HP iPaq Trio Tackles Security

Recognizing that no one device satisfies all needs, Hewlett-Packard Co. is readying three new iPaq handheld devices that offer enterprises varying degrees of security, wireless capabilities, memory, battery life and cost.

With mobile security in mind, the high-end iPaq hx2750 includes a built-in biometric fingerprint reader that allows users to access data on the device through the reader or through a combination of the reader, password and PIN.

All three handhelds—the iPaq hx2410 and hx2110 as well as the hx2750—feature HP ProtectTools security software, which allows users to encrypt e-mail, attachments, contacts, calendars, notes, documents in the My Documents folder, and other files. The data is protected whether stored on the device or on an external storage card.

The ProtectTools software, built on technology from Credant Technologies Inc., also allows lost or stolen devices to be reset after a predetermined number of access attempts.

“The biometric option built-in makes it a whole lot [easier] to deploy when you dont have to have a separate plug-in feature,” said Steve Schwartz, vice president of business development for Allscripts Healthcare Solutions Corp., in Libertyville, Ill., which provides clinical software and solutions for physicians.

“Security of health care information is very important, and there are industrywide regulations and guidelines on security,” said Schwartz. “You can never have enough. In the future, there may even be some kind of requirement for biometric authentication.”

/zimages/2/28571.gifClick hereto read about a recently released iPaq handheld that supports Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GSM/GPRS.

On the wireless front, all three models include built-in Bluetooth support; and the hx2750 and hx2410 models support Wi-Fi as well.

The devices also have varying levels of memory: The hx2750 has 128MB of both SDRAM (synchronous dynamic RAM) and ROM, while the hx2410 and hx2110 have 64MB of SDRAM and ROM.

The handhelds all run on Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition. The iPaqs will be available in the United States by years end, said HP officials, in Palo Alto, Calif. Pricing is not yet available.

/zimages/2/28571.gifCheck out eWEEK.coms for the latest news, reviews and analysis on mobile and wireless computing.