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Comment by dantheman | Hacker News Reader

VPN client API

Developers can now build or extend their own VPN solutions on the platform using a new VPN API and underlying secure credential storage. With user permission, applications can configure addresses and routing rules, process outgoing and incoming packets, and establish secure tunnels to a remote server. Enterprises can also take advantage of a standard VPN client built into the platform that provides access to L2TP and IPSec protocols. http://developer.android.com/sdk/android-4.0-highlights.html

Does that mean we'll get a Cisco VPN client? That will be a killer app.

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Probably, but will enterprises ever allow devices that don't have remote-wipe? (You can pretend to have remote wipe with Android, but backup software is very easy to write and have run every night, and good luck remotely wiping my S3 space. There is even software that will copy your entire flash image to S3 or Dropbox at timed intervals. Not compatible with "we don't trust our employees".)

Remote wipe is starting to appear on Android devices. Check the Samsung Stratosphere that was released this week. It also has Cisco's SSL VPN client on it.

http://www.talkandroid.com/65998-verizon-wireless-officially...

That funny word "enterprise" to me means that in fact the employee is not trusted so here's the device that's been chosen for you and your app market has been provided by the IT staff. If you need assistance, contact the help desk but be forewarned they they are fully engaged supporting Windows 95 and NT because the budgeteers have decided IS is a scary cost center.

Remote wipe has been available for ages - there are at least five apps from well-established companies that offer it. The latest was Norton iirc. Samsung phones come with it by default, you just have to enable it (samsungdive.com)

Google already provides remote wipe and other domain management with the Google Apps Device Policy app. Domain owners can require users that want to link an account to their phone to accept the device policy, which can include remote wipe permission, remote lock, etc.

Source: https://market.android.com/details?id=com.google.android.app...

Yeah, but Android is not locked down enough to implement real remote wipe.

I really do not care about enterprises. I want to reach my servers securely via OpenVPN.

It looks like Cisco already has a few VPN clients for Android, although it looks like they are either device specific or require root.

https://market.android.com/developer?pub=Cisco+Systems,+Inc.

This actually sounds like something Cisco would integrate into the Cius and any other Android devices they make. Though the Cius is built on 2.3 and a lot of effort would probably need to go into migrating to 4.0 (even to get to 3).

Killer app?

iOS has had Cisco VPN support since 2.0.

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