updated 02:00 pm EST, Fri February 3, 2012
US near federal Android use
A handful of new tips have hinted that the US government's custom Android work is going beyond just military use. After soldiers, federal agencies and contractors would get the devices, CNN heard. The platform would be locked down enough only to store the documents at first, but it could be cleared send them over the cellular network in a matter of a "few months" if the sources were right.
The phones themselves would be off-the-shelf devices, but government contractor and George Mason University IT security director Angelos Stavrou said that the federal implementation wouldn't be victim to the months-long delays and denied updates that define Android for most users. Government phones would have a portable firmware that would allow for updates within two weeks of an Android update and could port it to new phones, although presumably only on devices with unlocked bootloaders like the Galaxy Nexus.
Apps would be tested separately in labs before reaching devices to prevent them from giving out more data than they need or should. Personal apps would still be an option, but they would have to be vetted.
Apple has been under consideration, but reportedly blew its chance, Stavrou said. Apple wasn't willing to give out the source code for iOS to let the government modify the platform, preventing the changes the military and federal staff would want.
Other organizations are believed to be looking at the custom Android build. The NSA has quietly launched its own version, SE Android, as of early January. Private companies are said to be interested as well, although they may run headlong into a preference for iOS at work.
The lack of cooperation from Apple wasn't unexpected. The company has never divulged source code for iOS and has regularly been willing to forgo special access to governments and corporations to preserve what it sees as a valuable advantage.
Read more: http://www.electronista.com/articles/12/02/03/us.near.federal.android.use/#ixzz1lLue4OVm
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