Telecom’s ICT services division Gen-i has partnered with Samsung to pilot and launch the tech giant's KNOX into the New Zealand market.

Reaffirming the country's role as an incubation hub for technology innovation, Gen-i is the first ICT services provider globally to pilot KNOX and sign an agreement with Samsung for its distribution.

Samsung KNOX is a new mobile phone solution designed to securely partition work and play on Samsung Android devices, protecting both sensitive business information and the privacy of personal use on company smartphones.

Gen-i COO Jo Allison says security is a primary concern for businesses as they seek to leverage mobility to create more flexible working environments, increase productivity and provide employees with easy ‘anytime, anywhere’ access to information and applications.

“These days we have an inherent expectation that we’ll be able to use our smartphone to stay connected on the go, both in our work and our personal lives," Allison says.

"But just like when the internet and email were new, real thought needs to be put into how to manage the new security issues that come with this.

“Typically, end users want their personal choice of device, whereas businesses make this decision based on which devices and operating systems are the most secure.

"With the launch of Samsung KNOX, our clients now have the option of choosing the consumer market’s most popular smartphones, knowing that security, control of business applications and employee privacy are all taken care of.”

A key feature of KNOX is the highly secure KNOX Container that enables businesses to create a secure zone on employee handsets for corporate applications, while also providing a private zone for employees’ personal content.

Only business applications can operate within the KNOX Container, which is accessed by entering a code/PIN and can be fully controlled by the company IT team.

No data is shared between the KNOX Container and private zone – even copy and paste functionality and USB access to the container is disabled.

In this way, Samsung KNOX provides reassurance and convenience for organisations looking to deploy Samsung devices for business purposes, or implement and manage BYOD strategies.

“At Samsung, we have a major focus on bringing new innovation to the market," says Verdon Kelliher, Enterprise Director, Samsung."KNOX addresses businesses concerns about security and their increasing desire to embrace BYOD beautifully.”

Gen-i ran a three week trial of the KNOX solution in September, incorporating user experience testing and intensive penetration testing of KNOX Container security.

Gen-i is now offering Samsung KNOX as part of Gen-i Managed Mobility services.