While the first Google phone, T-Mobile’s G1, is decidedly consumer-focused, Google is also focused on penetrating the mobile enterprise marketplace
Google has developed new installation packages that let corporate IT administrators deploy Maps for Mobile by placing the application’s binaries on an internal server or by pushing it out via their internal BES.
As Ryan Pollock says in the blog announcing the release, by porting the app specifically to BES, Google hopes it will get whitelisted in more shops:
“Perhaps you use a BlackBerry issued by your company. If you do, hopefully you search the web with Google and get directions using Google Maps. Your BlackBerry is likely administered by IT managers who whitelist what software you can install on the device. In many cases, IT managers haven’t whitelisted Google Maps for mobile or other Google Mobile applications.”
But maybe now they will. It’s a smart move. Many companies have already standardized on the Blackberry as their mobile device of choice, and they’ve made a significant investment, especially if they have a BES in place. They’re not going to change whenever something new–like the iPhone or G1–comes along. And for Google, it’s all about the apps anyway, not the device. As long as users are on the mobile Internet, and clicking on search ads, it makes money.
