High-profile security breaches may indicate that network executives are using trial and error to sort out the best ways to secure the brave new world of mobile computing.
In May, headlines blared that personal data on 26 million U.S. military personnel and veterans was at risk after a laptop was stolen from the home of a Department of Veteran Affairs employee.
Last month, the Federal Trade Commission contacted 110 people to tell them that two laptops containing their personal data were stolen from a locked vehicle. The group included defendants in current and past FTC cases.
These and a growing number of similar events show that secure mobile computing is a complex business. The physical devices themselves have to be protected, along with the data stored on them, the users and the network connections, especially wireless.
But network professionals walk a tight rope here. If security measures are unnecessarily strict, they're not cost effective for the enterprise. More importantly, users faced with needlessly complex or burdensome measures may ignore or bypass them.
A recent report by InfoTech, a unit of Telecom Intelligence Group, Parsippany, N.J., identified a variety of wireless security challenges:
Mobile client devices can be lost or stolen and then hacked;
Wireless networking creates an “open door” to the corporate net, and wireless data can be intercepted;
All of the elements — device, data, user, network — have to be secured to avoid a weak link;
Doing so adds costs and complexity, and may require changes to applications;
Tackling the complexity of securing mobile users is a work in progress, based on interviews with several network professionals.
Resurgens Orthopaedics, a leading U.S. orthopedic practice based in Atlanta, has more than 300 doctors and clinical staff using either Toshiba tablets or HP iPaq PDAs to gain access to a fully electronic patient medical records over a Cisco wireless LAN.
Initially, in mid-2005, the practice relied on a Cisco security protocol that included the Lightweight Extensible Authentication Protocol (LEAP) for user authentication. But LEAP proved cumbersome to IT staff and users. Physicians had to remember at least two logon combinations, and support staff constantly had to reset access points or user devices, says Vinnie Greaves, Resurgens’ CTO.
Resurgens chose Mobility XE, a mobile VPN from NetMotion Wireless, to create an encrypted tunnel between clients and the Mobility XE server over the WLAN. Because the software employs standard Microsoft Windows logon credentials, users have to remember only their standard Windows username and password combination. A management console gives net administrators graphical and statistical views of server and user status and settings.
Trial and error for mobile security is common practice. “Most organization start with a point solution to correct a specific, or perceived, problem . . . and only then discover [they] hadn’t adequately addressed security and management,’“ says Jack Gold, president of J. Gold Associates, a Northborough, Mass., consulting firm.
Instead, Gold says, the enterprise should be thinking early about a comprehensive security strategy for any mobile computing project.
Another healthcare provider, Integris Health in Oklahoma City, has about 2,000 mobile users in 10 hospitals and some clinics, which are blanketed with a Cisco WLAN. Randy Maib, a senior IT consultant, says the hospital group systematically tackled two main areas. The first was the WLAN itself, secured with several Cisco products that he declined to name. Second, was controlling the various brands of laptops, tablets, PDAs and BlackBerries.
To do this, Integris deployed Credant Mobile Guardian, from Credant Technologies, with software running on handhelds and PCs, working with a server program. Administrators can monitor all client devices on the net, and their activities, and enforce a range of security policies. The newest release can detect unauthorized applications running on the client or block attempts to install such software.
Some organizations require that all or nearly all data be encrypted, at least on laptops.
About all that data
How enterprises deal with data on mobile devices varies greatly.
At Resurgens, the clients are access tools only: All patient data remains secured on servers.
Some data and documents are allowed on laptops at the Philadelphia Stock Exchange, which spells out security including warnings about storing documents on the PCs. The Exchange uses two-factor authentication for laptop users. “So that any cached passwords or IDs become useless [if the laptop is lost or stolen],” says Gene Peters, director of information services.
“What we found was we had sensitive data left in temporary files or inadvertently saved to the hard drive somewhere,” says a desktop support technician with a Midwest health insurer who spoke on the condition of anonymity. “That’s what led us to think we had to go with a total hard-disk encryption solution.”
The insurer chose encryption software from Pointsec, which uses 256-bit keys based on the Advanced Encryption Standard. Tests showed that laptop users saw a 4% to 5% drop in application speed. “The hit was negligible for the user,” the technician said.
Encryption no cure-all
But encryption is not a substitute for comprehensive security.
“Some applications have their own encryption,” says Maib of Integris. “If you dual-encrypt [data], you can have problems.” The latest Credant release will let Integris users encrypt specific types of files, such as spreadsheets.
“Use encryption appropriately,” says Al Decker, executive director for security and privacy at EDS in Plano, Texas. “You need to classify your data and treat it differently based on the various classes.”
Decker points to an emerging technique called secure vaulting for handhelds: This is a reserved space on permanent or removable storage media that’s associated with all downloaded data for that specific device. “If you go through the normal process of signing off, this vault cleanses itself: a byte-by-byte delete of any data that’s been downloaded,” he says.
Portable mass storage devices, such as USB thumb drives and even Apple iPods, are coming under scrutiny as these become adjuncts to ever-more-powerful and capable handhelds. Naugatuck Savings Bank, a 12-bank chain based in Naugatuck, Conn., uses Centennial Software’s DeviceWall client/server software, running on desktop and notebook PCs to let administrators control USB devices and CD-ROM drives. Policies can be set to entirely block or selectively permit data transfers to and from these media based on a username or a group identity, says Roy Balkus, the bank’s CIO.
DeviceWall can also control the use of a device’s wireless interfaces. A similar product is Safend Protector, from Tel Aviv-based Safend.
“Wireless seems easier than it is,” says Vinnie Greaves or Resurgen. “If you look [closely] into wireless, it’s the scariest thing in the world.”
Friday, December 29, 2006
WINHEC Microsoft mobile kit to boost Live services
Microsoft will let vendors include Windows Live voice services on mobile devices through a new toolkit that will be available in the next few months.
The move is part of Microsoft's push to offer Windows Live Messenger and other services on phones and portable devices to drive more traffic to the ad-driven, Web-based Windows Live services, said Ervan Pouliquen, global marketing manager for Microsoft's Mobile Devices Division.
"The point is deepening the engagement," he said Tuesday at Microsoft's Windows Hardware Engineering Conference in Seattle. "The more time people spend on our services and engaged with our services, the more we'll be able to monetize through advertising on the client. We think it will drive more people to the PC."
A beta of the software development kit will be available in the summer, which to Microsoft means July through September. The kit provides APIs and other software to help companies build devices to work with the voice services of Windows Live messenger.
Microsoft launched its plan to build out a set of Web-based services to rival Google last November and rebranded many of what had been MSN services, such as its instant-message client and search engine, under the Windows Live moniker. Like Google, Microsoft is deriving revenue from the services through online advertising. Microsoft CE Officer Steve Ballmer has said he wants his company to be No. 1 in online advertising revenue, even if it takes company years to get there.
Brooke Richardson, an MSN product manager, said providing voice services is just the beginning of Microsoft's plan to allow vendors to offer Web-based Windows Live services on a host of devices.
"As Windows Live matures and our platform matures we’ll be able to open up more APIs for software and hardware developers," she said.
Microsoft partners Philips Electronics NV and Uniden America already offer VoIP phones equipped with Windows Live Messenger that allow users to make calls using the IM client. The Philips phone is available in Europe, while Uniden's phone is available in Best Buy stores in the United States. The cordless handsets are dual-mode, which means they plug into a PC and a traditional telephone line.
The move is part of Microsoft's push to offer Windows Live Messenger and other services on phones and portable devices to drive more traffic to the ad-driven, Web-based Windows Live services, said Ervan Pouliquen, global marketing manager for Microsoft's Mobile Devices Division.
"The point is deepening the engagement," he said Tuesday at Microsoft's Windows Hardware Engineering Conference in Seattle. "The more time people spend on our services and engaged with our services, the more we'll be able to monetize through advertising on the client. We think it will drive more people to the PC."
A beta of the software development kit will be available in the summer, which to Microsoft means July through September. The kit provides APIs and other software to help companies build devices to work with the voice services of Windows Live messenger.
Microsoft launched its plan to build out a set of Web-based services to rival Google last November and rebranded many of what had been MSN services, such as its instant-message client and search engine, under the Windows Live moniker. Like Google, Microsoft is deriving revenue from the services through online advertising. Microsoft CE Officer Steve Ballmer has said he wants his company to be No. 1 in online advertising revenue, even if it takes company years to get there.
Brooke Richardson, an MSN product manager, said providing voice services is just the beginning of Microsoft's plan to allow vendors to offer Web-based Windows Live services on a host of devices.
"As Windows Live matures and our platform matures we’ll be able to open up more APIs for software and hardware developers," she said.
Microsoft partners Philips Electronics NV and Uniden America already offer VoIP phones equipped with Windows Live Messenger that allow users to make calls using the IM client. The Philips phone is available in Europe, while Uniden's phone is available in Best Buy stores in the United States. The cordless handsets are dual-mode, which means they plug into a PC and a traditional telephone line.
NTT DoCoMo, Intel to let users set OS on cell phones
NTT DoCoMo Inc. and Intel Corp. will publish Wednesday a set of specifications that will allow users to load a second operating system onto their cell phones, the companies said Tuesday.
The specifications add a second, open domain to the cell phone's architecture that is different from the default domain containing the basic operating system. Users could install an additional operating system or applications in the second domain and switch to them using a controller in the phone, Masanori Goto, a spokesman for NTT DoCoMo said.
Most of the Japanese carrier's handsets are based on the Symbian or Linux operating systems, but phones built to the new specifications would be able to run other operating systems, such as Windows Mobile or additional applications, said Goto.
The controller, which handles switching between the two domains, will ensure that basic call functions continue to be available while the second domain is active so that users don't miss any calls.
The specifications, which NTT DoCoMo have dubbed "OSTI" (open and secure terminal initiative), are primarily aimed at benefitting corporate customers who might want to supplement the phone's basic software with customized applications. It will also be possible to set a security policy for the handset's second domain.
Details of how the specifications will be offered and implemented are yet to be worked out.
The specifications add a second, open domain to the cell phone's architecture that is different from the default domain containing the basic operating system. Users could install an additional operating system or applications in the second domain and switch to them using a controller in the phone, Masanori Goto, a spokesman for NTT DoCoMo said.
Most of the Japanese carrier's handsets are based on the Symbian or Linux operating systems, but phones built to the new specifications would be able to run other operating systems, such as Windows Mobile or additional applications, said Goto.
The controller, which handles switching between the two domains, will ensure that basic call functions continue to be available while the second domain is active so that users don't miss any calls.
The specifications, which NTT DoCoMo have dubbed "OSTI" (open and secure terminal initiative), are primarily aimed at benefitting corporate customers who might want to supplement the phone's basic software with customized applications. It will also be possible to set a security policy for the handset's second domain.
Details of how the specifications will be offered and implemented are yet to be worked out.
Thursday, December 28, 2006
Nokia releases Sourcefire-based security appliance
Nokia has introduced a security appliance aimed at helping enterprises keep their networks secure, particularly in the face of threats that arise as more employees access corporate data remotely from devices like smart-phones and laptops.
The appliance, announced on Wednesday, combines Nokia's existing security platform with Sourcefire, the intrusion prevention software based on open-source Snort software.
The product uses three methods for blocking threats. Sourcefire Intrusion Sensor for Nokia uses the Snort detection engine to inspect incoming traffic for problems, generate alerts and block traffic. The software examines packets using signature, protocol and anomaly-based inspection methods.
The appliance also uses Sourcefire Real-Time Network Awareness for Nokia to do intelligent network monitoring. Information gathered by the monitoring software can be used to remediate an attack.
The third component, Sourcefire Defense Center for Nokia, allows administrators to identify long-term security trends and offers a centralized location for managing sensor policies, correlating intrusion events and configuring alert responses.
Pricing for Nokia Intrusion Prevention with Sourcefire starts at $14,995 and is available as part of Nokia's IP390 security platform.
Other security products form Nokia include firewalls, IP VPN and SSL VPN products.
Earlier this year, Nokia announced that it would integrate Sourcefire's software into its line of network security appliances by the end of the year.
The appliance, announced on Wednesday, combines Nokia's existing security platform with Sourcefire, the intrusion prevention software based on open-source Snort software.
The product uses three methods for blocking threats. Sourcefire Intrusion Sensor for Nokia uses the Snort detection engine to inspect incoming traffic for problems, generate alerts and block traffic. The software examines packets using signature, protocol and anomaly-based inspection methods.
The appliance also uses Sourcefire Real-Time Network Awareness for Nokia to do intelligent network monitoring. Information gathered by the monitoring software can be used to remediate an attack.
The third component, Sourcefire Defense Center for Nokia, allows administrators to identify long-term security trends and offers a centralized location for managing sensor policies, correlating intrusion events and configuring alert responses.
Pricing for Nokia Intrusion Prevention with Sourcefire starts at $14,995 and is available as part of Nokia's IP390 security platform.
Other security products form Nokia include firewalls, IP VPN and SSL VPN products.
Earlier this year, Nokia announced that it would integrate Sourcefire's software into its line of network security appliances by the end of the year.
E-Ten launches smart phone with VOIP, GPS
Taiwanese handset maker E-Ten Information Systems Co Ltd. has launched a new Windows Mobile-based smart phone packed with GPS (global positioning system), computing capabilities, and VOIP (voice over Internet protocol) software from Skype Ltd.
The company has been branching out in recent years from its GPS products, and has caught onto a trend in Taiwan of developing mobile phones built around Microsoft Corp.'s Windows Mobile OS.
Describing the Glofiish X500 handset as a PDA (personal digital assistant) with voice functions, the company is pushing its slim design, just 15.5 millimeters, as a big selling point.
The voice functions are also nothing to sneeze at. Glofiish offers quad-band GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) and EDGE (Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution), as well as GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) and EGPRS (Enhanced GPRS).
It also enables users to bypass their mobile phone company and use Skype when a Wi-Fi hot spot is available.
The handset also takes advantage of push e-mail from its Windows Mobile 5.0 OS, giving users full e-mail access, IMAP/POP, and enabling the smart phone to compete with BlackBerry devices.
The company also built a 2.0 megapixel camera onboard for still shots as well as video. The rest of the Glofiish's functions can be found at E-Ten's X500 Web page.
The device will only be available in Taiwan for the time being. E-Ten did not provide suggested retail pricing.
The company has been branching out in recent years from its GPS products, and has caught onto a trend in Taiwan of developing mobile phones built around Microsoft Corp.'s Windows Mobile OS.
