Sophos is taking its IoT efforts to the next level with its new enterprise mobility management (EMM) release. The UK-based endpoint and network security company this week announced Sophos Mobile 7, an EMM solution for organizations that use Android Things or Windows 10 IoT devices.
Sophos Mobile 7 empowers MSP with "basic management features" for IoT devices, according to Sophos. IT admins can use the EMM solution in conjunction with IoT devices to:
- Apply management policies.
- Check online device status.
- Monitor device battery levels.
- Confirm or update firmware.
Sophos also said the new release provides a communication and management framework that can be built into industrial and commercial IoT solutions.
"The introduction of IoT device management will enable IT organizations to realize the value of IoT projects and help reduce the additional resources required to effectively manage and secure these devices," Dan Schiappa, general manager and senior VP of Sophos Endpoint and Network Security Groups, said in a company statement.
In addition, Sophos Mobile 7 includes anti-phishing technology to safeguard users against malicious links in documents and emails.
Sophos has upped the security of its Secure Workspace and Secure Email apps as well. App users now can open, view and edit encrypted and secure Office documents and attachments without having to leave a secure and encrypted container.
Perhaps best of all, Sophos Mobile 7 has been incorporated into the Sophos MSP Connect program for Managed Service Partners.
"With one vendor, one program and one security portfolio, MSPs can provide customers with proven and comprehensive protection that is managed from one simple management platform. Sophos MSP Connect makes it easy to deploy, manage and sell new security services, growing the MSP's revenue and lowering their costs," Petter Nordwall, Sophos' director of product marketing, told ChannelE2E.
Sophos Mobile 7 is available for on-site installation and will be available through cloud-based Sophos Central in mid-March.
What Should We Expect from Sophos Moving Forward?
Sophos currently provides security solutions to 100 million users in 150 countries, and the Sophos Mobile 7 release indicates the company shows no signs of slowing down. In fact, Sophos Mobile 7 is one of several recent security releases that may help Sophos further accelerate its revenue growth.
In September, Sophos unveiled Sophos Intercept X, ransomware technology designed to prevent the malicious, spontaneous encryption of data. Schiappa noted Sophos Intercept X would "usher in a new era of endpoint protection for modern threats."
The key features of Sophos Intercept X include:
- Visual root-cause analysis.
- Advanced malware cleanup.
- Full management via Sophos Central.
Today, Sophos Mobile 7 provides IT admins with a combination of IoT functionality and advanced security. It may even help IT admins become more productive and efficient.
"Sophos Mobile 7 can be managed fully hosted in Sophos Central, our unified, easy-to-use, admin interface, which gives users full EMM capabilities side-by-side with endpoint, network and server security. Users get the same web-based console, the same look-and-feel and the same simplicity across all Sophos security products," Nordwall said.
Sophos: Business Momentum
Sophos recorded $134.8 million in revenue in the third quarter of fiscal year 2017, up 11 percent year to year.
"We continue to see growing demand for our cloud-based security platform, Sophos Central, the adoption of which is increasingly a major driver of our subscription business. There was also very strong customer uptake of Intercept X ," Sophos CEO Kris Hagerman said in the company's 3QFY17 earnings press release.
