Sybase, Inc. (NYSE:SY), today announced support for iPad and Android devices with the latest release of, Afaria, their mobile device management and security solution for the enterprise.
“The popularity of highly functional smart mobile devices, such as iPhone, Android and now the iPad, is significantly impacting enterprise mobility support requirements as these devices increasingly cross over from consumers into the corporate setting,” said Jack Gold, president and principal analyst of J. Gold Associates, LLC.
Businesses are facing a significant challenge in securely managing data across multiple platforms and devices in today’s environment. Android is quickly becoming a highly coveted device for business users, adding more complexity to the highly diverse mobile enterprise environment. According to a recent survey commissioned by Sybase, the top reason that U.S. consumers will use a tablet device such as the iPad is to work while mobile, with the results showing that users want more access to information and work applications on their mobile devices. The study also noted that more than half (52.3%) of smartphone users polled claimed that they are most likely to use a new tablet device like the iPad to conduct work, but despite thousands of applications being made available from app stores today, consumers have limited access to common enterprise applications they need for work.
“The number and variety of mobile devices being brought into the enterprise continues to expand, as does the demand for data-driven applications with advanced enterprise-ready features,” said Gary Kovacs, senior vice president, markets, solutions and products, Sybase.
With the new support for iPad and Android, Sybase extends support to an existing device list including iPhone, Windows Mobile, Windows, Symbian and BlackBerry.
Sybase’s enterprise mobile device management and mobile security solution for iPad and Android will be available in Q2. Security features include the ability to perform a “remote kill” for iPhone and iPad as well as expanded security to block unknown or non-compliant mobile devices from accessing corporate assets.