Describing the Glofiish X500 handset as a PDA (personal digital assistant) with voice functions, the company is pushing its slim design, just 15.5 millimeters, as a big selling point.
The voice functions are also nothing to sneeze at. Glofiish offers quad-band GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) and EDGE (Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution), as well as GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) and EGPRS (Enhanced GPRS).
It also enables users to bypass their mobile phone company and use Skype when a Wi-Fi hot spot is available.
The handset also takes advantage of push e-mail from its Windows Mobile 5.0 OS, giving users full e-mail access, IMAP/POP, and enabling the smart phone to compete with BlackBerry devices.
The company also built a 2.0 megapixel camera onboard for still shots as well as video. The rest of the Glofiish's functions can be found at E-Ten's X500 Web page.
The device will only be available in Taiwan for the time being. E-Ten did not provide suggested retail pricing.
CA licenses Funambol's mobile technology
Funambol, a developer of open source data synchronization software for mobile devices, has licensed its Sync4j mobile application server to CA, the company said Tuesday.
The software works with mobile devices supporting the SyncML standard to synchronize contacts databases and other information between devices. This year, Funambol intends to expand Sync4j's capabilities to include push e-mail delivery.
CA, a specialist in IT management software, will use the software in its tools to manage mobile devices such as smart phones in the enterprise, according to Funambol.
Mobile applications, devices and services will be one of the focuses of CA's research efforts over the next year, the company said at its CA World conference in Las Vegas in November. The company created a new research division, CA Labs, to study mobile applications and two other areas, advanced applications on converged networks, and service-oriented architecture applications, it said.
The software works with mobile devices supporting the SyncML standard to synchronize contacts databases and other information between devices. This year, Funambol intends to expand Sync4j's capabilities to include push e-mail delivery.
CA, a specialist in IT management software, will use the software in its tools to manage mobile devices such as smart phones in the enterprise, according to Funambol.
Mobile applications, devices and services will be one of the focuses of CA's research efforts over the next year, the company said at its CA World conference in Las Vegas in November. The company created a new research division, CA Labs, to study mobile applications and two other areas, advanced applications on converged networks, and service-oriented architecture applications, it said.
Opera, Bytemobile speed up wireless surfing
Future mobile phones that come with Opera Mobile browsers should get a speed boost thanks to a partnership announced Tuesday between Opera Software and Bytemobile.
Going forward, Opera Mobile browsers will be compatible with Bytemobile's Optimization Services Node Monaco Edition, a server-based platform that mobile operators use in their networks to speed up the browsing experience for users.
"You have applications like Opera so users can view the real Web, but sometimes the experience is still painful and slow," said Timo Bruns, executive vice president of mobile at Opera. Mobile operators are asking suppliers like Opera to speed up the browsing experience to encourage customers to use the mobile Internet more, he said.
Bytemobile's servers optimize Web content by shrinking content such as an image, for example, before it's delivered to the handsets. Bytemobile says its server software is used by more than 60 operators around the world including China Mobile Communications, Orange, Vodafone Group and NTT DoCoMo.
The combination of the Bytemobile-optimized Opera Mobile browser and Bytemobile's server platform can double or triple the speed of browsing, according to Bruns. He hopes the increased performance will encourage operators to choose Opera's products. Opera Mobile browsers will still work on networks that don't use Bytemobile's products.
Going forward, Opera Mobile browsers will be compatible with Bytemobile's Optimization Services Node Monaco Edition, a server-based platform that mobile operators use in their networks to speed up the browsing experience for users.
"You have applications like Opera so users can view the real Web, but sometimes the experience is still painful and slow," said Timo Bruns, executive vice president of mobile at Opera. Mobile operators are asking suppliers like Opera to speed up the browsing experience to encourage customers to use the mobile Internet more, he said.
Bytemobile's servers optimize Web content by shrinking content such as an image, for example, before it's delivered to the handsets. Bytemobile says its server software is used by more than 60 operators around the world including China Mobile Communications, Orange, Vodafone Group and NTT DoCoMo.
The combination of the Bytemobile-optimized Opera Mobile browser and Bytemobile's server platform can double or triple the speed of browsing, according to Bruns. He hopes the increased performance will encourage operators to choose Opera's products. Opera Mobile browsers will still work on networks that don't use Bytemobile's products.
WINHEC - Microsoft mobile kit to boost Live services
Microsoft will let vendors include Windows Live voice services on mobile devices through a new toolkit that will be available in the next few months.
The move is part of Microsoft's push to offer Windows Live Messenger and other services on phones and portable devices to drive more traffic to the ad-driven, Web-based Windows Live services, said Ervan Pouliquen, global marketing manager for Microsoft's Mobile Devices Division.
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"The point is deepening the engagement," he said Tuesday at Microsoft's Windows Hardware Engineering Conference in Seattle. "The more time people spend on our services and engaged with our services, the more we'll be able to monetize through advertising on the client. We think it will drive more people to the PC."
A beta of the software development kit will be available in the summer, which to Microsoft means July through September. The kit provides APIs and other software to help companies build devices to work with the voice services of Windows Live messenger.
Microsoft launched its plan to build out a set of Web-based services to rival Google last November and rebranded many of what had been MSN services, such as its instant-message client and search engine, under the Windows Live moniker. Like Google, Microsoft is deriving revenue from the services through online advertising. Microsoft CE Officer Steve Ballmer has said he wants his company to be No. 1 in online advertising revenue, even if it takes company years to get there.
Brooke Richardson, an MSN product manager, said providing voice services is just the beginning of Microsoft's plan to allow vendors to offer Web-based Windows Live services on a host of devices.
"As Windows Live matures and our platform matures we’ll be able to open up more APIs for software and hardware developers," she said.
Microsoft partners Philips Electronics NV and Uniden America already offer VoIP phones equipped with Windows Live Messenger that allow users to make calls using the IM client. The Philips phone is available in Europe, while Uniden's phone is available in Best Buy stores in the United States. The cordless handsets are dual-mode, which means they plug into a PC and a traditional telephone line.
The move is part of Microsoft's push to offer Windows Live Messenger and other services on phones and portable devices to drive more traffic to the ad-driven, Web-based Windows Live services, said Ervan Pouliquen, global marketing manager for Microsoft's Mobile Devices Division.
New! Watch this Network World Webcast - New Webcast! Choose WAN acceleration products that improve application performance for all users.
"The point is deepening the engagement," he said Tuesday at Microsoft's Windows Hardware Engineering Conference in Seattle. "The more time people spend on our services and engaged with our services, the more we'll be able to monetize through advertising on the client. We think it will drive more people to the PC."
A beta of the software development kit will be available in the summer, which to Microsoft means July through September. The kit provides APIs and other software to help companies build devices to work with the voice services of Windows Live messenger.
Microsoft launched its plan to build out a set of Web-based services to rival Google last November and rebranded many of what had been MSN services, such as its instant-message client and search engine, under the Windows Live moniker. Like Google, Microsoft is deriving revenue from the services through online advertising. Microsoft CE Officer Steve Ballmer has said he wants his company to be No. 1 in online advertising revenue, even if it takes company years to get there.
Brooke Richardson, an MSN product manager, said providing voice services is just the beginning of Microsoft's plan to allow vendors to offer Web-based Windows Live services on a host of devices.
"As Windows Live matures and our platform matures we’ll be able to open up more APIs for software and hardware developers," she said.
Microsoft partners Philips Electronics NV and Uniden America already offer VoIP phones equipped with Windows Live Messenger that allow users to make calls using the IM client. The Philips phone is available in Europe, while Uniden's phone is available in Best Buy stores in the United States. The cordless handsets are dual-mode, which means they plug into a PC and a traditional telephone line.
Nokia releases Sourcefire-based security appliance
Nokia has introduced a security appliance aimed at helping enterprises keep their networks secure, particularly in the face of threats that arise as more employees access corporate data remotely from devices like smart-phones and laptops.
The appliance, announced on Wednesday, combines Nokia's existing security platform with Sourcefire, the intrusion prevention software based on open-source Snort software.
The product uses three methods for blocking threats. Sourcefire Intrusion Sensor for Nokia uses the Snort detection engine to inspect incoming traffic for problems, generate alerts and block traffic. The software examines packets using signature, protocol and anomaly-based inspection methods.
The appliance also uses Sourcefire Real-Time Network Awareness for Nokia to do intelligent network monitoring. Information gathered by the monitoring software can be used to remediate an attack.
The third component, Sourcefire Defense Center for Nokia, allows administrators to identify long-term security trends and offers a centralized location for managing sensor policies, correlating intrusion events and configuring alert responses.
Pricing for Nokia Intrusion Prevention with Sourcefire starts at $14,995 and is available as part of Nokia's IP390 security platform.
Other security products form Nokia include firewalls, IP VPN and SSL VPN products.
Earlier this year, Nokia announced that it would integrate Sourcefire's software into its line of network security appliances by the end of the year.
The appliance, announced on Wednesday, combines Nokia's existing security platform with Sourcefire, the intrusion prevention software based on open-source Snort software.
The product uses three methods for blocking threats. Sourcefire Intrusion Sensor for Nokia uses the Snort detection engine to inspect incoming traffic for problems, generate alerts and block traffic. The software examines packets using signature, protocol and anomaly-based inspection methods.
The appliance also uses Sourcefire Real-Time Network Awareness for Nokia to do intelligent network monitoring. Information gathered by the monitoring software can be used to remediate an attack.
The third component, Sourcefire Defense Center for Nokia, allows administrators to identify long-term security trends and offers a centralized location for managing sensor policies, correlating intrusion events and configuring alert responses.
Pricing for Nokia Intrusion Prevention with Sourcefire starts at $14,995 and is available as part of Nokia's IP390 security platform.
Other security products form Nokia include firewalls, IP VPN and SSL VPN products.
Earlier this year, Nokia announced that it would integrate Sourcefire's software into its line of network security appliances by the end of the year.
Company launches mobile Linux platform
In another indication of the momentum behind the idea of Linux on mobile phones but also of the fragmentation that plagues the segment, a start-up company on Monday announced an open Linux mobile smart-phone platform.
A la Mobile said the platform, which comprises a complete software stack including the kernel, middleware and application layer, will become available for handset manufacturers in September and that it will be certified, supported, tested and maintained. A la Mobile said that using the platform will let handset makers reduce development, testing and deployment costs and cut down on development time.
Because the platform will be open, handset manufacturers will be able to customize many aspects of the product including user interface components such as icons and branding and configuration elements such as the browser. That will set the platform apart from the other proprietary operating systems, A la Mobile said. It will compete against Symbian, the leading smart-phone operating system, as well as Research in Motion, Microsoft and PalmSource.
A la Mobile appears to be missing one critical component, however. "It's all very well to make an announcement and the technology could be great but they'll need to be supported by big operators and some of the handset manufactures as well," said Nick Spencer, an analyst with Canalys. A la Mobile's Web site features endorsements from operators including SK Telecom, Telefonica Moviles SA and Sprint Nextel,. but the company hasn't announced any official deals with handset makers or operators.
A la Mobile joins a mobile Linux segment that appears to be rapidly adding enthusiastic supporters but is still hampered by a lack of unity. "The big problem has been fragmentation. There's been no body creating software development kits like Symbian or PalmSource has," Spencer said.
He said while the mobile Linux market is likely to consolidate, it's not clear if a significant body of handset makers and operators will ever consolidate around a single mobile Linux platform. It's possible that individual mobile operators will develop their own Linux-based platforms that don't interoperate with others, he said.
There's some indication, however, that at least one group of handset makers and operators may converge around a single platform. On Friday, a group including Vodafone Group PLC, NTT DoCoMo, Samsung Electronics and Motorola launched a foundation that will design an open, Linux-based platform for mobile devices.
That group joins several others that have formed to try to consolidate the direction of the mobile Linux market. The Linux Phone Standards Forum is creating APIs to allow for interoperability across handsets and the Mobile Linux Initiative is working to unify developments around the mobile Linux Kernel.
A la Mobile is involved with both of those groups as well as the Consumer Electronics Linux Forum
A la Mobile said the platform, which comprises a complete software stack including the kernel, middleware and application layer, will become available for handset manufacturers in September and that it will be certified, supported, tested and maintained. A la Mobile said that using the platform will let handset makers reduce development, testing and deployment costs and cut down on development time.
Because the platform will be open, handset manufacturers will be able to customize many aspects of the product including user interface components such as icons and branding and configuration elements such as the browser. That will set the platform apart from the other proprietary operating systems, A la Mobile said. It will compete against Symbian, the leading smart-phone operating system, as well as Research in Motion, Microsoft and PalmSource.
A la Mobile appears to be missing one critical component, however. "It's all very well to make an announcement and the technology could be great but they'll need to be supported by big operators and some of the handset manufactures as well," said Nick Spencer, an analyst with Canalys. A la Mobile's Web site features endorsements from operators including SK Telecom, Telefonica Moviles SA and Sprint Nextel,. but the company hasn't announced any official deals with handset makers or operators.
A la Mobile joins a mobile Linux segment that appears to be rapidly adding enthusiastic supporters but is still hampered by a lack of unity. "The big problem has been fragmentation. There's been no body creating software development kits like Symbian or PalmSource has," Spencer said.
He said while the mobile Linux market is likely to consolidate, it's not clear if a significant body of handset makers and operators will ever consolidate around a single mobile Linux platform. It's possible that individual mobile operators will develop their own Linux-based platforms that don't interoperate with others, he said.
There's some indication, however, that at least one group of handset makers and operators may converge around a single platform. On Friday, a group including Vodafone Group PLC, NTT DoCoMo, Samsung Electronics and Motorola launched a foundation that will design an open, Linux-based platform for mobile devices.
That group joins several others that have formed to try to consolidate the direction of the mobile Linux market. The Linux Phone Standards Forum is creating APIs to allow for interoperability across handsets and the Mobile Linux Initiative is working to unify developments around the mobile Linux Kernel.
A la Mobile is involved with both of those groups as well as the Consumer Electronics Linux Forum
Wednesday, December 27, 2006
LINUXWORLD SF - Motorola turns to Linux for phones
Motorola is developing all its advanced phone features on Linux first, leading a charge that will accelerate with this week's LinuxWorld Conference and Expo.
Although it will continue to make phones with Microsoft Windows Mobile and Symbian operating system as demanded by particular markets, the world's second-largest mobile handset maker looks to the open source platform for its future device direction, said Mark VandenBrink, senior director and lead architect in Motorola's Mobile Devices Software unit.
