Centrify Partners with Samsung on Mobile Devices, Wearables

Centrify and Samsung are teaming up to enable users to manage their enterprise mobile security solutions through their wearable devices with a combination of single sign-on capabilities and multi-factor authentication.

Under the partnership, which focuses on Samsung’s Knox enterprise mobility management solution, Centrify said it will combine multi-factor authentication and SSO capabilities by enabling the Centrify Identity Service to support both the Samsung and Apple built-in fingerprint scanners, according to the announcement. New features will include the ability to receive push notifications for Android and iOS devices, integration with multifactor authentication for SaaS and mobile apps with Android Wear devices and one-tap verification.

Centrify expects the single sign-on capability to be general available by the end of March.

Knox users will also gain secure access to application containers using the Samsung Gear smartwatch, with wearers having access to their secure Knox container without needing to enter a password, according to the announcement. Users can keep their container unlocked for an additional two-hour period as long as their mobile device is in range of their smartwatch.

Centrify has announced full support for Knox SDK version 2.4, Samsung’s mobile security platform for its family of Galaxy devices. Centrify Identity Service will support bulk enrollment of Samsung devices so admins can reduce the amount of time needed to configure multiple devices. Additionally, Centrify will support the Knox enterprise billing feature so enterprises can differentiate between personal and enterprise data usage.

Centrify detailed its new relationship with Samsung during Mobile World Congress 2015 in Barcelona this week, where it announced it would provide day one support for the launch of Samsung’s new flagship phone, which was expected to release during the conference.

“We are committed to offering the best user experience, and with multi-factor authentication and single sign-on, we can ensure a secure and productive environment for enterprise users on our newest mobile devices and smart watches,” said Rick Segal, vice president, EBT Marketing and Strategic Relations at Samsung Electronics, in a statement. “In a world where identity and mobile are converging, we understand the importance of granting mobile employees secure, seamless access to the corporate data and apps they need—that’s why our ongoing partnership with Centrify is so vital.”

Centrify and Samsung announced their intention to improve enterprise mobile security for Android devices in September, with an agreement calling for Centrify to provide identity and access management service within Knox.