HP launches Enterprise Mobile Gateway to secure mobile devices

HP is looking to tackle security concerns around the use of mobiles within offices by launching its Enterprise Mobile Gateway, enabling businesses or cloud providers to use mobile devices to access their data securely.

“We have created an offering to enable employees to embrace the BYOD [Bring Your Own Device] trend,” said Tim Marsden, director of applications and cloud enablement communications in the media solutions division of HP.

“The enterprise mobility trend and market is a fantastic opportunity for businesses and this new solution gives them the ability to take advantage of it.”

The platform can work as a cloud solution hosted by HP, a cloud solution hosted by a telco or an on-premise solution within a company’s own data centre. It links mobile applications to the company data stored in the back-end, providing a lot more productivity for specific applications and allowing employees to use their own devices.

However, to take advantage of the data on a mobile device, you need the apps in between.

The second element of the launch was the HP Enterprise Mobile App Store. This enables companies or telcos to build their own custom applications, test their performance and distribute them to employees through a company-owned portal on their tablets or smartphones.

“The gateway makes all the data at the back-end available to applications, but the app store enables companies to mobilise existing applications and help them make new innovative applications as well got their smartphones or tablets,” added Marsden.

Apps can be built for any device, whether it be iOS, Android or any other mobile OS-based, and can also be built in-house or by the telco provider the enterprise is getting the service from.

Making it part of a private enterprise solution removes the security risks of publishing an app on an existing store and also gives a lot more control to the IT department.

"We need to make sure the apps are secure and only the right apps are accessed by the right employees," said Marsden.

“With mobile device management over a web portal… we can put pin codes right onto applications, create certain rules to stop data being copied over and much more. The main point is it’s really important for the enterprises to feel comfortable, whilst enabling employees to access corporate data on their personal devices in a secure way.”

HP admitted that no telcos had signed up for the solution yet, but it said it was engaged in conversations with a number of them.

"Operators sit in the middle of this,” added Marsden. “Telcos have a fantastic opportunity to create a second business… as they have a lot of credibility in the space already so it is an easy step to… offer mobility as a service.”"

The platform and app store is available now.