Issue link: https://epubs.iltanet.org/i/58400
Firm Support Policies: Before purchasing an Android device, check with your organization's IT department to ensure it is supported by the infrastructure and to understand any restrictive policies. In particular, your organization may require third-party software in order to comply with security policies, which include encryption, pin/password and remote wipe. This can substantially affect the native experience of the email client. Thoroughly test an Android device configured with your organization's software and policies before proceeding. Fragmentation: The Android OS is the foundation of the device and — like your Windows desktop — without applications, there isn't much functionality. The hardware manufacturers, carriers and third-party programmers compete with features to distinguish their product from the competition. Hardware manufacturers have branded their customizations with names such as Samsung TouchWiz, HTC Sense and Motorola MOTOBLUR. Even basic features, such as the email client, spelling autocorrect and soft keyboards, vary greatly. If you want to avoid all of the customizations, Google works with a specific manufacturer for each major OS version to produce a "pure" Google phone — the latest is the Samsung Galaxy Nexus. Try devices from each of the three major manufacturers before making a final choice. Encryption: Prior to Android 4.0, full-device encryption was not built in to the base OS. The feature was left to the hardware manufacturers to include. As a result, only Motorola and Samsung have encryption capabilities. Motorola has it in most of their current devices, while Samsung has it in their Galaxy S II and Note phones and Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet (which are fully ILTA White Paper 19