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iAnywhere Solutions Inc. is extending its line of device security management software to include support for Microsoft Corp.s Windows Mobile-based Smartphones.
Xcellenet Afaria Security Manager for Windows Mobile-based Smartphones gives Afaria the distinction of managing smart phones, PDAs, laptop computers and Tablet PCs from a single console, said iAnywhere officials in Dublin, Calif.
iAnywhere is a subsidiary of Sybase Inc., which bought Xcellenet in April.
The software lets customers remotely define, deploy and enforce security policies for each client.
Features include the ability to control user authentication through power-on passwords, data encryption and any removable storage cards for the device, as well as device and data lockdown in the event of loss or theft.
The administrator can control policies based on groups of users or groups of devices. For example, some devices may be locked if the user fails to input the right password three times in a row, whereas other devices may be wiped of their data entirely, officials said.
The software supports several encryption algorithms including Blowfish, AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) and triple DES (Data Encryption Standard).
While Windows Mobile-based Smartphones are not the most prevalent devices on the market, officials said they are seeing interest from users who need voice and enterprise data support on a single device.
“Inherently, companies are interested in these because theyre converged devices,” said Shari Freeman, manager of software engineering at iAnywhere. “The early-adopter customers weve talked to are looking at deploying them to their field and sales forces.”
Afaria already supports the Palm OS and voice-enabled Research In Motion Ltd. BlackBerry pagers, as well as Windows-based laptops.
“Where Afaria comes in is in the flexibility,” said Kirk Wolfe, president of Enterprise Mobility LLC, a systems integrator in Florence, Ky. “You can use any of the modern devices and still use the same remote management tools.”
iAnywhere sells Afaria primarily to enterprises; the smart-phone software is available immediately for $29 per client. However, with phone support comes the need to work with carriers as well because some carriers have ways of locking devices that do not jibe with enterprise software.
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