Android tablets ignore the enterprise to their peril

Pundits have predicted the growing adoption of tablets as a top 10 trend for 2011. According to Mashable, a new Forrester report estimates that 44 million tablets will be sold in 2015, surpassing even laptop sales by nearly 5 million and desktop PC sales of more than 25 million. Android-based tablets are expected to capture a significant share of the overall tablet market, and they’re making a splash at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES).

If Twitter buzz is any indication, two Android tablets — the Motorola Xoom and the T-Mobile G-Slate — will be strong competitors to the iPad, at least for consumer use. For business use, it looks like it’ll be another story.

Tablets in and around the enterprise

As consumers adopt tablets, they will undoubtedly want to use their personal tablets to access enterprise systems from outside of the office. In fact, Forrester Research credits that individual behavior for helping the iPad make its way into businesses. Sales teams and employees that already have remote access to enterprise systems will seek to drag their personal tablets onto enterprise IT networks from outside the office.

Like me, buyers seeking to use personal tablets for occasional work purposes aren’t ready to ditch their work PC or laptop. Rather, I’d like to augment my work machine with my personal tablet so that I can access email, calendar, and enterprise Web applications when I’m not at work and can’t be bothered turning on my laptop. I’d also like the option of carrying a tablet when traveling rather than my ThinkPad or MacBook Pro. It’s important to note that while my tablet will be a personal device, the ability to use it for work purposes when needed will factor into my purchase decision.

IT will resist user requests for accessing enterprise systems from personal tablets, citing enterprise security, administration, and management requirements. Device vendors will work to address these enterprise needs, while balancing against the backlog of consumer-focused demands. When they do, IT will, at times grudgingly, accept personal tablets onto the network.

The iPhone and iPad’s growth in the enterprise followed this trend. Android tablet adoption in the enterprise is likely to tread the same path.

The iPad’s enterprise lead over Android

Despite this obvious path into business, it’s interesting to note how little attention is being paid to enterprise features by Google or Android device makers. This fact is especially striking considering how far ahead the iPad already is with its enterprise readiness.

If you watch the Android 3.0 “Honeycomb” preview video or the Motorola Xoom launch video or if you read the T-Mobile G-Slate press release, you’ll scarcely find a mention of enterprise features. Likewise, you have to scour the Galaxy Tab website or support site to determine its appropriateness for access enterprise systems. You have to click on Other Features, then Working Remotely to learn about the Galaxy Tab’s Wi-Fi and 3G connection options. That’s great.

So what about using a Galaxy Tab to connect to your office Cisco VPN? Or information for administrators? If relevant information exists on the Galaxy Tab marketing or support site, it’s not easily found.

Galaxy Tab users attempting unsuccessfully to connect to a Cisco VPN have tried running an OpenVPN client that requires the user to root their Galaxy Tab. Just imagine IT telling users to root their Android tablet so that they can connect to the enterprise network — fat chance indeed. (The Motorola Xoom website provides no mention of enterprise readiness.)

In another example, enterprises that want to use their own root CA (certificate authority) chain or import an untrusted public root CA not in the Android OS firmware cannot do so. This omission of this security-related feature remains an identified Android issue with a medium priority on the issues list. (InfoWorld.com has also discovered the the Galaxy Tab, like some other Android devices, lies about compliance with Exchange ActiveSync security policies. Android device makers risk IT ire by allowing such issues to occur.)

Now, head to the iPad Support site. Right away you’ll notice that Enterprise is a support topic listed on the left-hand navigation menu. From here, consumers and IT workers can learn about topics such as ActiveSync configuration, enterprise networking, deployment, and security.

Android tablets ignore the enterprise at their peril

InfoWorld colleague Ted Samson recently wrote about Apple formally declaring its enterprise intentions:

But now Apple has apparently come out of the enterprise closet: The company today pushed out a promotional email, entitled “Mac in the Enterprise,” that is chockfull of information for large businesses on how to integrate Macs, iPhones, and iPads into their IT ecosystems.

The simple and effective manner in which Apple is communicating the iPad’s business-readiness, if even for occasional usage, deserves not just kudos: It begs for imitation from Android device makers.

Follow me on Twitter at SavioRodrigues. I should state: “The postings on this site are my own and don’t necessarily represent IBM’s positions, strategies, or opinions.”

This article, “Android tablets ignore the enterprise to their peril,” was originally published at InfoWorld.com. Read more of Savio Rodrigues’ Open Sources blog and follow the latest developments in open source at InfoWorld.com.