Secure mobile content service provider Averail announced the market availability of Access, a mobile content security platform designed to offer mobile access to business content for the enterprise by leveraging existing infrastructure.
Access combines a Web-based management portal for administrators to control content on mobile devices with an application deployed on these devices that enables employees to browse, manage, share and search for files located in enterprise content repositories behind a firewall or in the cloud.
The platform offers a level of content controls, providing granular policies and protection by safeguarding mobile content on the mobile device with 256-bit Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) security managed by the enterprise. Access does not copy or sync content, which the company says eliminates the need to deploy new or redundant storage for mobile employees. The Access mobile application for the Apple iPad lets employees browse, manage and edit business documents, such as documents stored in Microsoft SharePoint, Office 365 or Dropbox.
“We’re all aware of the dangers of BYOD [bring your own device] and the possible breach of security that’s potentially rampant as a result,” Ben Hoffman, an IDC analyst, said in a statement. “Enterprise IT is playing catch-up. Lots of companies have jumped on the bandwagon to offer up their solutions and services.”
Still, up until now, many companies have tackled extensive IT admin control over the device itself, but few companies have succeeded at addressing the problem around comprehensive content management, Hoffman said. He called Averail “a strong entrant into this space.”
The cloud-based platform does not store content in the cloud, but instead connects to the places where business documents are already stored, providing direct access through authentication. The platform was also designed for those with strict corporate governance or regulatory requirements over information, such as financial, health care or insurance professionals, a company release noted.
“Today’s workforce has gone mobile, but business content has not. To stay productive, employees are finding workarounds that can compromise corporate security,” Averail CEO Marc Olesen said in a statement. “IT not only has the challenge of securing and managing the devices employees are bringing into the enterprise, they also must securely mobilize business content. Averail Access helps IT rein in content chaos, keeping sensitive enterprise content secure while delivering mobile productivity for employees.”
Ninety percent of U.S. employees used their personal smartphones for work within the past year, yet only 46 percent believe their employers are prepared for any issues that could arise from BYOD, according to a March study in which a network of Cisco partners polled 1,000 consumers.
The survey indicated security issues go deeper than password protection and WiFi access. A large number of BYOD users don’t even consider that their phones’ Bluetooth discoverable modes may still be on, and 48 percent of work smartphone users haven’t disabled the feature on their devices.