WinMob 6.5>Android 2.2 as business phones?

[sansibarius]

So far we have been in business (SME) devices running Windows Mobile 6.0/6.1/6.5 used, lastly HTC HD2.

Now we want to go for something new and have envisaged the HTC Desire HD.
With WM we know by now all details and have all business-specific apps.
When changing to android, what changes / adjustments / limitations come with the new hardware / software?

Are there any apps for Android 2.2 for:
- Exchange sync (inhouse Exchange 2003) for mail, contacts, calendar, notes and tasks?
- VPN (IPSec or OpenVPN)
- Synchronization with external mail accounts (POP, IMAP)
- Blocking of all data connection as abroad because of the high roaming fees
- Remote access to remote systems (RDP)
- RSS Aggregator
- Office software like Pocket-Word/Excel/Powerpoint (data on the device offline, not online in the network)
- Navigation
- Other 'fun programs' such as stopwatch, Translator, Youtube, Games, Facebook, public transport timetables, etc are certainly plenty available.

How about this:
- Device management / security / connection to our LAN-infrastruction (MS Server 2003 / 2008)?
- OS updates?
- App updates?
- System tools for complete backup / restore?
- Is an image reproduction on other devices possible (as in with PC's)? Does it work only on the exact same hardware or what variations/modifications are possible?

Can Android 2.2 be rooted, resp. is the root open?
Can apps now be installed on the memory card?
Are there some Google-'espionage'-apps 'Spionage', which synchronise regularly with Google and cannot be switched off?
Basically, have all devices with Android 2.2, the same options / features or are there device-specific differences?
How can I be sure that an app on my device really work?
What is the best Android app site?

Where is the best Android support site for detailed Help / FAQ / Todo / implementation / comparison to all these questions and Android in general? Android for Dummies .... ?

Thank you for your help.
Greetings
Sansibar

 

[karnka]

A lot of questions there.... To be honest a cursory investigation of what Android is and what it can do would answer a lot of them. I'm not aware of the best android for dummys type guides but you could start here:
Let me google that for you

I will chip in with a few answers for you:

Exchange: Android 2.2 has proper exchange acti-sync support. It certainly handles push mail, contacts (GAL) and calendars. There is remote wiping via exchange but this only works for the exchange data, not the rest of the phone. HTCSense.com however does allow you to wipe the DHD remotely. POP/IMAP work fine as well.

Roaming: I'm not sure about blocking from an admin point of view but there is a setting that defaults to not allowing data roaming.

Office Docs: There is no 'Pocket office' suite. I personally think MS would make a fortune doing office for Android/iOS but they haven't. There are a few third part suites that are _ok_.

Apps generally: There are a lot, in the official android market place. Many are free.

 

[dvhttn]

I think Karnka summed it up. You need to look at Google plus the application portions of this forum. Also go take a look at xda-developers ... there are more Android forums as well. Some of your queries could well be device specific but most don't seem to be.

I will comment on the roaming charges though. If you have employees with company phones and the company does not want to pay the roaming charges then the employee must be made to re-pay any roaming charges when abroad. That's a contractual issue rather than a technical issue surely?

Dave

 

[karnka]

I think the issue here will be that WM 6 was very 'policy' driven. You could apply a lot of device policies that restricted damn near everything if you wanted to. Blackberries and BES work pretty much the same way.

Now you shouldn't _have_ to make use of these restrictions but a lot of corporates are so used to enforcing things these ways that they're horrified at the prospect of policing things other ways.