Santa Clara, California – The member companies of the Enterprise Device Alliance (EDA) have announced their support for Apple’s iOS 7 in enterprise environments. The member companies are committed to providing support for iPhones and iPads that use iOS 7 in enterprise and business deployments with a Windows IT infrastructure. The Alliance members help organizations solve multiple business challenges by providing multi-platform solutions. Absolute Software provides persistent endpoint security and management solutions; Centrify provides identity and access management; and Acronis specializes in mobile content management, including file sync and share on mobile devices.

Enterprise-class organizations can now use solutions from the members of the EDA to leverage their Microsoft Windows IT environments to provide file access to iOS devices and management services to meet IT security and standards.

“The pervasive use of iPhones and the emerging adoption of iPads in large organizations means that IT administrators need to be able to secure and manage the devices while still helping their users get services,” said T. Reid Lewis, president of the EDA and vice president of business development for Acronis. “The Alliance members provide solutions that help IT management leverage their current expertise and infrastructure to streamline the deployment, integration, and management of Apple’s popular mobile devices in the enterprise environment.”

In a recent survey conducted by the EDA, IT administrators asserted that over 80 percent of large organizations are deploying or piloting iPads. The inevitability of widespread adoption of iOS devices has these administrators concerned about security and management. (See the link to the Survey Results.)

The status and plans of the member companies’ support for iOS 7 follow:

Absolute Software:
Absolute Manage by Absolute Software allows organizations to remotely secure and manage Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, and Windows Phone devices. For tablets and smartphones, Absolute provides support for mobile applications, security for corporate content, and controlled network access. Customers can manage enterprise- and employee-owned devices from a PC or a Mac-based console, as well as on the go from an ultra-portable device. Absolute Manage allows IT administrators to manage desktop and laptop computers from the same console for increased efficiencies and savings.

Acronis:
From day one, Acronis mobilEcho provided support for iOS 7 on iPhone and iPad. Acronis mobilEcho is the industry’s first secure Mobile Content Management (MCM) solution that meets the stringent security and management policies required by today’s enterprise to turn a mobile device into a true business platform. For example, it meets the needs of highly regulated industries, such as financial services, healthcare, pharmaceutical, government, education, and energy. It complements mobile device management (MDM) vendors’ basic file access solutions ensuring complete security and control of corporate information on mobile devices while, at the same time, giving end users all the necessary tools to maintain productivity. For example, MDM and most MCM solutions do not include a built-in Office editor, forcing customers to purchase separate, potentially insecure apps that could compromise the integrity of sensitive data. Many of these other, third-party apps store data in a public cloud, which, without proper security or encryption, puts sensitive data even further at risk. Acronis mobilEcho, on the other hand, provides the ability to manage files in one secure, corporate IT-managed location.

Centrify:
Centrify Corporation delivered day one support for iOS 7 with its Centrify User Suite offering. The suite enables organizations to leverage Centrify’s proven Active Directory-based security service to manage users and devices and address enterprise mobility and BYOD challenges. The Centrify User Suite solution maximizes security and visibility through centralized access management and reporting of enrolled devices and installed applications, allowing IT staff to quickly and securely bring large populations of Apple iOS, Android and Mac devices under management by leveraging existing Active Directory identity infrastructure and skill sets.

Enterprise Device Alliance
Absolute Manage
Acronis mobilEcho
Centrify Mobile Security Management
Results of Third Annual IT Survey of IT Pros on Managing Mobile Devices

The Enterprise Device Alliance (EDA) was founded as the Enterprise Desktop Alliance in 2008 initially focusing on the integration of Macintosh into enterprise IT infrastructure. In September 2011, the members renamed the organization the Enterprise Device Alliance to reflect their added support for the newly popular iPhones, iPads and Android devices in addition to the Mac. The Alliance provides information to IT managers and administrators about the ways they can leverage their Windows infrastructure, management tools and expertise to easily integrate Macs, iPhones, iPads and Android devices into their organizations. Member companies include Absolute Software, Acronis, and Centrify. For more information, visit the EDA online. Copyright (C) 2014 The Enterprise Device Alliance. All Rights Reserved. Apple, the Apple logo, iPhone, iPod, iPad and Macintosh are registered trademarks of Apple Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries.