Motorola Targets The Enterprise With Droid Pro

Motorola and Verizon Wireless announced pricing and availability of the Droid Pro, which can roam U.S. and European 3G networks. It costs $179.99 and will be in stores November 18.

Eric Zeman, Contributor

November 8, 2010

2 Min Read
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Motorola Mobility CEO Sanjay Jha made it quite clear what user segment the company is targeting with its latest Android device. "Motorola is ready for business," he said during a press conference.

The Motorola Droid Pro resembles a BlackBerry in that it is a candybar-style device with a 3.1-inch touch screen and full QWERTY keyboard. The keyboard feels remarkably good, and closely matches what many users like about RIM's BlackBerry keyboards.

One of the key features of the Droid Pro is that it is a global device. Verizon Wireless has not offered a global Android device before the Droid Pro. This means it will work on Verizon's 3G network in the U.S., and can roam onto the 2.5G and 3G networks in 200 countries around the world. That's a must-have feature for traveling professionals.

It will also have Verizon Wireless' Mobile HotSpot application, allowing up to five other devices to access the Internet through its data radio.

The Droid Pro runs Android 2.2, with support for Adobe Flash Player Mobile 10.1, and Jha was sure to mention all the IT policy support it includes. That means Exchange email, remote lock/wipe, and VPN integration.

“The Droid Pro is an advanced business-ready solution that provides users with the full smartphone experience, redefined by delivering the power of a Droid,” said Sanjay Jha, chief executive officer of Motorola Mobility. “The Droid Pro consolidates users’ work and personal needs. This is just another reason the Droid Pro is setting a new standard for enterprise, allowing users to enjoy all the benefits of a smartphone with full push delivery of corporate e-mail and corporate level security.

The Droid Pro has a 5 megapixel camera with flash and autofocus, it has Wi-Fi with DNLA support, and has the ability to view and edit Microsoft Office documents.

In the few moments that I spent playing with it, I came away impressed. It is larger than most other handsets in Verizon's line-up, but with the added keyboard and added international 3G radio support, it's well worth the sacrifice.

Verizon Wireless did not say how much the Droid Pro will cost. It goes on sale later this year.

About the Author

Eric Zeman

Contributor

Eric is a freelance writer for InformationWeek specializing in mobile technologies.

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