email and personal information management solution for Microsoft Exchange that can be used on iPhones and Android smartphones. The Good for Government suite includes the company’s Good Mobile Control, Good Mobile Messaging and Good Mobile Access solutions.

MDM in the Government Vertical

Good Technology may have done more than reach a company-first certification goal. The move will surely catch the eyes of other enterprise level MDM providers looking to expand the reach of their software. Don’t be surprised if one or several of those companies releases its own secure MDM platform for the government vertical.

Meanwhile, we’ll be watching to see if smaller MSPs serving government agencies, financial institutions and health care providers also try to leverage Good Technology’s Secure Android platform in those verticals.