MokaFive’s iOS Strategy – Secure Corporate Data Without Locking Down The Device

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MokaFive adds mobile information management without whole device management
MokaFive adds mobile information management without whole device management

 

One of the big discussions around enterprise mobility this year has been whether companies need to completely lock down iPhone, iPads, and other devices for security reasons or is creating a secure data store on the device that IT can remotely wipe enough? With the ever-expanding BYOD trend, the idea removing corporate data without wiping any personal data is an attractive one. Put more simply, does IT need to manage the device or just the corporate data on it?

MokaFive is a company that has always focused on securing business data rather than computers themselves. The company has made a name for itself in providing secure Windows virtual machines that can provide a fully functional and secure environment on any supported device including Macs as well as PCs. MokaFive even allows such virtual machines to be fully customized while still being secure and managed.

This week, MokaFive introduced its first iOS solution. Not surprisingly, it’s centered around securing data rather than restricting the functionality of the device.

MokaFive’s iPad app provides a secure on-device data store that the company refers to as a LiveData container. Users can access corporate data within this data store. MokaFive provides over 30 policies that can be applied to data that is stored on a user’s iPone or iPad. The data store can also be remotely wiped without wiping any personal data. Within the MokaFive environment, users can view and edit data with “sanctioned applications” while outside apps cannot access the data at all.

The approach is one that other enterprise vendors have been taking with new products like Quickoffice ProSelect HD, Bitzer Mobile, and Good Technology’s Good Dynamics API that allows partner companies to extend such a secure data store to their apps.

MokaFive may have a leg up compared to some mobile developers in that its iOS solution integrates with its Mac/PC desktop systems. That allows a single set of administrative tools for an IT department – a somewhat more streamlined approach to data management than using different technologies and administrative consoles for Macs, PCs, and iOS devices.

That streamlined approach might even offer an administrative advantage for users as well. One of MokaFive’s selling points is that it “enable users to keep desktops, laptops, and mobile devices in sync.”

 

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