Symantec Acquires NitroDesk to Expand Mobile Security Offerings

Symantec has acquired mobile security and management solutions provider NitroDesk in an effort to expand its enterprise mobile offerings. The terms of the deal, which closed last week, were not disclosed.

NitroDesk, a company based in Bellevue, Washington, is best known for TouchDown, a third-party Exchange ActiveSync (EAS) email client for Android and iOS. The two companies have been in a partnership for several years, with Symantec offering TouchDown as part of the Secure Email feature in its App Center.

Following the acquisition, customers will see faster updates to the product and tighter integration with other Symantec assets, the company noted in an FAQ. The email application will be integrated with Symantec’s existing threat protection, app-wrapping, data loss prevention, device management, authentication and identity technologies.

“NitroDesk shares our mission of securing corporate data on mobile devices, and we are very excited to have NitroDesk join us in delivering this vision,” Travis Grandpre, director of product marketing at Symantec, explained in a blog post.

“This is a significant step for the mobile team, and in combination with our Symantec App Center product and Symantec Sealed Apps, we will be able to bring a competitive productivity solution that combines enterprise class protection with consumer class user experience.”

Initially, NitroDesk customers will not see any changes. TouchDown will continue to be available as a standalone app, but Symantec says it will be rebranded in the future.

Over the past period, Symantec has focused on enhancing its mobile solutions in an effort to deliver comprehensive protection and secure mobile productivity.

“Symantec is the first company to integrate mobile device management, app wrapping, threat protection, and email client and browser apps into one enterprise mobility management solution,” noted Amit Mital, Symantec’s CTO.

“Across the enterprise, our security pedigree, unique intelligence insights and unparalleled ability to deliver comprehensive solutions set us apart. And we’re replicating that in the mobile space so our customers can give their employees the tools they need to remain productive, while ensuring the right security controls are in place to protect critical information.”