Motorola started developing Linux-based phones in 2000 for sale in China, where the market was growing fast and the government looked favorably on Linux, VandenBrink said in an interview Monday on the sidelines of LinuxWorld. The show runs from Monday through Thursday in San Francisco. Motorola since has expanded its use of the operating system beyond China, he said.
Linux is shaping up as an alternative to Symbian, Windows Mobile and other mobile device platforms, though its share of the market is still small in most countries. Fragmentation plagues mobile Linux and will get worse this week as more implementations emerge at the show, said Avi Greengart of Current Analysis in Sterling, Va. But backers are moving to stop that trend: On Monday, Open Source Development Labs and the Linux Phone Standards Forum announced a formal deal to coordinate their work.
Linux lets Motorola piggyback on advances by a large force of developers working on other types of hardware, and it means the handset maker doesn't have to wait for an operating system vendor such as Microsoft to release a new feature, VandenBrink said. That makes a difference in the cell phone business, where Motorola has to deliver products at the right times in many different markets throughout the year, VandenBrink said. Its Linux push on phones also fits into an overall strategy for many kinds of communication and entertainment products, he said. For example, most of Motorola's TV set-top boxes run on Linux.
There's another big reason why Motorola is embracing Linux, according to Greengart.
"Mobile Linux is clearly their play against Nokia," the world's largest handset maker and the biggest backer of Symbian, he said.
Still, the platform is poised to grow quickly out of its Asian base in the coming months, with several new handsets hitting the market in the United States and elsewhere, Greengart said. Carriers welcome it because they want to put their own stamp on the phones they sell, he said. An existing operating system such as Windows Mobile may rein them in.
"They don't want anyone else to dictate to them what the user interface should look like," Greengart said.
Meanwhile, having five or more mobile Linux implementations in play in the industry may drain some of the platform's potential. All are based on the Linux kernel but go off in different directions from there, he said.
As for the magic of the open source development community, size still matters, he added.
"Unless you have some kind of volume shipments, and you actually have open source, you're going to have a tough time convincing third-party developers to support your platform," Greengart said.
Although it will continue to make phones with Microsoft Windows Mobile and Symbian operating system as demanded by particular markets, the world's second-largest mobile handset maker looks to the open source platform for its future device direction, said Mark VandenBrink, senior director and lead architect in Motorola's Mobile Devices Software unit.
Motorola started developing Linux-based phones in 2000 for sale in China, where the market was growing fast and the government looked favorably on Linux, VandenBrink said in an interview Monday on the sidelines of LinuxWorld. The show runs from Monday through Thursday in San Francisco. Motorola since has expanded its use of the operating system beyond China, he said.
Linux is shaping up as an alternative to Symbian, Windows Mobile and other mobile device platforms, though its share of the market is still small in most countries. Fragmentation plagues mobile Linux and will get worse this week as more implementations emerge at the show, said Avi Greengart of Current Analysis in Sterling, Va. But backers are moving to stop that trend: On Monday, Open Source Development Labs and the Linux Phone Standards Forum announced a formal deal to coordinate their work.
Linux lets Motorola piggyback on advances by a large force of developers working on other types of hardware, and it means the handset maker doesn't have to wait for an operating system vendor such as Microsoft to release a new feature, VandenBrink said. That makes a difference in the cell phone business, where Motorola has to deliver products at the right times in many different markets throughout the year, VandenBrink said. Its Linux push on phones also fits into an overall strategy for many kinds of communication and entertainment products, he said. For example, most of Motorola's TV set-top boxes run on Linux.
There's another big reason why Motorola is embracing Linux, according to Greengart.
"Mobile Linux is clearly their play against Nokia," the world's largest handset maker and the biggest backer of Symbian, he said.
Still, the platform is poised to grow quickly out of its Asian base in the coming months, with several new handsets hitting the market in the United States and elsewhere, Greengart said. Carriers welcome it because they want to put their own stamp on the phones they sell, he said. An existing operating system such as Windows Mobile may rein them in.
"They don't want anyone else to dictate to them what the user interface should look like," Greengart said.
Meanwhile, having five or more mobile Linux implementations in play in the industry may drain some of the platform's potential. All are based on the Linux kernel but go off in different directions from there, he said.
As for the magic of the open source development community, size still matters, he added.
"Unless you have some kind of volume shipments, and you actually have open source, you're going to have a tough time convincing third-party developers to support your platform," Greengart said.
LinuxWorld Rocky road for mobile Linux
Linux has great potential in the mobile arena, but establishing it there will be a tall order, industry participants told a LinuxWorld Conference and Expo audience.
Mobile phone users will have to demand the technology, and they are more interested in cool devices and applications than in a software platform for its own sake, said Greg Franklin, a venture capitalist at Intellect Partners, in Palo Alto, Calif., who helps Finnish carrier TeliaSonera find investment candidates.
Franklin participated in a panel discussion Tuesday that was envisioned originally as a chance for mobile operators to talk about Linux as a component of their products and services. But it emerged as a conversation about the operators' venture capital funding for mobile Linux startups. When organizers approached the carriers about participating, that's the aspect they wanted to talk about, according to John Ellis, director of carrier market development at Motorola Inc., who moderated the panel. Executives seeking startup innovations for T-Mobile, France Telecom and Swisscom also were on the panel.
That may be a good indication of where most mobile operators stand on mobile Linux. They value its flexibility and are interested in new technologies, panelists said, but there is less going on in the trenches of actual device and service rollout.
A multimillion-dollar marketing push like Intel's Centrino campaign for Wi-Fi could help drive demand, Intellect Partners' Franklin said. But most mobile operators and handset vendors are too focused on promoting their own brands to push Linux that way, he said
T-Venture of America, T-Mobile's investment arm in Foster City, Calif., isn't looking to any particular technology or operating system but rather at products and services that T-Mobile's customers will want, said Claas Heise, its managing director. It's a tough job to get funding from the group, he said.
"I see ... quite a few companies coming with Linux-based solutions or applications to our doors," Heise said. However, they tend to be point solutions such as personal information managers. Only bigger things, namely applications and services that can generate additional revenue from a large part of T-Mobile's customer base, really grab the carrier's product managers, he said. Tools that could ease customer support are another area of interest.
"With niche applications, I don't really get a good response ... which I need in order to be able to do an investment," Heise said.
Motorola's own venture group looks at about 3,000 potential investments per year for its fund of about $100 million, according to Harshul Sanghi, an investment manager at Motorola Ventures. It only actually makes 25 to 30 investments, he said. The company is looking for fresh ideas at all layers of the communications stack.
"It's still very early days in the adoption of Linux on the handset, and I think there's still a lot of problems that need to be solved," Sanghi said.
Franklin described his ideal scenario for mobile innovation: A startup invents something that's valuable to mobile subscribers, a venture team gets a service provider interested in it, together they translate it and present it to a large enterprise customer, and the new technology goes into trial there and eventually into commercial deployment.
Being able to build good partnerships is critical for this, he said.
"This is going to be the new competitive advantage in the wireless marketplace," Franklin said.
Mobile phone users will have to demand the technology, and they are more interested in cool devices and applications than in a software platform for its own sake, said Greg Franklin, a venture capitalist at Intellect Partners, in Palo Alto, Calif., who helps Finnish carrier TeliaSonera find investment candidates.
Franklin participated in a panel discussion Tuesday that was envisioned originally as a chance for mobile operators to talk about Linux as a component of their products and services. But it emerged as a conversation about the operators' venture capital funding for mobile Linux startups. When organizers approached the carriers about participating, that's the aspect they wanted to talk about, according to John Ellis, director of carrier market development at Motorola Inc., who moderated the panel. Executives seeking startup innovations for T-Mobile, France Telecom and Swisscom also were on the panel.
That may be a good indication of where most mobile operators stand on mobile Linux. They value its flexibility and are interested in new technologies, panelists said, but there is less going on in the trenches of actual device and service rollout.
A multimillion-dollar marketing push like Intel's Centrino campaign for Wi-Fi could help drive demand, Intellect Partners' Franklin said. But most mobile operators and handset vendors are too focused on promoting their own brands to push Linux that way, he said
T-Venture of America, T-Mobile's investment arm in Foster City, Calif., isn't looking to any particular technology or operating system but rather at products and services that T-Mobile's customers will want, said Claas Heise, its managing director. It's a tough job to get funding from the group, he said.
"I see ... quite a few companies coming with Linux-based solutions or applications to our doors," Heise said. However, they tend to be point solutions such as personal information managers. Only bigger things, namely applications and services that can generate additional revenue from a large part of T-Mobile's customer base, really grab the carrier's product managers, he said. Tools that could ease customer support are another area of interest.
"With niche applications, I don't really get a good response ... which I need in order to be able to do an investment," Heise said.
Motorola's own venture group looks at about 3,000 potential investments per year for its fund of about $100 million, according to Harshul Sanghi, an investment manager at Motorola Ventures. It only actually makes 25 to 30 investments, he said. The company is looking for fresh ideas at all layers of the communications stack.
"It's still very early days in the adoption of Linux on the handset, and I think there's still a lot of problems that need to be solved," Sanghi said.
Franklin described his ideal scenario for mobile innovation: A startup invents something that's valuable to mobile subscribers, a venture team gets a service provider interested in it, together they translate it and present it to a large enterprise customer, and the new technology goes into trial there and eventually into commercial deployment.
Being able to build good partnerships is critical for this, he said.
"This is going to be the new competitive advantage in the wireless marketplace," Franklin said.
NEC, Panasonic considering cell phone software venture
NEC Corp. and Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. Ltd. (Panasonic) may establish a joint venture to develop software for cellular telephone handsets, the companies said Tuesday.
No further details of the talks or envisaged venture were available. However the Tuesday morning edition of the Nihon Keizai Shimbun business newspaper said the venture will be established in October. By cooperating the two companies are hoping to reduce the cost of software development for phones, which represents about 70 percent of the expense of developing a new handset, the newspaper said.
NEC and Panasonic are two of Japan's biggest cellular phone makers and a tie-up between the two companies would make sense. Of the top-tier handset makers in Japan, the two companies are the only ones exclusively selling Linux-based 3G cell phones. Other major Japanese handset makers are using the Symbian OS for their 3G handsets. The two companies were also among the founding members of the Linux Phone Standards (LiPS) Forum.
Earlier this year the companies said they were in discussions with Texas Instruments Inc. to set up a three-way joint venture to design, develop and manufacture chips and other components for cell phones. Those discussions are continuing, an NEC spokeswoman said Tuesday.
No further details of the talks or envisaged venture were available. However the Tuesday morning edition of the Nihon Keizai Shimbun business newspaper said the venture will be established in October. By cooperating the two companies are hoping to reduce the cost of software development for phones, which represents about 70 percent of the expense of developing a new handset, the newspaper said.
NEC and Panasonic are two of Japan's biggest cellular phone makers and a tie-up between the two companies would make sense. Of the top-tier handset makers in Japan, the two companies are the only ones exclusively selling Linux-based 3G cell phones. Other major Japanese handset makers are using the Symbian OS for their 3G handsets. The two companies were also among the founding members of the Linux Phone Standards (LiPS) Forum.
Earlier this year the companies said they were in discussions with Texas Instruments Inc. to set up a three-way joint venture to design, develop and manufacture chips and other components for cell phones. Those discussions are continuing, an NEC spokeswoman said Tuesday.
E-Ten launches smart phone with VOIP, GPS
Handset maker E-Ten Information Systems has launched a new Windows Mobile-based smart phone packed with global positioning system, computing capabilities, and VoIP software from Skype.
The company has been branching out in recent years from its GPS products, and has caught onto a trend in Taiwan of developing mobile phones built around Microsoft's Windows Mobile OS.
Describing the Glofiish X500 handset as a PDA with voice functions, the company is pushing its slim design, just 15.5 millimeters, as a big selling point.
The voice functions are also nothing to sneeze at. Glofiish offers quad-band GSM and Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution, as well as General Packet Radio Service and Enhanced GPRS.
It also enables users to bypass their mobile phone company and use Skype when a Wi-Fi hot spot is available.
The handset also takes advantage of push e-mail from its Windows Mobile 5.0 OS, giving users full e-mail access, IMAP/POP, and enabling the smart phone to compete with BlackBerry devices.
The company also built a 2.0 megapixel camera onboard for still shots as well as video. The rest of the Glofiish's functions can be found at E-Ten's X500 Web page.
The device will only be available in Taiwan for the time being. E-Ten did not provide suggested retail pricing.
The company has been branching out in recent years from its GPS products, and has caught onto a trend in Taiwan of developing mobile phones built around Microsoft's Windows Mobile OS.
Describing the Glofiish X500 handset as a PDA with voice functions, the company is pushing its slim design, just 15.5 millimeters, as a big selling point.
The voice functions are also nothing to sneeze at. Glofiish offers quad-band GSM and Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution, as well as General Packet Radio Service and Enhanced GPRS.
It also enables users to bypass their mobile phone company and use Skype when a Wi-Fi hot spot is available.
The handset also takes advantage of push e-mail from its Windows Mobile 5.0 OS, giving users full e-mail access, IMAP/POP, and enabling the smart phone to compete with BlackBerry devices.
The company also built a 2.0 megapixel camera onboard for still shots as well as video. The rest of the Glofiish's functions can be found at E-Ten's X500 Web page.
The device will only be available in Taiwan for the time being. E-Ten did not provide suggested retail pricing.
Symantec ships Mobile AntiVirus 4.0
Symantec has announced an updated version of its Mobile AntiVirus software to protect Windows-based smart phones and mobile handsets based on Windows Mobile 5.0 and the earlier Windows Mobile 2003.
The enterprise version of Mobile AntiVirus for Windows Mobile 5.0, which supports Symantec’s LiveUpdate via cellular service, includes a management console that can report device activity and schedule scanning and updates, according to Tim Boyd, product marketing manager. However, the Mobile AntiVirus 4.0 is a separate management console from that used with Symantec’s desktop antivirus products, a problem Symantec hopes to resolve in future releases, said Boyd.
“It’s a matter of scheduling to pull these consoles together,” he noted, add it won’t be especially hard to combine the XML-based report files from the Mobile AniVirus console with Symantec’s management system for the desktop.
Also, unlike Symantec’s desktop antivirus which includes antispyware functionality, the Mobile AntiVirus 4.0 software is very limited in that regard, Boyd acknowledged. Today, viruses are rare for smart phones, said Boyd, but the concern is that the market success of the latest generation of Windows-based mobile devices will spur interest in some devising viruses for them.
