Acronis to integrate with MobileIron, stop mobile data going walkabout

Part of managing personal mobile devices used at work is protecting the data they contain. The ability to do so looks to be taking a step forward as backup software vendor Acronis jubilantly announces a hookup with mobile device management crowd MobileIron.

It’s a big win for Acronis, says Andy Purvis, ANZ country manager, because along with Good Technology, MobileIron is considered one of the big shots of mobile device management (MDM).

However, while those two are making headway in MDM solutions, a gap remains: “As far as the protection of information on mobile devices goes, a lot of vendors are scrambling around but there’s no real clear leader right now.”

That’s a place where Acronis wants to be, Purvis confirms, and integrating with MobileIron is considered a step in the right direction.

“Our vision and go-to-market is clear and succinct: we seek to protect data whether it is physical, virtual, cloud, on the desktop PC or on a mobile device,” he says.

The mobile space is a little different from the well-plied trade in enterprise data protection, continues Purvis, because vendors addressing corporate clients are accustomed to doing million-dollar deals. “Mobility, especially where BYOD is concerned and you are in effect dealing with consumers, means dollar deals or even a freemium approach. There’s a very different price point expectation.”

More than that, Purvis says the nuances include the ability to provide solutions that are capable of differentiating private data from company information. That means a fine level of granularity in the management of individuals and their gadgets.

Meanwhile, IT managers want a solution that will integrate with existing management technologies and best practices, including ITIL; Purvis reckons Acronis’ mobilEcho, integrated with MobileIron, nails it.

• MobileIron’s AppConnect facilitates accessibility, availability and protection of critical data on mobile devices. Acronis’ mobilEcho will integrate with AppConnect to provide secure mobile file management through which the IT department can enforce data security and access rights.