Businesses can now encourage flexible working with mobile device security
Woking, Surrey: 29th June, 2011 – VAD Wick Hill is now shipping Kaspersky Lab’s latest solution for smartphone security – Kaspersky Endpoint 8 for Smartphone. This new solution will tackle the rise in the consumerisation of IT, by protecting corporate data that is stored and accessed on mobile devices from loss, theft, unauthorised access and mobile malware. The launch of this product is an integral part of Kaspersky Lab’s on-going channel growth strategy, as the company aims to secure a market-leading position.
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 initiative 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.”
The solution
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.”
-ENDS-
About Wick Hill
Established in 1976, value added distributor Wick Hill specialises in secure IP infrastructure solutions and convergence. The company sources and delivers best-of-breed, easy-to-use solutions through its channel partners, with a portfolio that covers security, performance, access, networking, convergence and hosted solutions.
Wick Hill is part of the Wick Hill Group, based in Woking, Surrey with sister offices in Hamburg. Wick Hill is particularly focused on providing a wide range of value added support for its channel partners. This includes a strong lead generation and conversion programme, technical and consultancy support for reseller partners in every stage of the sales process, and extensive training facilities.
About Kaspersky Lab
Kaspersky Lab is the largest antivirus company in Europe. It delivers some of the world’s most immediate protection against IT security threats, including viruses, spyware, crimeware, hackers, phishing, and spam. The company is ranked among the world’s top four vendors of security solutions for endpoint users. Kaspersky Lab products provide superior detection rates and one of the industry’s fastest outbreak response times for home users, SMBs, large enterprises and the mobile computing environment. Kaspersky® technology is also used worldwide inside the products and services of the industry’s leading IT security solution providers. Learn more at www.kaspersky.co.uk. For the latest on antivirus, anti-spyware, anti-spam and other IT security issues and trends, visit http://www.securelist.com.
For further press information, please contact Annabelle Brown on 01326 318212, email . For reader queries, please contact Wick Hill on 01483 227600, web www.wickhill.com. For pic of Ian Kilpatrick, please contact Annabelle Brown or download from http://www.wickhill.com/company/press/pictures