“Those people can easily migrate those over to the mobile platform,” said Boyd. Next year Symantec plans to add additional capabilities, including a firewall, for its mobile-security product line.
The enterprise version of Mobile AntiVirus 4.0 costs about $48 per seat, while the consumer version of Mobile AntiVirus 4.0, expected to ship in early December, costs about $30.
The enterprise version of Mobile AntiVirus for Windows Mobile 5.0, which supports Symantec’s LiveUpdate via cellular service, includes a management console that can report device activity and schedule scanning and updates, according to Tim Boyd, product marketing manager. However, the Mobile AntiVirus 4.0 is a separate management console from that used with Symantec’s desktop antivirus products, a problem Symantec hopes to resolve in future releases, said Boyd.
“It’s a matter of scheduling to pull these consoles together,” he noted, add it won’t be especially hard to combine the XML-based report files from the Mobile AniVirus console with Symantec’s management system for the desktop.
Also, unlike Symantec’s desktop antivirus which includes antispyware functionality, the Mobile AntiVirus 4.0 software is very limited in that regard, Boyd acknowledged. Today, viruses are rare for smart phones, said Boyd, but the concern is that the market success of the latest generation of Windows-based mobile devices will spur interest in some devising viruses for them.
“Those people can easily migrate those over to the mobile platform,” said Boyd. Next year Symantec plans to add additional capabilities, including a firewall, for its mobile-security product line.
The enterprise version of Mobile AntiVirus 4.0 costs about $48 per seat, while the consumer version of Mobile AntiVirus 4.0, expected to ship in early December, costs about $30.
ITU - China's Amoi offers low-cost Windows Mobile handset
China's Amoi Electronics Co. Ltd. has introduced a handset based on Microsoft Corp.'s Windows Mobile 5.0 software that costs substantially less than models from other companies.
The new handset, the Amoi E72, was announced at the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Telecom World 2006 conference and exhibition in Hong Kong, costs around US$250, while other handsets running the same software typically cost hundreds of dollars more.
The Amoi handset, which supports GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications), GPRS (General Packet Radio Service), and EDGE (Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution) networks, is the least expensive Windows Mobile device to be released in China so far, Microsoft said.
The E72 will be available in China in January.
Thanks to operator subsidies, users may not pay the cost of the handsets themselves, instead agreeing to be locked into a service contract for a period of time. However, the lower cost of the Amoi handset could make service packages for Windows Mobile devices more affordable in China, where the company does most of its business.
The Amoi E72 smart phone is based on the OMAPV1030 chipset from Texas Instruments Inc., a low-cost chip that helped to reduce the handset's overall cost. Amoi plans to produce three additional phones based on the chipset and Windows Mobile 5.0, but did not release details or expected prices for those phones.
Telecom World runs through Friday.
The new handset, the Amoi E72, was announced at the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Telecom World 2006 conference and exhibition in Hong Kong, costs around US$250, while other handsets running the same software typically cost hundreds of dollars more.
The Amoi handset, which supports GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications), GPRS (General Packet Radio Service), and EDGE (Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution) networks, is the least expensive Windows Mobile device to be released in China so far, Microsoft said.
The E72 will be available in China in January.
Thanks to operator subsidies, users may not pay the cost of the handsets themselves, instead agreeing to be locked into a service contract for a period of time. However, the lower cost of the Amoi handset could make service packages for Windows Mobile devices more affordable in China, where the company does most of its business.
The Amoi E72 smart phone is based on the OMAPV1030 chipset from Texas Instruments Inc., a low-cost chip that helped to reduce the handset's overall cost. Amoi plans to produce three additional phones based on the chipset and Windows Mobile 5.0, but did not release details or expected prices for those phones.
Telecom World runs through Friday.
Google to be default search on Opera mobile browsers
While rumors of Google buying Opera Software haven't proved true, the pair have extended their relationship. Opera will include a Google search item on the opening pages of Opera Mini and Opera Mobile, the browsers designed for handheld devices. Opera filed a short statement regarding the one-year contract to the Oslo stock exchange on Thursday.
Users of Opera Mini, the hosted Web browser that can be used on most Java-capable phones, will find a Google search bar along with a box for typing in a Web page address on the main screen when they open the browser.
Opera Mini will be formally launched later this month, though Opera quietly began allowing users around the globe to download the software in late December. The Google search function will become available at the formal launch, said Eskil Sivertsen, a spokesman for Opera.
Google will also be the default search partner for Opera Mobile, a fuller-featured browser for mobile devices, but the design and details of what it will look haven't yet been worked out, Sivertsen said.
Opera has a long and good relationship with Google, and for many years a Google search bar has appeared on Opera's desktop browser, he said. It made sense to extend that relationship to the mobile environment. "Searching is very important in the mobile Web and we see search as one of the things that users use the most," he said.
In December, there were reports that Google might be interested in buying Opera but Opera executives at the time dismissed them as rumor.
Users of Opera Mini, the hosted Web browser that can be used on most Java-capable phones, will find a Google search bar along with a box for typing in a Web page address on the main screen when they open the browser.
Opera Mini will be formally launched later this month, though Opera quietly began allowing users around the globe to download the software in late December. The Google search function will become available at the formal launch, said Eskil Sivertsen, a spokesman for Opera.
Google will also be the default search partner for Opera Mobile, a fuller-featured browser for mobile devices, but the design and details of what it will look haven't yet been worked out, Sivertsen said.
Opera has a long and good relationship with Google, and for many years a Google search bar has appeared on Opera's desktop browser, he said. It made sense to extend that relationship to the mobile environment. "Searching is very important in the mobile Web and we see search as one of the things that users use the most," he said.
In December, there were reports that Google might be interested in buying Opera but Opera executives at the time dismissed them as rumor.
Tuesday, December 26, 2006
Trapeze creates 'smart' wireless LAN traffic
Trapeze Networks this week is introducing software that lets its wireless LAN switches and access points negotiate the best way to handle different kinds of wireless traffic.
Dubbed "Smart Mobile," the new code can trigger an access point to sometimes ensure wireless VoIP packets meet agreed-upon quality levels, to minimize latency in voice calls. At the same time, Smart Mobile lets the switch take over completely the work of forwarding packets from visitors accessing the corporate WLAN, keeping all their traffic on a dedicated virtual LAN.
"We keep all functions like policy management centralized on the switch," says Dan Simone, vice president and CTO for Trapeze. "But functions like encryption and traffic forwarding can be either centralized [at the switch] or distributed [to access points], depending on the needs of the application."
Simone says this will be especially crucial as high-performance 802.11n access points and clients eventually begin to appear in 2007 and 2008. "If access points can go 10 times faster [with 802.11n], wireless switches don't have 10 times the bandwidth," he says. "The result is either a bottleneck at the switch or you'll have to replace it with a forklift upgrade."
Smart Mobile code will bypass this dilemma, he says. "With Smart Mobile, we can have the access point forward [802.11n] traffic directly to its destination, bypassing the switch except for certain control plane and management plane data," Simone says.
Smart Mobile code is also being added to Trapeze's outdoor wireless mesh nodes, which now have the full range of features found in the indoor access points and can be managed as an extension of the indoor net. Traffic at these outdoor nodes again can be isolated and redirected without having to pass through a central Trapeze switch.
The Smart Mobile code will be available this month as a free software upgrade for existing customers and will ship as an integral part of the systems software in future Trapeze products, the prices of which are unchanged.
Dubbed "Smart Mobile," the new code can trigger an access point to sometimes ensure wireless VoIP packets meet agreed-upon quality levels, to minimize latency in voice calls. At the same time, Smart Mobile lets the switch take over completely the work of forwarding packets from visitors accessing the corporate WLAN, keeping all their traffic on a dedicated virtual LAN.
"We keep all functions like policy management centralized on the switch," says Dan Simone, vice president and CTO for Trapeze. "But functions like encryption and traffic forwarding can be either centralized [at the switch] or distributed [to access points], depending on the needs of the application."
Simone says this will be especially crucial as high-performance 802.11n access points and clients eventually begin to appear in 2007 and 2008. "If access points can go 10 times faster [with 802.11n], wireless switches don't have 10 times the bandwidth," he says. "The result is either a bottleneck at the switch or you'll have to replace it with a forklift upgrade."
Smart Mobile code will bypass this dilemma, he says. "With Smart Mobile, we can have the access point forward [802.11n] traffic directly to its destination, bypassing the switch except for certain control plane and management plane data," Simone says.
Smart Mobile code is also being added to Trapeze's outdoor wireless mesh nodes, which now have the full range of features found in the indoor access points and can be managed as an extension of the indoor net. Traffic at these outdoor nodes again can be isolated and redirected without having to pass through a central Trapeze switch.
The Smart Mobile code will be available this month as a free software upgrade for existing customers and will ship as an integral part of the systems software in future Trapeze products, the prices of which are unchanged.
Choices abound for mobile e-mail
The software upgrade that enables push e-mail to Microsoft's latest mobile handset software is just about to reach end users, but enterprises have plenty of other options for supporting push e-mail to choose from. At the 3GSM World Congress this week, Microsoft and others made announcements about new push e-mail services as well as new devices designed for mobile e-mail use.
Early in the week, Microsoft said that in March, Vodafone and the Dutch subsidiary of T-Mobile will start offering push e-mail to users of Windows Mobile 5.0 devices featuring an upgrade that enables the push e-mail feature.
Also at 3GSM, Microsoft showed off a new smartphone, the Samsung i320, which will become available in Europe at the end of this year. The very thin phone features a Qwerty keyboard and a media player and will run Windows Mobile 5.0 supporting push e-mail. The phone will operate on Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE) networks however, not the higher speed 3G networks.
Fujitsu Siemens also introduced a new line of phones running Windows Mobile 5.0 and featuring push e-mail, the Pocket Loox T series. The handsets will operate on 3G networks as well as Wi-Fi and will start selling in Europe in July.
Such devices should help deliver push e-mail and other functions out to a wider audience, said Scott Horn, general manager of Microsoft's mobile and embedded devices group. "Windows Mobile helps break down the barrier between PDAs and phones," he said.
But Microsoft's push e-mail wasn't the only one discussed at 3GSM. Visto launched a new version of its platform, Visto Mobile 5.5. Visto's existing platform is used by mobile operators including Vodafone to deliver a hosted push e-mail service to users. The new version supports multiple mailbox management and also allows IT managers to remotely wipe data from devices that may be lost or stolen. It will be available to operators in the second quarter.
LogicaCMG and Synchronica also introduced new push e-mail products at 3GSM. LogicaCMG's new platform can be used by operators to target small and medium sized businesses as well as heavy e-mail using consumers. Synchronica said it is now selling SyncML, a gateway that can be used by enterprises or operators to push e-mail from Microsoft Exchange 200 or 2003 or Sun Java Enterprise System 3 out to SyncML-enabled phones.
Seven Networks' latest push e-mail offering, launched at 3GSM, targets small businesses or groups with as many as 25 users. Seven said the product is designed to be installed by someone who may not have IT expertise. The software can push e-mail from Microsoft Outlook and Lotus Domino as well as POP3 and IMAP servers.
Funambol demonstrated its open source push e-mail offering and announced that Philippines Long Distance Telephone Co. will use the software to offer mobile e-mail to customers.
The week prior to 3GSM, Nokia's acquisition of Intellisync closed. At the conference, Nokia said that a single offering will come that combines Nokia's Business Center push e-mail product with Intellisync's offerings, said Dave Grannan, general manager of e-mail enterprise solutions for Nokia. The integrated product will include a couple of features from Nokia's Business Center including one that lets users view an attachment in a browser rather than having to download a potentially large file, he said.
Early in the week, Microsoft said that in March, Vodafone and the Dutch subsidiary of T-Mobile will start offering push e-mail to users of Windows Mobile 5.0 devices featuring an upgrade that enables the push e-mail feature.
Also at 3GSM, Microsoft showed off a new smartphone, the Samsung i320, which will become available in Europe at the end of this year. The very thin phone features a Qwerty keyboard and a media player and will run Windows Mobile 5.0 supporting push e-mail. The phone will operate on Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE) networks however, not the higher speed 3G networks.
Fujitsu Siemens also introduced a new line of phones running Windows Mobile 5.0 and featuring push e-mail, the Pocket Loox T series. The handsets will operate on 3G networks as well as Wi-Fi and will start selling in Europe in July.
Such devices should help deliver push e-mail and other functions out to a wider audience, said Scott Horn, general manager of Microsoft's mobile and embedded devices group. "Windows Mobile helps break down the barrier between PDAs and phones," he said.
But Microsoft's push e-mail wasn't the only one discussed at 3GSM. Visto launched a new version of its platform, Visto Mobile 5.5. Visto's existing platform is used by mobile operators including Vodafone to deliver a hosted push e-mail service to users. The new version supports multiple mailbox management and also allows IT managers to remotely wipe data from devices that may be lost or stolen. It will be available to operators in the second quarter.
LogicaCMG and Synchronica also introduced new push e-mail products at 3GSM. LogicaCMG's new platform can be used by operators to target small and medium sized businesses as well as heavy e-mail using consumers. Synchronica said it is now selling SyncML, a gateway that can be used by enterprises or operators to push e-mail from Microsoft Exchange 200 or 2003 or Sun Java Enterprise System 3 out to SyncML-enabled phones.
Seven Networks' latest push e-mail offering, launched at 3GSM, targets small businesses or groups with as many as 25 users. Seven said the product is designed to be installed by someone who may not have IT expertise. The software can push e-mail from Microsoft Outlook and Lotus Domino as well as POP3 and IMAP servers.
Funambol demonstrated its open source push e-mail offering and announced that Philippines Long Distance Telephone Co. will use the software to offer mobile e-mail to customers.
The week prior to 3GSM, Nokia's acquisition of Intellisync closed. At the conference, Nokia said that a single offering will come that combines Nokia's Business Center push e-mail product with Intellisync's offerings, said Dave Grannan, general manager of e-mail enterprise solutions for Nokia. The integrated product will include a couple of features from Nokia's Business Center including one that lets users view an attachment in a browser rather than having to download a potentially large file, he said.
CEBIT - T-Mobile first to launch branded Opera Mini
T-Mobile is the first operator to offer a branded version of the Opera Mini Web browser, Opera Software announced Wednesday at the Cebit trade show in Hanover, Germany.
