blog Those of you with long memories will recall that the Department of Defence’s Defence Signals Directorate division, which is tasked with certifying technology for use in the Australian Government, has long had an aversion to Android. Windows- and BlackBerry-based mobile devices have long found favour with the DSD, and in April 2012 the agency even added (shock!) Apple’s iOS operating system, but for years Android has sat on the outer, leaving those public servants and politicians interested in the Android operating system out in the cold. Well, late yesterday news arrived that Samsung, at least, may be on the verge of getting access to the inner circle. iTWire reports (we recommend you click here for the full article):
“Three Samsung mobile devices have been accepted by Australia’s secretive Defence Signals Directorate (DSD) into a formal evaluation program … The devices are the Galaxy S III, Samsung Galaxy Note II and Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 (software version 4.1.1).”
We can’t emphasise enough how good a move this is. Delimiter has reviewed almost every smartphone of any note to have launched in Australia over the past several years, and the clear victors out of that scenario have been Samsung and Apple, with perhaps a smattering of HTC and Nokia Lumia. BlackBerry’s devices are far behind. If the Australian Government wants to keep up with modern life and executive purchasing patterns, it really needs to get on board with Android. It’s just that simple. We’d like to see DSD add HTC to its list next, and perhaps do a closer examination of the stock Android operating platform.
Image credit: Samsung
The issue with Androids (especially in Oz) is how long it takes for patches to officially be released by telcos. That’s if they even bother to release them
(It goes Google -> Device Manufacturers -> Telcos -> Consumer)
I would suggest that the Google versions of the phones with OTA updates (like Apple devices) would be the most secure.
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