Centrify Releases Active Directory-based Solution for Mobile Device Security via the Cloud
Integrated with Active Directory, DirectControl for Mobile and Free Express for Mobile simplify deployment, reduce costs associated with mobile device management.
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Centrify Corporation, the security and compliance solutions provider, has released Centrify DirectControl for Mobile. Leveraging the new Centrify Cloud Service, the solution addresses BYOD concerns by enabling enterprises to centrally secure and manage smartphones and tablets, including iPads and Android devices, using existing Active Directory infrastructure, skill sets, and processes.
DirectControl for Mobile provides easy, rapid deployment of mobile device management (MDM) to secure company-owned or employee-owned devices. Centrify also today announced general availability of Centrify Express for Mobile, a free mobile security offering for Android and Apple devices with no limit on the number of devices supported.
As integrated components of Centrify Suite 2012, both DirectControl for Mobile and Centrify Express for Mobile integrate with an organization’s on-premise Active Directory (AD) infrastructure and Group Policy-based management tools to easily enforce and update mobile security settings. From locking or remotely wiping devices to securing access to e-mail networks and enforcing use of passcodes, the solution enables administrators to easily assign devices to users and manage the associated properties and settings for each device.
Centrify’s deep AD integration enables the mobile device to be managed as an object in AD, automates PKI certificate enrollment, and allows administration and policy enforcement using AD based tools. When combined with Centrify’s DirectControl for Mac OS X product, organizations control authentication and security policy enforcement for Apple products in their environment without deploying a complex new infrastructure and dealing with yet another “pane of glass” via a separate standalone management console.
DirectControl for Mobile allows organizations to quickly and securely bring large populations of mobile devices under management without requiring IT staff to deploy additional infrastructure, implement changes in firewall configurations, learn new skill sets, or operate yet another management console. The solution maximizes security and visibility through centralized management and reporting of enrolled devices and installed applications, and also through security policy enforcement of devices across the entire organization. The components of both the licensed and free offering include:
- Centrify Cloud Service, a multi-tenanted cloud service that seamlessly allows the on-premise Active Directory environment to easily manage mobile devices over a trusted, over-the-air connection, whether or not a device is connected to the corporate network, thereby making deployment simple and further eliminating the need for costly new infrastructure.
- Centrify Cloud Proxy Server, an on-premise software package that runs as a Windows service and facilitates secure communication via https from an organization’s Active Directory to the Centrify Cloud Service.
- Centrify Cloud Management Suite, a collection of Windows management tools that are downloaded and installed and include the Centrify Cloud Proxy Server, as well as Active Directory Users and Computers (ADUC) and Group Policy Object Editor (GPOE) extensions to support mobile devices.
- Centrify Mobile Manager, an optional mobile application that runs on Apple and Android mobile devices that can detect rooted/jail-broken devices and facilitates an automated, enrollment process of a mobile device joining a customer’s Active Directory domain. Customers can also opt to join their devices to their Active Directory domain via a Web enrollment page.
Centrify’s DirectControl for Mobile and Centrify Express for Mobile are generally available today. Visit www.centrify.com/mobile to download the free Centrify Express for Mobile or to obtain more information. Pricing for DirectControl for Mobile, which includes technical support and access to feature updates, starts at $36 per device per year.