The addition of Opera Mini to T-Mobile's handsets will extend the operator's "web'n'walk" mobile Internet offering to a wider market by including the capability in low-end and mid-range phones. The mobile data offering was previously available only to users of high-end phones that could support full featured browsers.
Starting this month T-Mobile will offer three phones that include Opera Mini: the Sony Ericsson K608i, Motorola V3/V3i and Nokia 6280. T-Mobile is expected to start selling additional handsets with Opera Mini in the second quarter, Opera said.
Opera Mini is a hosted mobile Web browsing system. The client component can be loaded onto any Java-enabled phone. It communicates with a back-end server that strips out and condenses content, making it suitable for access on a small device.
Opera will host the service for T-Mobile, although an operator could also decide to host the service itself, said Tor Odland, an Opera spokesman.
Opera also hosts Opera Mini for any customer with a suitable phone. Users can download the software to their phones and use the service from Opera, paying only for the data transfer rates charged by their operator.
T-Mobile said it has sold 400,000 web'n'walk phones and will be selling over 20 different models by the second quarter. Web'n'walk is currently available in Germany, the U.K., Austria and the Netherlands, and is scheduled to launch in the Czech Republic this year, T-Mobile said.
The addition of Opera Mini to T-Mobile's handsets will extend the operator's "web'n'walk" mobile Internet offering to a wider market by including the capability in low-end and mid-range phones. The mobile data offering was previously available only to users of high-end phones that could support full featured browsers.
Starting this month T-Mobile will offer three phones that include Opera Mini: the Sony Ericsson K608i, Motorola V3/V3i and Nokia 6280. T-Mobile is expected to start selling additional handsets with Opera Mini in the second quarter, Opera said.
Opera Mini is a hosted mobile Web browsing system. The client component can be loaded onto any Java-enabled phone. It communicates with a back-end server that strips out and condenses content, making it suitable for access on a small device.
Opera will host the service for T-Mobile, although an operator could also decide to host the service itself, said Tor Odland, an Opera spokesman.
Opera also hosts Opera Mini for any customer with a suitable phone. Users can download the software to their phones and use the service from Opera, paying only for the data transfer rates charged by their operator.
T-Mobile said it has sold 400,000 web'n'walk phones and will be selling over 20 different models by the second quarter. Web'n'walk is currently available in Germany, the U.K., Austria and the Netherlands, and is scheduled to launch in the Czech Republic this year, T-Mobile said.
RIM rolls on: New software, acquisition
Hard on the heels of its legal settlement with NTP, Research In Motion is shipping a new release of its server software, and announced the purchase of a software company for voice support on mobile devices.
RIM released BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES) 4.1 for wireless messaging, designed for large companies, along with the Small Business Edition of the same software for smaller deployments.
The new version includes a program called BlackBerry Manager, a set of screens for managing a group of BlackBerry Enterprise Servers. Also new is a feature that lets administrators adapt the server configurations and policies for a designated groups of users.
For the first time, BES administrative functions can be subdivided and assigned to different job levels, so that staff on a help desk will not have unrestricted access to all administrative privileges.
A new instant messaging feature lets users set up online chat capabilities, while providing message auditing and access controls with Microsoft and IBM messaging servers.
Both editions of BES work with IBM Lotus Domino Versions 5.0 to 7.0, and with Microsoft Exchange Server 5.5, through the most recent Exchange 2003 Service Pack 2.
By acquiring Ascendent Systems, RIM adds the vendor's Voice Mobility Suite to its line of BlackBerry devices. The Ascendent software works with PBX and IP-PBX servers, to push PBX-based features, including call transfers and call holding and voicemails over cellular or WLAN connections to mobile BlackBerry users. The software supports Session Initiation Protocol for VoIP.
RIM released BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES) 4.1 for wireless messaging, designed for large companies, along with the Small Business Edition of the same software for smaller deployments.
The new version includes a program called BlackBerry Manager, a set of screens for managing a group of BlackBerry Enterprise Servers. Also new is a feature that lets administrators adapt the server configurations and policies for a designated groups of users.
For the first time, BES administrative functions can be subdivided and assigned to different job levels, so that staff on a help desk will not have unrestricted access to all administrative privileges.
A new instant messaging feature lets users set up online chat capabilities, while providing message auditing and access controls with Microsoft and IBM messaging servers.
Both editions of BES work with IBM Lotus Domino Versions 5.0 to 7.0, and with Microsoft Exchange Server 5.5, through the most recent Exchange 2003 Service Pack 2.
By acquiring Ascendent Systems, RIM adds the vendor's Voice Mobility Suite to its line of BlackBerry devices. The Ascendent software works with PBX and IP-PBX servers, to push PBX-based features, including call transfers and call holding and voicemails over cellular or WLAN connections to mobile BlackBerry users. The software supports Session Initiation Protocol for VoIP.
F-Secure helps Orange with mobile anti-virus
F-Secure Thursday said its Mobile Antivirus software is now available for some devices in Switzerland through operator Orange.
The software, which ranges in size from 400K bytes to 750K bytes depending on the mobile device, can be downloaded through the Orange portal. The downloaded program will go directly to the device, F-Secure said.
Software updates are automatically pushed to the device, F-Secure said. The software is free for the first month and then costs 3 Swiss francs ($2.30) per month.
Notable mobile viruses such as Cabir, which spreads through Bluetooth, and Comwar, which spreads using Bluetooth and multimedia messaging service (MMS), have increased concern over how complex devices may be targeted by virus writers.
Last month, the first for-profit mobile virus was discovered. The Trojan horse virus, called Redbrowser, features a social engineering ploy written in Russian. When activated, the virus sends short message service (SMS) messages to a phone number that charges around $6 per message, according to Kaspersky Labs, an anti-virus vendor.
The software, which ranges in size from 400K bytes to 750K bytes depending on the mobile device, can be downloaded through the Orange portal. The downloaded program will go directly to the device, F-Secure said.
Software updates are automatically pushed to the device, F-Secure said. The software is free for the first month and then costs 3 Swiss francs ($2.30) per month.
Notable mobile viruses such as Cabir, which spreads through Bluetooth, and Comwar, which spreads using Bluetooth and multimedia messaging service (MMS), have increased concern over how complex devices may be targeted by virus writers.
Last month, the first for-profit mobile virus was discovered. The Trojan horse virus, called Redbrowser, features a social engineering ploy written in Russian. When activated, the virus sends short message service (SMS) messages to a phone number that charges around $6 per message, according to Kaspersky Labs, an anti-virus vendor.
Monday, December 25, 2006
Nokia eyes corporate mobility
Nokia took a small step toward a big goal last week.
That step is a new version of its device-management software, which lets customers control and provision mobile devices, such as smart-phones and PDAs.
Nokia's goal is to be the linchpin in corporate mobility by offering a variety of products, from handsets to server software that together give mobile workers secure access to enterprise applications.
Achieving that goal is the burden of the Enterprise Solutions division, created in 2004, under former HP executive Mary McDowell. In 2005 the division's net sales, including enterprise-class smart-phones, network firewall and VPN products, and now mobile e-mail and device management software, amounted to $1.05 billion, less than 3% of Nokia's total sales. Worse, Nokia executives cited the division's losses as one drag on 2005 profits. Nokia officials say the division is scheduled to be profitable in 2007.
Key acquisition
Nokia confirmed the importance of the new business unit in 2005, however, when the board approved the $430 million acquisition, completed two months ago, of Intellisync, a software vendor offering data-synchronization middleware with an application for push e-mail and a suite of device-management applications.
"This acquisition really expands their role into mobile e-mail, groupware and [personal information management]," says Cliff Raskind, director of wireless enterprise strategies for Strategy Analytics in Boston. "And it gives them instant presence with [Code Division Multiple Access] carriers in the United States, where Nokia has had almost no presence."
The Intellisync software will provide the underpinnings for Nokia Business Center, a 2005 package of hardware and software for push e-mail and for mobilizing a range of business applications that was initially targeted as an inexpensive offering for small-to-midsize companies. The offering was a direct challenge to Microsoft, Research in Motion and Sybase, with its Extended Systems acquisition.
The software announced last week introduces the Open Management Alliance Device Management standard into the Intellisync Device Management suite. The OMA-DM is a set of industry protocols and mechanisms for managing mobile- and wireless-connected devices. The release also will give administrators new controls over what file types and sizes can be downloaded to handhelds.
"The driver for Nokia is this: If we just want to sell some more phones to the enterprise, that won't get us very far," he says. "We want to enable all the enterprise applications, not just e-mail, that these employees need."
To do so, the enterprise division is working in four areas. First, it is creating a new breed of mobile terminals, exemplified by the E Series handhelds released in late 2005 and designed for business users. The E Series can run GSM, wide-band CDMA, wireless LAN, and Bluetooth interfaces, and support an array of corporate e-mail applications, VoIP and Session Initiation Protocol-based services.
Second, it is securing the data on the devices and the network communications, via Nokia's longstanding security-appliance business, which generates about $300 million a year for the division, Cognet says. These firewall and VPN products are being refined to secure mobile devices better. "We'll keep adding to this [capability]," he says. "If a [mobile] terminal connects to the corporate e-mail infrastructure, the e-mail application has to be protected against a wider array of threats, since the [client] device is functioning outside the enterprise."
This kind of centralized administration is essential to make mobile devices a true extension of the enterprise, says Olivier Cognet, the division's executive vice president of business development.
That step is a new version of its device-management software, which lets customers control and provision mobile devices, such as smart-phones and PDAs.
Nokia's goal is to be the linchpin in corporate mobility by offering a variety of products, from handsets to server software that together give mobile workers secure access to enterprise applications.
Achieving that goal is the burden of the Enterprise Solutions division, created in 2004, under former HP executive Mary McDowell. In 2005 the division's net sales, including enterprise-class smart-phones, network firewall and VPN products, and now mobile e-mail and device management software, amounted to $1.05 billion, less than 3% of Nokia's total sales. Worse, Nokia executives cited the division's losses as one drag on 2005 profits. Nokia officials say the division is scheduled to be profitable in 2007.
Key acquisition
Nokia confirmed the importance of the new business unit in 2005, however, when the board approved the $430 million acquisition, completed two months ago, of Intellisync, a software vendor offering data-synchronization middleware with an application for push e-mail and a suite of device-management applications.
"This acquisition really expands their role into mobile e-mail, groupware and [personal information management]," says Cliff Raskind, director of wireless enterprise strategies for Strategy Analytics in Boston. "And it gives them instant presence with [Code Division Multiple Access] carriers in the United States, where Nokia has had almost no presence."
The Intellisync software will provide the underpinnings for Nokia Business Center, a 2005 package of hardware and software for push e-mail and for mobilizing a range of business applications that was initially targeted as an inexpensive offering for small-to-midsize companies. The offering was a direct challenge to Microsoft, Research in Motion and Sybase, with its Extended Systems acquisition.
The software announced last week introduces the Open Management Alliance Device Management standard into the Intellisync Device Management suite. The OMA-DM is a set of industry protocols and mechanisms for managing mobile- and wireless-connected devices. The release also will give administrators new controls over what file types and sizes can be downloaded to handhelds.
"The driver for Nokia is this: If we just want to sell some more phones to the enterprise, that won't get us very far," he says. "We want to enable all the enterprise applications, not just e-mail, that these employees need."
To do so, the enterprise division is working in four areas. First, it is creating a new breed of mobile terminals, exemplified by the E Series handhelds released in late 2005 and designed for business users. The E Series can run GSM, wide-band CDMA, wireless LAN, and Bluetooth interfaces, and support an array of corporate e-mail applications, VoIP and Session Initiation Protocol-based services.
Second, it is securing the data on the devices and the network communications, via Nokia's longstanding security-appliance business, which generates about $300 million a year for the division, Cognet says. These firewall and VPN products are being refined to secure mobile devices better. "We'll keep adding to this [capability]," he says. "If a [mobile] terminal connects to the corporate e-mail infrastructure, the e-mail application has to be protected against a wider array of threats, since the [client] device is functioning outside the enterprise."
This kind of centralized administration is essential to make mobile devices a true extension of the enterprise, says Olivier Cognet, the division's executive vice president of business development.
Opera Mini 2.0 aims to simplify mobile commerce
Opera Software ASA said Wednesday that it aims to make it easier for mobile users to buy ringtones and other mobile content with the availability of the Opera Mini 2.0 browser.
A new feature in Opera Mini 2.0 removes a step often required of mobile users who buy mobile content. Some mobile content providers sell ringtones or images by asking customers to send a specified word via text message to a certain number. The buyers then receive the content via text message and are billed for the purchase on their regular accounts.
The new Opera Mini 2.0 feature skips the initial text message requirement. When Opera Mini 2.0 users visit a content provider's site and decide to purchase a ringtone, for example, they can click on a link to buy it. Opera Mini 2.0 automatically sends the appropriate text message so that the user doesn't have to navigate away from the Web page, enter the messaging application and send the message. The content is then delivered to the buyer via text message and the user is billed for the ringtone as agreed, typically via regular bill.
To enable the service, content providers must include specific scripts on their Web sites. The sites will then detect when a visitor is using Opera Mini 2.0 and enable the shortened buying procedure.
Opera will soon begin reaching out to content providers and offering them instructions on implementing the code, said Eskil Silvertsen, a spokesman for Opera.
Opera Mini 2.0 has a few other new features as well. Users can now download files such as MP3s and images to their phones. Previously, Opera Mini didn't allow downloads
Also, with the latest software users can choose a default search engine from a drop-down menu. The previous version came with Google as the default search engine. Another new feature is a speed-dial bookmark capability that allows users to assign two-key codes that will open up a Web page. The feature lets users get to Web pages quicker than navigating through bookmarks, Silvertsen said.
Opera Mini is a small browser application that can be downloaded for free to any Java-enabled mobile phone. When users visit Web sites, remote Opera servers strip down the size of the sites, making them load quicker and look better on the small screens of mobile phones. Opera Mini is being used by 2.5 million people who view more than 4 million pages every day, Silvertsen said.
Opera also allows other companies to offer self-branded and customized versions of Opera Mini to their customers. T-Mobile International AG & Co. KG is including a self-branded version of Opera Mini on certain mobile phones. A handful of other distributors and operators are also promoting Opera Mini.
A new feature in Opera Mini 2.0 removes a step often required of mobile users who buy mobile content. Some mobile content providers sell ringtones or images by asking customers to send a specified word via text message to a certain number. The buyers then receive the content via text message and are billed for the purchase on their regular accounts.
