Sebastiaan Smits bezoekt Googleplex

12 augustus 2019

Googleplex  

De laatste dag van de trip hebben wij (Stephan de Gelder en Sebastiaan Smits) een bezoek gebracht aan Googleplex in Mountainview. Sean Ginevan, Head of Global Strategy en Digital Partnership, heeft ons ontvangen en rondgeleid.  

We werden ontvangen in gebouw 41 dit is het hoofdkantoor voor onder andere Android Enterprise.Na een kleine rondleiding door dit gebouw gingen we naar buiten. Het complex is indrukwekkend, het is alsof je door een kleine stad wandelt. We kwamen langs de gebouwen waar Google Maps en Android Auto zijn gevestigd. Rond het complex rijden Waymo auto’s. Hier rondlopende realiseer je je ineens in hoeveel technisch vooruitstrevende gebieden Google (Alphabet Inc.) aanwezig is. Dit is absoluut het hart van deze ontwikkeling. Sean liet ons weten dat er in de Bay Area alleen al 10.000 mensen werken voor Google.  

Googleplex is van alle gemakken voorzien; wasruimtes, fitnessruimtes, barretjes en creativity rooms. Creativity Rooms zijn plekken die Google heeft ingericht voor zijn medewerkers met allerlei hardware onderdelen en tools.  Hier kan een hardware idee direct tot uiting worden gebracht. We liepen langs het podium waar één keer per maand Sundar Pichai op het podium staat om vragen te beantwoorden en discussies te voeren met alle medewerkers van Googleplex. 

1ste foto links: Google Bike
2de foto links: Creativity Room

Android Enterprise en  Security

Tijdens de rondleiding hadden wij de gelegenheid om Sean een aantal vragen te stellen over Android Enterprise, wat in de toekomst te verwachten, de veiligheid van Android Enterprise en hoe Google omgaat met data van bedrijven. Hieronder vindt u de vragen en antwoorden:  

Q: We are getting questions from high security customers about Android Enterprise. If we consider the businesses model from Google related to data - can you state that the way you handle data for businesses is different than for consumers. And what controls do you have in place for this type of customer? 
A:Our stance with regards to GDPR for enterprise deployments can be found here. Google has been clear that our goal is to be compliant with applicable privacy laws, including GDPR. The data that Google Cloud customers - companies, schools, government agencies, etc - put into Google Cloud are theirs. Whether it’s corporate intellectual property, personal information, or a homework assignment, Google does not own that data. We take a similar stance for applications distributed via Managed Google Play - we scan applications for vulnerabilities and security threats, but we do not monetize your applications' data.  There are applications that ship with Android that help enhance the consumer experience - apps like Google Assistant, Maps, YouTube and many more. How we handle data in each app is governed by that app's privacy policy; if your organization owns a corporate device and manages it as a Fully Managed Device, you have the option to disable these applications at your discretion.  

Q: Can you talk a little bit on what to expect in the future for Android Enterprise? 
A: We see tremendous opportunities for Android Enterprise - we've invested significantly in helping bring digital services to frontline workers in verticals like retail, manufacturing and field services who directly interact with customers. Recent work with customers like Chronopost and Walmart are showing the innovative ways that Android is being used to make work better and more efficient for employees. We also continue to invest in core mobility services for office workers; I'm particularly excited about the usability enhancements we've made in Android Q to make calendaring work better in the Work Profile, and the investments we've made in Gmail. Certainly, there's lots more to come - many organizations are not heavily invested in mobility services and we want to make Android an easy platform to adopt and drive innovation upon.  

Q: It is well known with our customers but I still would find it very much interesting to hear the consideration and plan for de deprecation of Device Admin mode can you tell something about the strategy and big picture behind it and also why you force consumers to go with AE instead of keeping them both around? 
A:When it was first released in 2010, the device admin API provided enterprises with a reliable support system for enterprise applications. Since then, the needs of businesses have grown to require more vigorous management and security requirements. In Android 5.0, we created fully managed device (device owner) and work profile (profile owner) modes, which better match the security needs of organizations that manage mobile devices. These toolsets are more feature-rich than device admin, offering features like privacy for BYOD and tools for managing applications that Device Administrator simply doesn't provide. It's because Device Admin isn’t well suited to support today’s enterprise requirements that we recommend customers and partners adopt managed device and work profile modes to manage their devices from now on. 

Q: We see that Google made some good steps for enterprise customers the last couple years. For enterprises Android was often considered insecure and too fragmented but we see that changing. Can you talk about the strategy behind this and your viewpoint on how it is unfolding at this moment? 
A:With more than 2.5 billion active devices worldwide, Android provides great choice and diversity for users and businesses alike. With so many options available, enterprise IT organizations asked us: “Which Android devices are right for my organization?”  Some of the top concerns we’ve heard from customers include the needs for frequent security updates, reliable and consistent software experiences, and simplified device and services selection. To address these needs, we launched the Android Enterprise Recommended program, a Google-led global initiative that raises the bar of excellence for enterprise devices and services. We believe this program helps showcase the ecosystem that meets the elevated criteria demanded by enterprises and we'll continue to invest in it moving forward.  

Q: Security at Google’s Android is getting better with each new version; every year you guys present the security whitepaper and the last couple of years I am amazed about the steps and progress. Also for example in the webbrowser security you are leading the way in security. Can you talk about how this is reflected in Android Enterprise and the security of Android Enterprise? 
A: All of the benefits we bring to Android, from Google Play Protect, which helps prevent malware on Android devices, or Safe Browsing or the built-in Android security key, which helps prevent against phishing attacks, are available to organizations that manage devices using Android Enterprise. We continue to invest in security in Android Q, introducing improved encryption tools, improved biometric authentication tools, and platform hardening techniques strategies for security critical areas such as media, Bluetooth, and the kernel. Our efforts have been recognized - Gartner rated Android highest in 26 out of 30 security categories in a recent report.  We'll continue to invest for the benefit of both enterprise and consumer users alike.  

Q: Zero Touch enrollment. Can you elaborate on what kind of data is being send to the Cloud? 
A: More information about how Zero Touch works can be found in our IT admin's guide here. With regard to GDPR, we cover that information here.

Wilt u meer weten over Andoid Enterprise? Neem gerust contact op via info@dahvo.com of 31(0)20-8201846.