Mobile virtualisation is emerging as a viable way to secure personal smartphones used for work by separating each bucket of data and applications from the other. Up until recently, this space was challenged by key issues such as a lack of virtualisation capability at the hardware level and the need for slimmer hypervisors due to smartphones’ smaller memory capacity. The result was a flexible, yet often less secure, solution powered as an application on a device. The maturing market, however, has seen advanced technologies by vendors such as VMware that involve the hardware layer or root-level IT virtualisation.
Datacom works with a variety of vendors using the latest in mobile virtualisation technologies to foster flexibility while keeping corporate data secure. In addition, we can look at a total virtualisation solution for your business involving your servers, desktops or apps.
This latest incarnation of mobile IT virtualisation allows a phone to run two operating systems at the same time – one for work and one for play. Whatever is housed in one OS can’t access what’s in the other – meaning if the phone is lost, stolen or otherwise compromised, company data remains safe. Some of these latest solutions are only available on certain phones, such as Android, but further development could lead to widespread implementation across a number of devices. This type of mobile virtualisation can help in several aspects of the Bring Your Own Device trend by:
- Keeping the native OS intact: IT staff can put a pre-fit OS on a personal device without affecting the other applications or settings.
- Centralising management: As with desktop virtualisation, IT staff can control devices from one location, allowing them to deploy software and updates remotely.
- Better managing legacy apps: Legacy applications can operate on newer devices without having to be reconfigured.
- Improving security: Staff can password-protect certain functions and lock a device or do a data wipe from a remote location.
Virtualising mobile devices isn’t the only way to enable BYOD. Click here to discover other ways to make your workforce more mobile.