The new Opera Mini 2.0 feature skips the initial text message requirement. When Opera Mini 2.0 users visit a content provider's site and decide to purchase a ringtone, for example, they can click on a link to buy it. Opera Mini 2.0 automatically sends the appropriate text message so that the user doesn't have to navigate away from the Web page, enter the messaging application and send the message. The content is then delivered to the buyer via text message and the user is billed for the ringtone as agreed, typically via regular bill.
To enable the service, content providers must include specific scripts on their Web sites. The sites will then detect when a visitor is using Opera Mini 2.0 and enable the shortened buying procedure.
Opera will soon begin reaching out to content providers and offering them instructions on implementing the code, said Eskil Silvertsen, a spokesman for Opera.
Opera Mini 2.0 has a few other new features as well. Users can now download files such as MP3s and images to their phones. Previously, Opera Mini didn't allow downloads
Also, with the latest software users can choose a default search engine from a drop-down menu. The previous version came with Google as the default search engine. Another new feature is a speed-dial bookmark capability that allows users to assign two-key codes that will open up a Web page. The feature lets users get to Web pages quicker than navigating through bookmarks, Silvertsen said.
Opera Mini is a small browser application that can be downloaded for free to any Java-enabled mobile phone. When users visit Web sites, remote Opera servers strip down the size of the sites, making them load quicker and look better on the small screens of mobile phones. Opera Mini is being used by 2.5 million people who view more than 4 million pages every day, Silvertsen said.
Opera also allows other companies to offer self-branded and customized versions of Opera Mini to their customers. T-Mobile International AG & Co. KG is including a self-branded version of Opera Mini on certain mobile phones. A handful of other distributors and operators are also promoting Opera Mini.
Motorola, others to launch mobile Linux group
A group of top mobile phone makers and operators said Thursday they are launching a foundation to create an open Linux-based software platform for mobile devices.
The companies, including Motorola, Vodafone, NTT DoCoMo, Samsung Electronics, NEC and Panasonic Mobile Communications, plan to focus on the development and marketing of an API specification, architecture and source reference.
The group hopes to create a collaborative environment to build a mobile Linux development ecosystem and work to minimize fragmentation in the market. Initially, the founders plan to be responsible for the reference implementation of the mobile operating platform but will later invite other companies including phone makers, operators, chip manufacturers and software vendors to join.
The foundation also hopes to offer a test suite so that developers can demonstrate that their products conform to the specification.
Linux is a popular operating system for phones in China and is gaining momentum in Europe. Operators and phone makers say that using Linux can help them reduce the cost of handsets.
This will be the third mobile Linux group to launch within a year, joining the Linux Phone Standards (LiPS) Forum and the Mobile Linux Initiative (MLI). Like the new foundation launched on Friday, the LiPS Forum aims to focus on the creation of APIs to enable interoperability of applications across Linux handsets.
PalmSource, France Telecom and Orange are among the leaders of LiPS. The MLI, with members that include Motorola and PalmSource, is working on unifying developments around the mobile Linux kernel.
The companies, including Motorola, Vodafone, NTT DoCoMo, Samsung Electronics, NEC and Panasonic Mobile Communications, plan to focus on the development and marketing of an API specification, architecture and source reference.
The group hopes to create a collaborative environment to build a mobile Linux development ecosystem and work to minimize fragmentation in the market. Initially, the founders plan to be responsible for the reference implementation of the mobile operating platform but will later invite other companies including phone makers, operators, chip manufacturers and software vendors to join.
The foundation also hopes to offer a test suite so that developers can demonstrate that their products conform to the specification.
Linux is a popular operating system for phones in China and is gaining momentum in Europe. Operators and phone makers say that using Linux can help them reduce the cost of handsets.
This will be the third mobile Linux group to launch within a year, joining the Linux Phone Standards (LiPS) Forum and the Mobile Linux Initiative (MLI). Like the new foundation launched on Friday, the LiPS Forum aims to focus on the creation of APIs to enable interoperability of applications across Linux handsets.
PalmSource, France Telecom and Orange are among the leaders of LiPS. The MLI, with members that include Motorola and PalmSource, is working on unifying developments around the mobile Linux kernel.
In brief: Wavelink to release mobile terminal emulation software
Wavelink this week plans to release Version 6.0 of its mobile terminal emulation software, which now includes the Wavelink Industrial Web Browser. The IWB is a Windows plug-in for Internet Explorer that adds a range of features for mobile computing. It has interfaces with bar code reader, magnetic stripe readers and other peripherals, and a feature that suspends the application when it's out of range of a wireless access point. Using a single button, handheld users can toggle between Web applications and conventional terminal emulation screens. Wavelink TE 6.0, which is expected to ship at the end of July, is priced at $199; the Industrial Web Browser costs $89.
NEC, Panasonic to tie on 3G phone chips, software
NEC Corp. and Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. Ltd. (Panasonic) have agreed to work together on basic development of mobile telephone handsets, and with Texas Instruments Inc. on a common core hardware platform for future handsets, the companies said late Thursday.
The deals represent an expansion of an existing relationship between the two companies. NEC and Panasonic have been collaborating on Linux-based cell phones for NTT DoCoMo Inc.'s 3G service since 2001.
News of a closer tie doesn't come as a surprise. Reports of the platform deal with Texas Instruments were carried in the Japanese media several months ago and the software agreement was reported earlier this week. After both reports NEC and Panasonic acknowledged that talks were underway and hinted at a coming announcement.
The software tie will see NEC and Panasonic establish a joint venture in October that will work on establishing a common hardware and software platform. This will include design of a common application processor and other chips, common sourcing and design of key components for mobile phones and joint development of handsets based on them.
Both companies will take the jointly-developed handset and add their own technology and features to differentiate the phones that will then be sold under their respective brand names.
The chips tie-up with Texas Instruments will dovetail with the above work and consist of development, design and licensing of a core hardware and software platform for 3G (third-generation) handsets.
A new company, Adcore-Tech Co. Ltd., will be established in August to carry out the collaborative work. NEC and NEC Electronics Corp. will hold a combined 44 percent share, Panasonic and Panasonic Mobile Communications Inc. will also have a combined 44 percent share and Texas Instruments will own the remaining 12 percent.
The first phones based on the new handset platform are expected to be available in late 2007.
The deals represent an expansion of an existing relationship between the two companies. NEC and Panasonic have been collaborating on Linux-based cell phones for NTT DoCoMo Inc.'s 3G service since 2001.
News of a closer tie doesn't come as a surprise. Reports of the platform deal with Texas Instruments were carried in the Japanese media several months ago and the software agreement was reported earlier this week. After both reports NEC and Panasonic acknowledged that talks were underway and hinted at a coming announcement.
The software tie will see NEC and Panasonic establish a joint venture in October that will work on establishing a common hardware and software platform. This will include design of a common application processor and other chips, common sourcing and design of key components for mobile phones and joint development of handsets based on them.
Both companies will take the jointly-developed handset and add their own technology and features to differentiate the phones that will then be sold under their respective brand names.
The chips tie-up with Texas Instruments will dovetail with the above work and consist of development, design and licensing of a core hardware and software platform for 3G (third-generation) handsets.
A new company, Adcore-Tech Co. Ltd., will be established in August to carry out the collaborative work. NEC and NEC Electronics Corp. will hold a combined 44 percent share, Panasonic and Panasonic Mobile Communications Inc. will also have a combined 44 percent share and Texas Instruments will own the remaining 12 percent.
The first phones based on the new handset platform are expected to be available in late 2007.
Software upgrades improve mobile client controls
Three vendors have announced improvements to their products for managing and securing the growing numbers of mobile devices in the enterprise.
Products from Safend and SmartLine products focus on giving IT staff control of device ports and interfaces to control data transfers. The third product, from Devicescape, simplifies wireless connectivity and security.
Safend has released Safend Protector 3.0, a client/server application for setting and enforcing security policies for the use of USB and CD-ROM across drives and other removable storage media on laptops and other devices. The new version has a logging capability that lets administrators view a complete audit trail of the data transferred — and when and how — by a specific user.
Other changes beef up Protector’s control over wireless LAN (WLAN) adapters used in a mobile client. Now the software analyzes the wireless traffic through the adapter and checks that various security requirements are operational, such as the correct encryption format and authorized access points. If not, the software blocks the clients connecting to an access point.
The Safend software now manages U3 smart drives, which are USB devices loaded with personal or enterprise desktop applications and services that can be plugged into a USB port on any computer. Safend authorizes only certain applications to be downloaded to a U3 drive. Version 3.0 incorporates the Cisco Network Access Control (NAC) client. The Safend code “reports” to this client, just as a third-party antivirus or mobile firewall does.
SmartLine’s DeviceLock, also a client/server application, lets administrators control the array of peripherals ports on client devices. For this new release, SmartLine completely rewrote the client to make it more compact, thus requiring less client memory.
One new feature is the Media White List. Administrators can authorize the use of particular CDs, for example a new corporate manual. A music CD, however, which carries the threat of a rootkit infection, won’t run in the same drive.
New optional server code lets DeviceLock continually listen to all clients on the network, capturing information, such as time stamps, that identifies and isolates data security breaches. A new feature called data shadowing lets DeviceLock use the new server capability to create copies of files transferred to removable storage devices. These shadow copies are analyzed to see if they’ve been renamed, encrypted or compressed, all of which could signal illicit activity. Version 6.0 costs $7.40 per managed client.
Devicescape has released its Devicescape Agent software, which manufacturers can incorporate into a range of mobile devices, providing users with simplified and secure access to WLANs.
The agent supports Windows Mobile 5.0, in addition to other Microsoft PC platforms. It implements the Wi-Fi Alliance’s Wi-Fi Protected Setup specification, which makes it much easier to set up secure WLAN connections in home networks. The agent also supports the Personal and Enterprise versions of the Wi-Fi Protected Access 2 specification and all Extensible Authentication Protocol methods.
The Cisco Compatible Extensions agent for the Windows Mobile 5.0 operating system is included. The agent works with an array of popular WLAN chipsets.
Products from Safend and SmartLine products focus on giving IT staff control of device ports and interfaces to control data transfers. The third product, from Devicescape, simplifies wireless connectivity and security.
Safend has released Safend Protector 3.0, a client/server application for setting and enforcing security policies for the use of USB and CD-ROM across drives and other removable storage media on laptops and other devices. The new version has a logging capability that lets administrators view a complete audit trail of the data transferred — and when and how — by a specific user.
Other changes beef up Protector’s control over wireless LAN (WLAN) adapters used in a mobile client. Now the software analyzes the wireless traffic through the adapter and checks that various security requirements are operational, such as the correct encryption format and authorized access points. If not, the software blocks the clients connecting to an access point.
The Safend software now manages U3 smart drives, which are USB devices loaded with personal or enterprise desktop applications and services that can be plugged into a USB port on any computer. Safend authorizes only certain applications to be downloaded to a U3 drive. Version 3.0 incorporates the Cisco Network Access Control (NAC) client. The Safend code “reports” to this client, just as a third-party antivirus or mobile firewall does.
SmartLine’s DeviceLock, also a client/server application, lets administrators control the array of peripherals ports on client devices. For this new release, SmartLine completely rewrote the client to make it more compact, thus requiring less client memory.
One new feature is the Media White List. Administrators can authorize the use of particular CDs, for example a new corporate manual. A music CD, however, which carries the threat of a rootkit infection, won’t run in the same drive.
New optional server code lets DeviceLock continually listen to all clients on the network, capturing information, such as time stamps, that identifies and isolates data security breaches. A new feature called data shadowing lets DeviceLock use the new server capability to create copies of files transferred to removable storage devices. These shadow copies are analyzed to see if they’ve been renamed, encrypted or compressed, all of which could signal illicit activity. Version 6.0 costs $7.40 per managed client.
Devicescape has released its Devicescape Agent software, which manufacturers can incorporate into a range of mobile devices, providing users with simplified and secure access to WLANs.
The agent supports Windows Mobile 5.0, in addition to other Microsoft PC platforms. It implements the Wi-Fi Alliance’s Wi-Fi Protected Setup specification, which makes it much easier to set up secure WLAN connections in home networks. The agent also supports the Personal and Enterprise versions of the Wi-Fi Protected Access 2 specification and all Extensible Authentication Protocol methods.
The Cisco Compatible Extensions agent for the Windows Mobile 5.0 operating system is included. The agent works with an array of popular WLAN chipsets.
Nokia shifts toward software and services
Nokia isn't just a phone company any more. At least that's what executives at the company's headquarters in Helsinki say.
In the "old days" of the 1990s, Nokia focused on developing technologies for communicating via voice and data, said Bob Iannucci, head of Nokia Research Center. But now and into the future, Nokia expects to move away from a telecom-centric approach into an information technology way of thinking, he said.
The shift mimics a similar move in other industries, such as the computer market, that began centered on hardware. "Look at the PC," he said. "The market grows, devices become more capable, there's a shift in the value chain to software, services and solutions."
Similarly, now, Nokia isn't just about radios - the component in mobile phones that communicates over the air, he said.
Evidence of the change appears in an array of announcements from Nokia about partnerships with content companies and new software offerings. For example, Nokia has had agreements with Flickr and Yahoo Mail to link directly to those services on some Nokia phones. Also, on Tuesday, Nokia launched a new piece of software and a service for displaying widgets on mobile phones.
Nokia is so focused on software and services that its CTO, Tero Ojanpera, recently moved to New York to be closer to companies that are global leaders in the industries. "The biggest software companies in the world are in the U.S.," Ojanpera said explaining his move. He named Microsoft, Yahoo and Google as important companies that Nokia wishes to grow closer to.
He also wants to be near the leading media companies. "Nokia, more and more, is a lifestyle company and that has to do with media," Ojanpera said. "The best in the world are in New York and Los Angeles."
In addition, many of the venture capital companies that fund new technologies are based in Silicon Valley and he hopes to build closer relationships with them too.
Ojanpera's list of Nokia's technology priorities indicate the shift in thinking at the company, which hasn't quite fully banished the radio yet. The priorities include: embrace the Internet, excel with software applications and services, win developers with a consistent architecture and lead the multi-radio market.
In the "old days" of the 1990s, Nokia focused on developing technologies for communicating via voice and data, said Bob Iannucci, head of Nokia Research Center. But now and into the future, Nokia expects to move away from a telecom-centric approach into an information technology way of thinking, he said.
The shift mimics a similar move in other industries, such as the computer market, that began centered on hardware. "Look at the PC," he said. "The market grows, devices become more capable, there's a shift in the value chain to software, services and solutions."
