Silent Circle Joins Google’s Android for Work Program

The idea of the Android for Work programme is to add security and management to Android devices. Blackphone 2 will feature Silent Circle’s Android based Silent OS, and will come with Google Play and Google Mobile Services.

Google today revealed that a number of new companies that have agreed to back Android for Work, most notably the four major US carriers AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon.

Silent Circle, a small handset maker that builds devices aimed at maximizing privacy, has signed on with Google’s new business-focused Android tool.

Google’s Android for Work initiative has gained another significant partner, as security specialist Silent Circle announces its support. It boasts 3GB of RAM and a battery measured in at 3060mAh. David Puron, SVP of engineering and devices at Silent Circle, said: “with support for Android for Work, companies can strike their own balance of control over data and connectivity with established productivity services that are used throughout enterprise”.

The move is part of a broader strategy by Silent Circle to expand its presence in the enterprise, where it believes its privacy-focused devices can have the greatest impact.

At an event in March unveiling the smartphone, Silent Circle said the Blackphone 2 would be especially useful for companies. Android at Work is designed to allow companies to securely manage a fleet of Android phones and tablets while offering employees the opportunity to use apps in a secure container.

Officially launched back in February, Android for Work looks to provide businesses with a simple way to manage and secure enterprise devices, offering customisable options that look to appeal to a wide variety of industries. That, of course, leaves us guessing how many of these 10,000 are actually using Android for Work in production (enterprises aren’t exactly known for moving quickly, after all).

“Privacy is about being able to decide and control what information to share and how you share it”, said Silent Circle’s President and CEO Bill Conner in today’s announcement.