Mobile security and management capabilities compared
Key: EAS = via Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync; BES = via BlackBerry Enterprise Server 5.x; 3PS = via third-party server; NA=information not available
Capability | Apple iOS 3.x, 4.x | Google Android 2.x | Hewlett-Packard WebOS 1.x, 2.0 | Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.x | Microsoft Windows Phone 7 | Nokia Symbian 2.x, 3.x [1] | RIM BlackBerry 5.x, 6.x |
On-device encryption | Yes | No | No | Yes | No | Yes [2] | Yes |
Over-the-air data encryption | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Complex passwords | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
Enforce password policies | Yes [3] | EAS [4] (AOS 2.2 only) | EAS | EAS, 3PS | EAS | EAS, 3PS | BES |
Support VPNs | Yes | Yes | Yes (WebOS 2.0 only) | No | No | Yes | Yes |
Disable camera | Yes [3] | No | No | EAS, 3PS | No | No | BES |
Restrict/block app stores | Yes [3] | No | No | EAS, 3PS | No | No | BES |
Restrict/block wireless LANs | Yes [3] | No | No | EAS, 3PS | No | No | BES |
Remote lockout | Yes [3] | EAS (AOS 2.2 only), 3PS (AOS 2.2 only) | EAS | EAS, 3PS | EAS | No | BES |
Remote wipe | Yes [3] | EAS (AOS 2.2 only), 3PS (AOS 2.2 only) | EAS | EAS, 3PS | EAS | EAS, 3PS | BES |
Selective wipe of business apps and data only | 3PS (iOS4 only) | No | No | No | No | No | BES (BB OS6 only) |
Enforce and manage policies | EAS, 3PS (iOS4 only) | EAS (AOS 2.2 only) | EAS | EAS, 3PS | EAS | EAS, 3PS | BES |
EAS policies supported | 14 | 9 (AOS 2.2 only) [5] | 5 | 29 [6] | 7 | NA | none [7] |
Manage over the air | EAS, 3PS (iOS4 only) | EAS (AOS2.2 only), 3PS | EAS | EAS, 3PS | EAS | EAS, 3PS | BES |
Second-factor authentication (RSA SecurID) | No | No | No | Yes [8] | No | No | Yes [8] |
Notes: [1] Some Nokia E-series and N-series devices only; [2] storage cards not encrypted; [3 ] via choice of Apple iPhone Configuration Utility (no over-the-air confirmation or auditing), EAS, and 3PS; [4] require PIN only; [5] some third-party email client applications support additional EAS policies within those applications only; [6] Exchange Server Enterprise license required for support of all 29 EAS policies, lower-tier licenses support 15 EAS policies; [7] BES supports more than 400 policies of its own; [8] some device models only.
This article, "Mobile management: How iPhone, Android, Windows Phone 7, and the rest stack up," was originally published at InfoWorld.com. Read more of Gruman et al.'s Mobile Edge blog and follow the latest developments in mobile technology at InfoWorld.com.