Air Force Chooses Fixmo for iOS and Android Device Management

The bring your own device (BYOD) movement has been a hassle for not just businesses, but for the U.S. military as well, specifically the U.S. Army. The U.S. Air Force (USAF), however, has been working closely with mobile risk management (MRM) company Fixmo to provide secure mobile communications and access to applications from a range of smartphones and tablets. How do the USAF and Fixmo plan to collaborate on strategic mobility for Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) iOS and Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) Android devices? We’ll reveal the details of this mobile device management (MDM) partnership.

To advance further collaboration between Fixmo and the USAF, both partners agreed to establish a Co-operative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with the 688th IOW, an information operations unit focusing on the development and deployment of advanced mobile security and attestation technologies. This agreement is designed to enable trusted mobile computing in the field on a wide range of mobile devices, Fixmo said.

“We understand the mission opportunities that secure mobile technology provides our airmen and executive leaders from a productivity and efficiency standpoint,” said Bill Marion, AFSPC CTO, U.S. Air Force Space Command in a statement.

In addition, the CRADA will also review the Fixmo Secure Gesture as a potential alternative to smart card technology. The solution provides advanced user authentication on mobile devices, but removes the need for custom hardware or external readers.

Which Fixmo solutions is the USAF currently leveraging?

At the moment, the USAF is using Fixmo Sentinel, the company’s device integrity verification and MDM solution for government agencies, ensuring that devices are within compliance of mobile security guidelines set by the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA).

Fixmo SafeZone, a secure workspace and application containerization solution, has also been deployed for iPads and iPhones. The solution provides a managed secure container environment with CAC-enabled e-mail, secure browser, an office-like document management suite, secure camera, Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) SharePoint access and the capability to integrate custom applications.

“We’re proud to play an important role in enabling Department of Defense agencies to leverage the latest smartphones and tablets in a way that really makes a difference in the field,” said Fixmo CEO Rick Segal in a prepared statement. “We’re looking forward to continuing along this path of innovation to support the nation’s missions such as Air Force Mobility Command’s (AMC) and Air Force Global Strike Command’s Electronic Flight Bag initiatives.”

What’s next for MDM in the U.S. Military?

Once MDM has been fully embraced throughout all branches of the U.S. Military, the Department of Defense (DOD) may want to start looking at solutions that can secure the latest devices, while lowering costs for the taxpayer.

Cutting costs, however, should never be a reason for decreasing operational security. Securing our nation’s data should always be our number one priority, despite its costs.