Similarly, now, Nokia isn't just about radios - the component in mobile phones that communicates over the air, he said.
Evidence of the change appears in an array of announcements from Nokia about partnerships with content companies and new software offerings. For example, Nokia has had agreements with Flickr and Yahoo Mail to link directly to those services on some Nokia phones. Also, on Tuesday, Nokia launched a new piece of software and a service for displaying widgets on mobile phones.
Nokia is so focused on software and services that its CTO, Tero Ojanpera, recently moved to New York to be closer to companies that are global leaders in the industries. "The biggest software companies in the world are in the U.S.," Ojanpera said explaining his move. He named Microsoft, Yahoo and Google as important companies that Nokia wishes to grow closer to.
He also wants to be near the leading media companies. "Nokia, more and more, is a lifestyle company and that has to do with media," Ojanpera said. "The best in the world are in New York and Los Angeles."
In addition, many of the venture capital companies that fund new technologies are based in Silicon Valley and he hopes to build closer relationships with them too.
Ojanpera's list of Nokia's technology priorities indicate the shift in thinking at the company, which hasn't quite fully banished the radio yet. The priorities include: embrace the Internet, excel with software applications and services, win developers with a consistent architecture and lead the multi-radio market.
Nokia completes navigation software company buy
Nokia Thursday completed its acquisition of navigation software company Gate5, just a week after licensing hundreds of navigation patents from Trimble Navigation.
Gate5 will become part of Nokia's multimedia business group, and continue to be based in Berlin.
Nokia announced its intent to acquire Gate5 in August and uses software from the company in the N95, the new smartphone Nokia introduced in late September that includes GPS and mapping applications.
The Gate5 acquisition joins another Nokia foray into the navigation market. Last week the world's largest mobile handset manufacturer licensed 700 patents from Trimble and also acquired the exclusive right to sublicense the patents to other vendors.
The Gate5 and Trimble activities appear to fall in line with a new strategy at Nokia to try to own or control new technologies that are integrated into mobile phones. At an event last week, Nokia pointed to the fact that once it began integrating cameras into mobile phones, the handset maker quickly became the largest vendor of digital cameras. Yet traditional camera makers hold the majority of patents for digital cameras so Nokia must pay to license the relevant patents. "We need to be conscious of the cost of integrating these technologies," said Ulla James, director of intellectual property rights strategic marketing for Nokia, during the event in Helsinki last week.
She suggested that the next new cell phone function that will become popular is location based services. With the Trimble and Gate5 deals, Nokia is in a better position to capitalize on the trend.
Nokia plans to continue to support multiple platforms for Gate5 products, including Symbian, Linux, Windows Mobile and Palm, pointing to another unique strategy for the company.
Nokia is increasingly branching out into products and services that it sells to competitors. For instance, late last year the handset maker announced plans to acquire Intellisync, a push e-mail software company, in a deal that closed earlier this year. At the time, critics wondered if Nokia would find it challenging to sell the product to competitors. Earlier this month, however, Palm, a Nokia competitor, launched a device in Mexico running Intellisync software. Nokia also licenses its Symbian-based S60 operating system to other handset makers.
Nokia also said on Thursday that it has opened a sales unit for location based services in Hong Kong, targeting customers in Asia-Pacific.
Gate5 will become part of Nokia's multimedia business group, and continue to be based in Berlin.
Nokia announced its intent to acquire Gate5 in August and uses software from the company in the N95, the new smartphone Nokia introduced in late September that includes GPS and mapping applications.
The Gate5 acquisition joins another Nokia foray into the navigation market. Last week the world's largest mobile handset manufacturer licensed 700 patents from Trimble and also acquired the exclusive right to sublicense the patents to other vendors.
The Gate5 and Trimble activities appear to fall in line with a new strategy at Nokia to try to own or control new technologies that are integrated into mobile phones. At an event last week, Nokia pointed to the fact that once it began integrating cameras into mobile phones, the handset maker quickly became the largest vendor of digital cameras. Yet traditional camera makers hold the majority of patents for digital cameras so Nokia must pay to license the relevant patents. "We need to be conscious of the cost of integrating these technologies," said Ulla James, director of intellectual property rights strategic marketing for Nokia, during the event in Helsinki last week.
She suggested that the next new cell phone function that will become popular is location based services. With the Trimble and Gate5 deals, Nokia is in a better position to capitalize on the trend.
Nokia plans to continue to support multiple platforms for Gate5 products, including Symbian, Linux, Windows Mobile and Palm, pointing to another unique strategy for the company.
Nokia is increasingly branching out into products and services that it sells to competitors. For instance, late last year the handset maker announced plans to acquire Intellisync, a push e-mail software company, in a deal that closed earlier this year. At the time, critics wondered if Nokia would find it challenging to sell the product to competitors. Earlier this month, however, Palm, a Nokia competitor, launched a device in Mexico running Intellisync software. Nokia also licenses its Symbian-based S60 operating system to other handset makers.
Nokia also said on Thursday that it has opened a sales unit for location based services in Hong Kong, targeting customers in Asia-Pacific.
Skype releases beta for Windows Mobile smart phones
Skype released the beta version of Skype 2.2, a software client that allows Windows Mobile smart phones to access the company's VoIP service over Wi-Fi connections.
Previous versions of the software were compatible with Windows Pocket PC devices.
The beta works on 120 different Windows Mobile devices, Skype said. Users in range of a free Wi-Fi network can make free VoIP calls to other Skype customers. Users can also pay via their SkypeIn and SkypeOut accounts to receive and make calls to landline phones.
New features in Skype 2.2 for Windows Mobile include an enhanced screen with presence status and notification of events such as missed calls and voicemails. The client also now supports secure connections including HTTPS, HTTPS/SSL and SOCKS5 proxies.
Skype recently said that it has seen 5 million downloads of Skype for Pocket PC.
Skype promotes the use of its mobile client over Wi-Fi, not over cellular networks. Mobile operators have largely resisted Skype and some have even blocked the service because it can compete with their own voice offerings. But operators would have trouble blocking Skype calls over Wi-Fi networks, which they typically don't control.
Last month, 3 Group broke from its competitors and introduced a new data offering that enables customers to make and receive Skype calls over its 3G network. The service is initially available only on a single Nokia phone model and is supported via iSkoot Inc., a company offering software that enables Skype on mobile phones.
In October, Eric Lagier, Skype's head of mobile development, said that the company would introduce a client that would run on Symbian phones by the end of the year. Fans of Symbian, the most popular smart phone operating system, are still eagerly awaiting the much-delayed Skype client.
Previous versions of the software were compatible with Windows Pocket PC devices.
The beta works on 120 different Windows Mobile devices, Skype said. Users in range of a free Wi-Fi network can make free VoIP calls to other Skype customers. Users can also pay via their SkypeIn and SkypeOut accounts to receive and make calls to landline phones.
New features in Skype 2.2 for Windows Mobile include an enhanced screen with presence status and notification of events such as missed calls and voicemails. The client also now supports secure connections including HTTPS, HTTPS/SSL and SOCKS5 proxies.
Skype recently said that it has seen 5 million downloads of Skype for Pocket PC.
Skype promotes the use of its mobile client over Wi-Fi, not over cellular networks. Mobile operators have largely resisted Skype and some have even blocked the service because it can compete with their own voice offerings. But operators would have trouble blocking Skype calls over Wi-Fi networks, which they typically don't control.
Last month, 3 Group broke from its competitors and introduced a new data offering that enables customers to make and receive Skype calls over its 3G network. The service is initially available only on a single Nokia phone model and is supported via iSkoot Inc., a company offering software that enables Skype on mobile phones.
In October, Eric Lagier, Skype's head of mobile development, said that the company would introduce a client that would run on Symbian phones by the end of the year. Fans of Symbian, the most popular smart phone operating system, are still eagerly awaiting the much-delayed Skype client.
CEBIT - Nokia updates mobile blogging software
Mobile bloggers using a new version of Nokia's Lifeblog software can automatically attach location, time and relevant calendar information to photos, videos and audio clips, Nokia said Wednesday. The new software, Lifeblog 2.0, will also allow users to attach audio clips to their blogs.
Lifeblog 2.0 comes in two parts; software that is loaded onto phones plus compatible software for PCs. Users can take photos and videos and make audio recordings on their Nokia Nseries phones, then upload the files wirelessly from their phones to an online blog, provided they have a blog set up through Six Apart Ltd. The PC software is designed to make it easier for users to organize and share the files, Nokia said in an announcement a day before the Cebit trade show opened in Hanover, Germany.
The Lifeblog 2.0 PC software is available for download now and the compatible phone software is expected to become available in April.
A new tagging capability can make it easier for users to find photos and other files, said Andreas Myka, research and development manager for Lifeblog at Nokia. Software on the phone detects photos as soon as they are taken and then looks for certain information to attach to the photo as a tag, Myka said in a phone interview. For example, the software finds information in the nearest cell tower that indicates which country the phone is in and attaches a tag with the country name as well as the time to the photo, he said.
The software also looks in the user's calendar and attaches any calendar entries as tags, he said. That could later help users identify the files based on the calendar entry, which could indicate that a photo was taken at a conference or during a holiday, for example.
While the tags can be automatically attached to the photos, for privacy reasons, they aren't automatically uploaded if a user then posts the photo to a blog, Myka said. The tags are primarily useful in making it easier for users to search for photos, videos or audio clips on their PCs or phones, he said.
Lifeblog 2.0 also improves the user interface of the PC software, Myka said. The software now works within Windows, making it easier for users to drag and drop files between programs, he said.
The first version of Nokia's mobile blogging software came out in 2004 but other phone makers have recently made announcements of services designed to make mobile blogging easier. Last week, Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB introduced a new phone that is integrated with Google's Blogger application. Users can set up a new blog using the phone and take and upload photos from the phone to the blog.
Samsung Electronics is featuring photo blogging in a section of its Samsung Mobile stand at Cebit, but until the show floor officially opens on Thursday it's unclear exactly what type of mobile blogging capabilities Samsung will display.
Lifeblog 2.0 comes in two parts; software that is loaded onto phones plus compatible software for PCs. Users can take photos and videos and make audio recordings on their Nokia Nseries phones, then upload the files wirelessly from their phones to an online blog, provided they have a blog set up through Six Apart Ltd. The PC software is designed to make it easier for users to organize and share the files, Nokia said in an announcement a day before the Cebit trade show opened in Hanover, Germany.
The Lifeblog 2.0 PC software is available for download now and the compatible phone software is expected to become available in April.
A new tagging capability can make it easier for users to find photos and other files, said Andreas Myka, research and development manager for Lifeblog at Nokia. Software on the phone detects photos as soon as they are taken and then looks for certain information to attach to the photo as a tag, Myka said in a phone interview. For example, the software finds information in the nearest cell tower that indicates which country the phone is in and attaches a tag with the country name as well as the time to the photo, he said.
The software also looks in the user's calendar and attaches any calendar entries as tags, he said. That could later help users identify the files based on the calendar entry, which could indicate that a photo was taken at a conference or during a holiday, for example.
While the tags can be automatically attached to the photos, for privacy reasons, they aren't automatically uploaded if a user then posts the photo to a blog, Myka said. The tags are primarily useful in making it easier for users to search for photos, videos or audio clips on their PCs or phones, he said.
Lifeblog 2.0 also improves the user interface of the PC software, Myka said. The software now works within Windows, making it easier for users to drag and drop files between programs, he said.
The first version of Nokia's mobile blogging software came out in 2004 but other phone makers have recently made announcements of services designed to make mobile blogging easier. Last week, Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB introduced a new phone that is integrated with Google's Blogger application. Users can set up a new blog using the phone and take and upload photos from the phone to the blog.
Samsung Electronics is featuring photo blogging in a section of its Samsung Mobile stand at Cebit, but until the show floor officially opens on Thursday it's unclear exactly what type of mobile blogging capabilities Samsung will display.
Sunday, December 24, 2006
Spy software company argues product isn't a Trojan
The company selling a mobile phone spy application that has been labeled malware by F-Secure says the software isn't malicious or illegal.
F-Secure software recently began blocking a commercial application called FlexiSpy that bills itself as the world's first spy software built for mobile phones.
When FlexiSpy software is loaded onto a Symbian mobile phone, it sends all text messages that are sent and received, as well as call details, to FlexiSpy servers. Users can log on to the servers via the Internet to read the messages and view the call records. The problem, says F-Secure, is that the phone owner may not know the program has been installed and can't uninstall it.
"We're convinced that this could be used for malicious and illegal purposes in so many ways that we made the decision to flag it as malware," F-Secure Chief Research Officer Mikko Hypponen said.
Vervata, the Bangkok, Thailand, company that created FlexiSpy, argues that the product isn't a virus, a Trojan horse or malware.
"Like any other monitoring software there may be a possibility for misuse, but there is nothing inherent in FlexiSpy that makes it illegal or malicious," a Vervata spokesman wrote in an e-mail exchange. He said that the software must be consciously installed by a person, does not self-replicate and doesn't pretend to be something it's not.
He said that an uninstall option is provided so the user can uninstall the program at any time but F-Secure found that the application uninstaller doesn't work.
Hypponen also worried that a user could "beam" the program via Bluetooth to other nearby users. "If one in 100 people who received it wonders what it is and clicks on it, it would install without telling the user what the program does," he said. Going forward, the person who sent the program could read that person's text messages online. "If that's not malicious, I don't know what is," Hypponen said.
Some changes to the program could make it more palatable, he said. For instance, if the installation process clearly shows that a spy program is being installed, it could be useful for parents that might want to monitor a child's text messages, he said.
But using this type of program to spy on another person is illegal in most parts of the world, he noted. In addition, he also said that users might be concerned that the text messages and calling information is being stored on Vervata servers.
F-Secure has contacted Vervata to discuss the program but hasn't received a response, Hypponen said.
Each page of the FlexiSpy Web site warns visitors that logging other people's text messages and other phone activity or installing FlexiSpy on another person's phone without their knowledge could be illegal. It also says that Vervata assumes no liability and isn't responsible for misuse or damage caused by FlexiSpy.
F-Secure software recently began blocking a commercial application called FlexiSpy that bills itself as the world's first spy software built for mobile phones.
When FlexiSpy software is loaded onto a Symbian mobile phone, it sends all text messages that are sent and received, as well as call details, to FlexiSpy servers. Users can log on to the servers via the Internet to read the messages and view the call records. The problem, says F-Secure, is that the phone owner may not know the program has been installed and can't uninstall it.
