Good Technology debuts 'first secure browser' for enterprise Android deployments
Good Technology is touting the latest addition to its Good Mobile Access (GMA) Android software suite, a secure browser. The company's GMA offering gives corporate foot soldiers armed with a smartphone access to secure intranet resources without having to initiate a VPN session -- while simultaneously allowing IT folks to manage mobile ingress. By bringing a browser into the fold, Good's software will allow employees to access databases, resources and collaboration tools without ever having to leave the safe confines of GMA's sandbox. The software maker is targeting outfits with a bring-your-own-device policy in place (and war chests large enough to install the necessary back-end infrastructure). If you're interested in learning more, the full release awaits your review after the break.
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Good Technology Announces the Industry's First Secure Browser for Android Devices: Good Mobile Access
New Offering Allows Enterprises to Embrace Android BYOD Environments with Good for Enterprise
SUNNYVALE, Calif., March 27, 2012 -- Good Technology, the leading provider of secure and managed enterprise mobility and collaboration tools for a range of mobile devices, today announced the availability of Good Mobile Access (GMA) for Android, a secure mobile browser for Android devices. GMA is a feature of the Good for Enterprise™ solution that provides secure mobile access to behind-the-firewall applications, resources and data without needing a virtual private network (VPN) connection. With GMA for Android, companies can improve employee productivity by providing seamless access to critical corporate Intranet resources through a secure mobile browser while also preventing data loss.
Android devices continue to gain momentum in the marketplace among consumers, and its use is subsequently spilling over into the enterprise as a result of the bring-your-own device (BYOD) movement. According to Gartner, "Android has a more than 50 percent share of the worldwide smartphone market as of 3Q11, up from 25.3 percent in 2010. It's the No. 1 smartphone platform in North America, with a 62 percent market share."[1]
"Consumer use of Android devices has really taken off, and we are seeing increased enterprise adoption, especially among our customers who support formal BYOD programs," said John Herrema, senior vice president of corporate strategy at Good Technology. "Supporting BYOD means supporting Android devices, and we want to make sure our customers can confidently embrace this trend, increase employee productivity, and not have to compromise on security or compliance."
Good Mobile Access is tightly integrated with Good for Enterprise, Good's secure, mobile device and data management solution, to deliver greater mobile access and data protection using AES-encryption. This allows enterprises to secure corporate information in transit and on Android devices at the application level, regardless of whether the particular Android device also supports encryption.[2]
The GMA for Android solution leverages Good's NOC-based infrastructure to enable seamless access to corporate networks without needing a VPN or other secure channel technology. This allows employees to safely access company databases, resources and collaboration tools such as SharePoint, using a secure browser app on their Android phone or tablet. For example, if a mobile worker receives an email containing a link to the corporate Intranet, when they click on the URL, the GMA browser is automatically launched to enable secure viewing or downloading of information.
This application-specific secure transport prevents malicious apps from accessing the broader corporate environment and eliminates the need to expose enterprise infrastructure and applications to denial-of-service, phishing, and other attacks. To provide increased security and prevent data loss at the device-level, GMA also encrypts browser cache, cookies, bookmarks, and history within Good's secure, enterprise container and allows IT to control whether content and documents can be copied to, or opened in other applications.
Good Mobile Access for Android is available immediately to all Good for Enterprise customers using version 1.9.0 or higher. To obtain GMA for Android, customers must first download the latest release of Good for Enterprise, followed by a standard Web-kit, from Google Play.
