News
Microsoft, Good Technology Put E-Mail Encryption on Windows Phone
- By Chris Paoli
- February 28, 2012
Microsoft has entered a deal with enterprise mobile management and security firm Good Technology to bring encrypted e-mail to Windows Phone.
Sunnyvale, Calif.-based Good Technology "will provide FIPS-certified 192 bit AES encryption for end-to-end mobile messaging for the Windows Phone platform to enable secured accessing of corporate data using Good for Enterprise," according to a joint announcement from the two companies on Monday.
Scheduled for release in the second quarter of 2012, the e-mail encryption service will be available in the Microsoft Marketplace for those running Windows Phone 7.5 (previously code-named Windows Phone "Mango"). Good Technology already offers similar encryption services for Android- and iOS-based devices.
Enabling Windows Phone for e-mail encryption should capture some enterprise smartphone users, especially businesses that have integrated multiple devices and platforms into their networks.
"As our December BYOD report and 2011 Q4 Data Report indicate, enterprise customers are rapidly embracing the 'Bring Your Own Device' model across all industries, and we are delighted to work with Microsoft to help accelerate Windows Phone adoption in the enterprise," said Susan Vinci-Lucero, senior vice president of marketing at Good Technology.
As Microsoft watcher Mary Jo Foley notes, Microsoft has largely ignored enterprise customers in favor of consumer users when it comes to Windows Phone.
"I'd think it's high time for Microsoft to work on recapturing the corporate Windows Mobile users it has lost -- plus other brand-new business users -- if it hopes to grow its Windows Phone base in a substantial way," Foley said in a blog post.