We don't recall seeing this at the insanity that was Mobile World Congress, but evidently on February 27th, Good Technology, who focuses on enterprise and security (and who used to be owned by Motorola) announced a partnership with Nokia to bring their "FIPS-certified 192 bit AES encryption and end-to-end mobile messaging" service to Lumia Windows Phones.
The service is set to roll out in Q2 2012, which means we should see this very soon. The press release goes on to detail the features coming to the Windows Phone app, which by the sounds of it will be only available in the Nokia Collection through the Marketplace:
"Employees will be able to access corporate email, contacts, and calendars through the Good for Enterprise application on their Nokia Windows Phone smartphones—just as they access Microsoft Outlook® or Lotus Notes® on desktop computers at the office—using the intuitive user interface with panorama and pivot views with which they are already be familiar. IT managers will be able to protect corporate data with data encryption and easy-to-apply policies, such as requiring passwords and preventing 'cut/copy/paste' capabilities from the Good for Enterprise app. They will also be able to establish role-based policies using web-based management tools and perform remote wipe of enterprise information only, leaving music, photos, and other personal data present elsewhere on an employee's mobile device intact in the event the mobile device is compromised, lost or stolen."
A big gap in Windows Phone services is actually in enterprise, specifically the lack of encryption on the device or secure, non-Exchange based messaging. Unfortunately, while many in IT departments want more advanced features on current Windows Phones, there seems to be no plans for an "enterprise update" for Windows Phone 7. Instead, Microsoft is putting off a major refocusing on this area till Windows Phone 8, expected in late 2012 (rollout early 2013) including 128-bit native BitLocker data encryption.
While Windows Phone 8 looks promising, this partnership with Nokia for the Lumia 710, 800 and 900 devices will offer a nice stop-gap for mid 2012 and another reason to "go Nokia". Combined with AT&T's recent secure-messaging software for Windows Phones, Lumia 900 owners will have no less than three enterprise-focused messaging solutions: AT&T's, Good Technology and of course Exchange. We think that's a pretty killer combo for IT departments.
Read the full press release after the break...Thanks, bilzkh, for the tip!
Good Technology and Nokia to Deliver Secure Enterprise Messaging on Lumia Smartphones
Good for Enterprise Brings Secure Email and Business Applications to Lumia 800, Lumia 710 and Lumia 900
Sunnyvale, CA — Febuary 27, 2012 — Good Technology, the leading provider of secure, managed enterprise mobility for a range of mobile devices, today announced the use of the Good for Enterprise™ solution on Lumia devices. Lumia devices running the Windows Phone 7.5 "Mango" operating system will interoperate with Good's FIPS-certified 192 bit AES encryption and end-to-end mobile messaging, to provide business customers with secure access to corporate data using Good for Enterprise.
"At Good Technology we're committed to enabling secure delivery of business applications to a broad range of devices because enterprise mobility is becoming more varied, particularly with so many new consumer devices and the move towards the 'Bring Your Own Device' model within the enterprise," said Susan Vinci-Lucero, Senior Vice President of Marketing, Good Technology. "We're excited to partner with Nokia, the world's number one maker of mobile phones, to expand the reach of our mobile security platform to include Windows Phone-based mobile devices and enable our customers with even more choice."
Leveraging the Good for Enterprise solution, enterprises will be able to support employee use of Lumia smartphones with the confidence in knowing that corporate data will be secure—making it a win-win scenario for both IT leaders and information workers. Employees will be able to access corporate email, contacts, and calendars through the Good for Enterprise application on their Nokia Windows Phone smartphones—just as they access Microsoft Outlook® or Lotus Notes® on desktop computers at the office—using the intuitive user interface with panorama and pivot views with which they are already be familiar. IT managers will be able to protect corporate data with data encryption and easy-to-apply policies, such as requiring passwords and preventing 'cut/copy/paste' capabilities from the Good for Enterprise app. They will also be able to establish role-based policies using web-based management tools and perform remote wipe of enterprise information only, leaving music, photos, and other personal data present elsewhere on an employee's mobile device intact in the event the mobile device is compromised, lost or stolen.
"The consumerization of IT shows that when it comes to enterprise mobility, the decision is increasingly resting in the consumer's hands. Customers like the design and features of our phones and we know they want to use them both in their personal and professional lives," said Purnima Kochikar, VP Business Mobility, Nokia. "We also understand that when it comes to protecting corporate information, end-to-end security is fundamental. We're thrilled to be working with a mobile security leader like Good Technology to help optimize the Lumia range for business use."
The Good for Enterprise solution, leveraging the Windows Phone 7.5 "Mango" operating system on Lumia devices, is targeted for commercial availability in early Q2 2012. Nokia and Good will show the solution at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona in the Nokia Booth from February 27th to March 1st 2012.
About Good Technology
Good Technology combines award-winning enterprise-grade mobile security and control with an exceptional user experience, allowing enterprise and government employees to connect, communicate, and collaborate on iPads™, iPhones®, Android™, Windows Phone and other leading smartphone platforms. Good opens new possibilities for maximizing business and personal productivity by providing secure, easy-to-use, and instant mobile access to email, collaboration, application, document editing and device management capabilities on iOS and Android devices. Good also enables secure mobile application and secure, custom social media platform development. Discover more at www.good.com.
Source: Good Technology; PDF Data Sheet
