Citrix XenMobile MDM Delivers iOS, Android Device Security

Citrix (NASDAQ:CTXS) has announced XenMobile MDM, an iOS and Android device management (and other mobile OS management) platform built from Zenprise, the mobile device management company that Citrix acquired two months ago. Through the MDM platform introduction Citrix is looking to create a powerhouse of mobile and virtualization solutions to help businesses master BYOD, mobile productivity and mobile data security. Here are the details.

XenMobile MDM  joins Citrix products such as XenApp and XenDesktop in the company’s portfolio. Why does Citrix think that 1+1+1=so much more in this case? As Citrix Product Manager Calvin Hsu points out in a blog post, the company has been delivering Windows applications to tablets and smartphones through its existing product lines. But it hasn’t been able to actually secure those end devices.

“Now, with XenMobile MDM and the Mobile Solutions Bundle, XenDesktop and XenApp customers can get an end-to-end system for mobility down to the endpoint. For current Citrix customers, this is a piece of the puzzle that they have been waiting for,” Hsu wrote.

XenMobile’s MDM features include role-based management and configuration capabilities around both corporate and employee-owned devices. The solution integrates with Microsoft Active Directory and public key infrastructure systems, as well as security information and event management tools.

What’s in it for you as a managed services provider (MSP)?

The solution also provides the ability to provision policies and apps to large groups of devices automatically. IT can blacklist or whitelist apps; detect, and protect against jailbroken devices; and wipe or selectively wipe a device that is lost, stolen or out of compliance. XenMobile MDM also supports advanced features such as  geofencing and automated compliance. XenMobile MDM supports all the major mobile platforms including iPhone, iPad, Android, BlackBerry, Symbian and Microsoft Windows 8.

Mobile Solutions Bundle for enterprise mobility management (EMM)

Citrix will offer XenMobile MDM together with CloudGateway in a Mobile Solutions Bundle. CloudGateway provides a single point  of access to personal, public and private cloud services. That means the Mobile Solutions Bundle can enable XenMobile MDM to work on premise, in a public cloud or in a hybrid environment.

Other features include the following:

“The promise of mobility hinges on the ability for IT to deliver secure apps and data to users on any device,” said Citrix Group Vice President and General Manager of Mobile Platforms Amit Pandey, who joined Zenprise as CEO in April 2012 and presided over the acquisition in December. “When customers bring their own devices to work, as is increasingly the norm, IT doesn’t have the tools to manage or secure the content on them. With its comprehensive portfolio of mobile solutions, Citrix offers customers the ability to say ‘yes’. Yes to total mobile freedom by providing a complete solution that can manage and secure all devices, apps and data while giving users the ability to experience work and life their way.”

XenMobile MDM and the Mobile Solutions Bundle  joins other Citrix solutions, including Citrix CloudGateway, Citrix NetScaler, Citrix XenDesktop, GoToMeeting, GoToAssist, Citrix ShareFile, and Citrix Podio. XenMobile MDM and the Mobile Solutions Bundle will be available starting on Feb. 25.

Additional insights from Contributing Managing Editor Jessica Davis.