Mobile Helix, the enterprise application and data security platform provider, has launched Link, which it describes as the industry’s first pure HTML5 platform.
Link unlocks enterprise productivity by combining unparalleled security for enterprise data; a unique, open HTML5 application development and delivery platform; and breakthrough patent-pending performance enhancement technology.
Link is designed with data security rather than device security at its core, delivering unparalleled security irrespective of the endpoint. The technology bridges the fixed/mobile application divide by allowing any existing or new browser-based enterprise application to be deployed across multiple device types, including mobile devices, PCs and laptops. Link supports iOS and Android now, and will support Windows 8, Mac OSX and Blackberry 10 later this year.
Link embraces HTML5 and extends the standard to meet the most exacting set of enterprise requirements, including data security, device capability integration and performance optimization. HTML is the most commonly used development platform within enterprises, meaning companies using Link do not have to invest in any additional skills or infrastructure to enable secure mobility across their business.
Seth Hallem, CEO of Mobile Helix, said: "Link is designed with unrestricted enterprise productivity at its core. It is the first product on the market to combine the unmistakable benefits of device-independent applications built using HTML5, with a disruptive data security platform that ensures sensitive corporate data is safe on any device.
"We believe the notion that fixed and mobile applications require different development, delivery and security solutions is fundamentally flawed. Enterprises don't have the time or budget to simply throw out years of investment in standards-based IT and take a completely new, and often proprietary, approach to mobility. IT needs a unified strategy for building new apps and converting existing ones, while still ensuring data is protected under any circumstance and on any computing device. Link achieves this goal without requiring complicated and costly new infrastructure or expertise."
Link is constructed with optimised data security, rather than device security at its core. This is a fundamental shift in the enterprise security model that leverages unique features of both mobile operating systems and modern browser technology. The result is a more robust, yet simpler, security system than existing PC-based and mobile-device-based solutions. Link achieves this without placing any restrictions or limitations on the devices used. Even when devices are 'rooted' or 'jailbroken', Link ensures that corporate data is not at risk. Link includes a secure container on the device, fully device-independent encryption of all data in motion and at rest, a sophisticated key management architecture that ensures encrypted data remains safe, and a comprehensive policy engine that allows IT to enforce policies on applications and data rather than on devices.
Maribel Lopez, founder and principal analyst of Lopez Research, commented: "Contrary to popular opinion, mobile operating systems aren't necessarily less secure than PC operating systems. A tablet or smartphone with the right data security posture can be as, if not more, secure than a typical corporate laptop. PCs are perceived to be safe because of the numerous security 'band aids' that are applied to them, such as anti-virus, full-disk encryption, DLP and network access control."
Link creates a common application environment by deploying applications through Internet browsers, embracing standards-based technology to deliver an open, end-to-end solution. This, in turn, extends existing enterprise application development, delivery infrastructure and expertise to mobile devices. Link integrates with existing IT processes and infrastructure to enable a simplified 'download free' application delivery and support model, removing the need for a separate enterprise app store, app catalogue, and dedicated distribution and update processes for every different application and mobile operating system.
Lopez added: "For employees to be effective in their roles, critical enterprise data and applications must flow unrestricted across devices and networks. The power of mobility is clear, yet the enterprise mobility market today is crowded and confusing. Firms need mobile solutions that can integrate with existing enterprise infrastructure."
