Ian Kilpatrick, chairman Wick Hill Group, commented: “The release of this new solution is very timely for the channel. Smartphone use has been proliferating and will continue to do so. However, not much thought has been given by companies to the important security implications of this unstoppable trend. Now resellers have a solution which allows companies to support the secure use of smartphones. The massive growth in smartphone use, and in particular Android, makes this a massive opportunity for resellers.”
The steep rise in consumerisation of IT over the past year means that both business-owned and consumer devices are now being used to access corporate data, and companies have a hard task on their hands to securely manage the proliferation of devices. Endpoint 8 for Smartphone gives resellers the key solution to help them tackle this problem, letting them benefit from being able to provide a true differentiator that is a prime example of product catching up with message.
“The UK smartphone market grew by over 100 per cent in 2010 and more of these smart phones are now being taken into businesses. This creates a significant threat to businesses that have adopted a personal-liable device approach to smartphone use, without a formal policy to add security software to them and then allow employees access to the WLAN, e-mail and corporate data,” said Canalys’ principal analyst, Pete Cunningham.
The launch of this new corporate solution will allow Kaspersky Lab to expand its channel portfolio in line with the company’s strategic development plans to provide a full range of products to resellers.
Robert Caven, managing director of RMS comments, “With increasing numbers of corporate organisations achieving impressive productivity gains through the adoption of mobile devices accessing the corporate network, the launch of Kaspersky Endpoint 8 for Smartphone is perfectly timed. The advantages provided by this intiative can also present significant management challenges however, from loss of devices through to increasing malware targeting every mobile platform. Kaspersky's solution provides a tailor made answer to meeting this challenge and helping our clients to deliver increased efficiency through secure use of both corporate and non-corporate devices.”
Kaspersky Endpoint 8 for Smartphone has been developed to provide businesses with a powerful and reliable solution to protect corporate mobile workers when devices are lost or stolen. The software provides various anti-theft functions allowing businesses to locate the device using GPS find, remotely block and wipe data, and encrypt data. The solution also allows users to protect their devices from malicious programs, SMS spam and internet attacks.
This new software from Kaspersky Lab is flexible and easy to employ and provides businesses with full control over its mobile workforce, managing all platforms from one console, the Kaspersky Administration Kit. It also allows privacy protection for devices that are used in both a corporate and personal capacity, and has all the features of a traditional anti-virus program.
Andrew Lintell, director of corporate sales of Kaspersky Lab notes, “A key concern is the physical loss of these devices. A survey was conducted for Kaspersky Lab of 1,600 smartphone users, and the results found that 20 per cent of all respondents have reported a smartphone lost or stolen. This is of distinct concern considering that 90 per cent of smartphone users surveyed store both personal and corporate data on their devices.
“It is also worth considering that although mobile malware is still in its infancy, the cost of ignoring mobile antivirus can be disastrous for businesses. Therefore it is vital that IT departments have full control and visibility over mobile devices to maintain a high level of protection for their endpoint frontline. This product also opens up a fantastic opportunity for channel partners who can now develop further relationships with current customers, and generate new revenue streams in the corporate market.”