"We're convinced that this could be used for malicious and illegal purposes in so many ways that we made the decision to flag it as malware," F-Secure Chief Research Officer Mikko Hypponen said.
Vervata, the Bangkok, Thailand, company that created FlexiSpy, argues that the product isn't a virus, a Trojan horse or malware.
"Like any other monitoring software there may be a possibility for misuse, but there is nothing inherent in FlexiSpy that makes it illegal or malicious," a Vervata spokesman wrote in an e-mail exchange. He said that the software must be consciously installed by a person, does not self-replicate and doesn't pretend to be something it's not.
He said that an uninstall option is provided so the user can uninstall the program at any time but F-Secure found that the application uninstaller doesn't work.
Hypponen also worried that a user could "beam" the program via Bluetooth to other nearby users. "If one in 100 people who received it wonders what it is and clicks on it, it would install without telling the user what the program does," he said. Going forward, the person who sent the program could read that person's text messages online. "If that's not malicious, I don't know what is," Hypponen said.
Some changes to the program could make it more palatable, he said. For instance, if the installation process clearly shows that a spy program is being installed, it could be useful for parents that might want to monitor a child's text messages, he said.
But using this type of program to spy on another person is illegal in most parts of the world, he noted. In addition, he also said that users might be concerned that the text messages and calling information is being stored on Vervata servers.
F-Secure has contacted Vervata to discuss the program but hasn't received a response, Hypponen said.
Each page of the FlexiSpy Web site warns visitors that logging other people's text messages and other phone activity or installing FlexiSpy on another person's phone without their knowledge could be illegal. It also says that Vervata assumes no liability and isn't responsible for misuse or damage caused by FlexiSpy.
Kaspersky releases mobile anti-virus software beta
Kaspersky Lab has released a beta version of mobile anti-virus software for smart phones using the Symbian OS, it announced Thursday
The product, called Kaspersky Anti-Virus Mobile 2.0, can stop suspicious programs before they infect the phone and scan devices for malicious software, the company said.
Kaspersky is one of many vendors pushing mobile anti-virus products to market as malicious software increasingly targets those devices.
The company said its software is equipped to blocked suspect Short Message Service (SMS) and Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) messages. The product uses a so-called "blacklist" to compare messages and block spam.
The software can be set to download regular updates from Kaspersky Lab servers by Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) or HTTP, the company said.
Anti-Virus Mobile is compatible with phones using the Symbian 6.1, 7.0s, 8.0 or 8.1 OS versions and the Series 60 user interface.
The second beta version will support Symbian Series UIQ and Microsoft's Windows Mobile Versions 2003 and 5.0, Kaspersky said.
The product, called Kaspersky Anti-Virus Mobile 2.0, can stop suspicious programs before they infect the phone and scan devices for malicious software, the company said.
Kaspersky is one of many vendors pushing mobile anti-virus products to market as malicious software increasingly targets those devices.
The company said its software is equipped to blocked suspect Short Message Service (SMS) and Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) messages. The product uses a so-called "blacklist" to compare messages and block spam.
The software can be set to download regular updates from Kaspersky Lab servers by Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) or HTTP, the company said.
Anti-Virus Mobile is compatible with phones using the Symbian 6.1, 7.0s, 8.0 or 8.1 OS versions and the Series 60 user interface.
The second beta version will support Symbian Series UIQ and Microsoft's Windows Mobile Versions 2003 and 5.0, Kaspersky said.
RIM releases latest enterprise software for mobile applications
Research In Motion today announced server software that makes it easier for companies to deploy mobile applications tied into back-end data.
Available now, the BlackBerry Enterprise Server for Mobile Data System (MDS) Applications runs behind the corporate firewall as a secure intermediary that can bypass corporate e-mail servers. Users with BlackBerry handsets and MDS client code now can access directly an array of enterprise applications and Web services without needing to be connected to an e-mail account.
MDS is RIM’s application development framework and tools for creating BlackBerry handheld applications. The new version of Enterprise Server is tied directly into such MDS features as administrative and provisioning services of MDS applications and their users. Enterprise Server provides security, traffic optimization and the ability to push data (as it does e-mail) via wireless connections to handheld devices. MDS also includes a range of developer tools, and client software for BlackBerry handhelds.
The new software is part of RIM’s ongoing push to expand beyond its popular mobile messaging software. The plan is to use the core BlackBerry functions to link users with a much broader range of corporate applications and data. Third-party software vendors also can use MDS services and interfaces to “BlackBerry-ize” their applications.
RIM also announced enhancements to its BlackBerry Smart Card Reader software. The reader is a lightweight, wearable, battery-operated device that uses embedded security credentials to create secure, two-factor authentication between users and their BlackBerry devices and corporate PCs.
What’s been added is the ability to run the authentication wirelessly over a secure Bluetooth connection to a PC running Microsoft Windows XP with Service Pack 2 or higher. The link supports Advanced Encryption Standard-256 encryption, and meets the Federal Information Processing Standard 140-2 encryption requirements. Security keys on the reader are managed through the Blackberry Enterprise Server, Version 4.0.2 or higher.
Available now, the BlackBerry Enterprise Server for Mobile Data System (MDS) Applications runs behind the corporate firewall as a secure intermediary that can bypass corporate e-mail servers. Users with BlackBerry handsets and MDS client code now can access directly an array of enterprise applications and Web services without needing to be connected to an e-mail account.
MDS is RIM’s application development framework and tools for creating BlackBerry handheld applications. The new version of Enterprise Server is tied directly into such MDS features as administrative and provisioning services of MDS applications and their users. Enterprise Server provides security, traffic optimization and the ability to push data (as it does e-mail) via wireless connections to handheld devices. MDS also includes a range of developer tools, and client software for BlackBerry handhelds.
The new software is part of RIM’s ongoing push to expand beyond its popular mobile messaging software. The plan is to use the core BlackBerry functions to link users with a much broader range of corporate applications and data. Third-party software vendors also can use MDS services and interfaces to “BlackBerry-ize” their applications.
RIM also announced enhancements to its BlackBerry Smart Card Reader software. The reader is a lightweight, wearable, battery-operated device that uses embedded security credentials to create secure, two-factor authentication between users and their BlackBerry devices and corporate PCs.
What’s been added is the ability to run the authentication wirelessly over a secure Bluetooth connection to a PC running Microsoft Windows XP with Service Pack 2 or higher. The link supports Advanced Encryption Standard-256 encryption, and meets the Federal Information Processing Standard 140-2 encryption requirements. Security keys on the reader are managed through the Blackberry Enterprise Server, Version 4.0.2 or higher.
Nokia software aims to ease converged phone use
Using dual-mode Wi-Fi and cellular mobile phones may get easier with new software that Nokia Corp. is offering to service providers and application developers.
Typically, each time users of dual-mode phones try to access Internet services, they must choose which network they want to connect to, sometimes from a list of multiple cellular and Wi-Fi networks. But if a user subscribes to a service from a provider using Nokia's Service Suite, that choice can happen automatically, based on lowest cost and highest speed network or other parameters set by users or the service provider.
Telio Telecom AS, a Norwegian VOIP (voice over Internet Protocol) provider, is already using the Nokia Service Suite. Telio offers voice over Wi-Fi services to users of dual-mode phones.
In addition to automatically choosing the proper network, the software also helps Telio provision the service, said Jouni Malinen, director of Nokia's emerging business unit. Once a customer signs up for Telio's service, the customer receives a message on the phone that automatically changes the phone's settings to enable the service. Without the Nokia Service Suite, customers would have to manage multiple potentially complicated configuration changes to enable the service, Malinen said.
In addition, the Nokia Service Suite allows application providers such as Telio to push out updates to phones so that customers don't have to execute cumbersome setting or configuration changes if updates are required.
While some of the mechanisms offered by the software are available already through various existing device management standards, Nokia has bundled the functions together in the Nokia Service Suite. "Our aim is to put everything needed in one solid product in order to guarantee a good user experience," Malinen said.
The software isn't limited to supporting voice applications. It can also help optimize the download or upload of media such as music, photographs or videos. For example, the software may detect that a user is in range of a Wi-Fi hotspot that the user subscribes to and then, because the Wi-Fi network is high-speed and available, automatically initiate the scheduled upload of photographs to a blog site.
Nokia Service Suite consists of server software that an application provider deploys as well as device software that is already built into many Nokia phones including the Eseries, Nseries and Nokia Series 80 phones.
In the future, Nokia plans to support phones from other manufacturers as well, Malinen said. "We can really guarantee the best experience on our own devices but as we're basing this on standards and open interfaces, nothing prohibits us from bringing other devices on board," he said.
With the introduction of more phones that include Wi-Fi capabilities, application and service providers are likely to offer new ways to use the high speed and potentially lower cost networks. But they'll need to overcome some hurdles, such as complicated phone configurations, which may currently slow down use.
The Nokia Service Suite software is a step toward making dual-mode phones easier to use, Malinen said.
Typically, each time users of dual-mode phones try to access Internet services, they must choose which network they want to connect to, sometimes from a list of multiple cellular and Wi-Fi networks. But if a user subscribes to a service from a provider using Nokia's Service Suite, that choice can happen automatically, based on lowest cost and highest speed network or other parameters set by users or the service provider.
Telio Telecom AS, a Norwegian VOIP (voice over Internet Protocol) provider, is already using the Nokia Service Suite. Telio offers voice over Wi-Fi services to users of dual-mode phones.
In addition to automatically choosing the proper network, the software also helps Telio provision the service, said Jouni Malinen, director of Nokia's emerging business unit. Once a customer signs up for Telio's service, the customer receives a message on the phone that automatically changes the phone's settings to enable the service. Without the Nokia Service Suite, customers would have to manage multiple potentially complicated configuration changes to enable the service, Malinen said.
In addition, the Nokia Service Suite allows application providers such as Telio to push out updates to phones so that customers don't have to execute cumbersome setting or configuration changes if updates are required.
While some of the mechanisms offered by the software are available already through various existing device management standards, Nokia has bundled the functions together in the Nokia Service Suite. "Our aim is to put everything needed in one solid product in order to guarantee a good user experience," Malinen said.
The software isn't limited to supporting voice applications. It can also help optimize the download or upload of media such as music, photographs or videos. For example, the software may detect that a user is in range of a Wi-Fi hotspot that the user subscribes to and then, because the Wi-Fi network is high-speed and available, automatically initiate the scheduled upload of photographs to a blog site.
Nokia Service Suite consists of server software that an application provider deploys as well as device software that is already built into many Nokia phones including the Eseries, Nseries and Nokia Series 80 phones.
In the future, Nokia plans to support phones from other manufacturers as well, Malinen said. "We can really guarantee the best experience on our own devices but as we're basing this on standards and open interfaces, nothing prohibits us from bringing other devices on board," he said.
With the introduction of more phones that include Wi-Fi capabilities, application and service providers are likely to offer new ways to use the high speed and potentially lower cost networks. But they'll need to overcome some hurdles, such as complicated phone configurations, which may currently slow down use.
The Nokia Service Suite software is a step toward making dual-mode phones easier to use, Malinen said.
Intel drafts privacy license for mobile device software
Intel Corp. has attached a privacy license to its new location-aware software product, intended to protect cell phone users’ personal information as mobile devices increasingly rely on tracking technology to provide targeted services.
Installed on a smart phone or ultramobile PC, location-aware software can use GPS (Global Positioning System) technology to produce tailored information like driving directions, nearby restaurants and movie schedules. The downside of that feature is that handsets can double as tracking devices if location data is not kept private. The abuse of such access could range from civil liberties violations to physical threats in the cases of vulnerable people like battered spouses, Intel fears.
So, Intel has added a privacy addendum to the Eclipse Public License it uses for the software application called Privacy Observant Location System (POLS), according to a posting on Intel's Web site by John Miller, the privacy and security policy manager of Intel's corporate technology group.
The addendum says that vendors must inform the end-user what information is recorded and how long it is stored, and it requires developers to include opt-out capability so users can change those settings, Miller said.
POLS is a tool for mobile application developers that determines its location by triangulating between nearby radio beacons such as GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) cells or Wi-Fi access points. Most location-aware devices use different approaches, relying on the wireless provider to track every device, or on GPS chips, which can have poor reception in dense cities.
POLS supports eight models of Windows Mobile-based phones made by HTC (High Tech Computer Corp.) and Motorola Inc., branded by carriers including Audiovox Corp., Cingular Wireless, Orange PLC and T-Mobile USA Inc. For more information, see http://pols.sourceforge.net/.
While Intel's ethics concerns are compelling, the market may be slow to react to this initiative because so few customers actually use location-based technology, analysts say.
Only 10 percent of the PDAs (personal digital assistants) sold today are equipped with internal GPS antennas, and most of those are in Europe, where the more complex roads and diversity of languages have made street mapping a larger market, said Todd Kort, principal analyst for Gartner Dataquest.
In contrast, nearly 90 percent of CDMA (code division multiple access) phones from Sprint Nextel Corp. and Verizon Communications Inc. offer assisted-GPS technology, which relies on Intel's type of cell tower navigation technique. But most users don't know it exists or have chosen not to use it, he said.
"It's great that it's there, and someday we'll appreciate it, but it is something that's in the back of Americans' minds and will not be a driving force for sales," Kort said.
In the meantime, Intel faces a continuing challenge as it must convince developers to abide by its privacy initiative. The new addendum is useless if software developers don't obey it, so the company has begun a campaign to build support in the open-source community. Intel has asked members of the Open Source Initiative to refine and adopt the policy as an acceptable amendment to the OSI's standard open-source license, and made available to the open-source community at large.
"We believe that a bottoms-up effort to encourage the development of privacy-sensitive social norms is necessary, and in fact critical, for both privacy and public adoption of the technology," Miller said. "We post this information here with the hope that others will see value in this approach."
Intel drafted the policy after discussions with the Value Sensitive Design Research Lab at the University of Washington, with other academics at the University of California, Berkeley ,and Johns Hopkins University, and with private sector lawyers. For more information on Intel's privacy initiative, see http://privacyaddendum.seattle.intel-research.net/.
Installed on a smart phone or ultramobile PC, location-aware software can use GPS (Global Positioning System) technology to produce tailored information like driving directions, nearby restaurants and movie schedules. The downside of that feature is that handsets can double as tracking devices if location data is not kept private. The abuse of such access could range from civil liberties violations to physical threats in the cases of vulnerable people like battered spouses, Intel fears.
So, Intel has added a privacy addendum to the Eclipse Public License it uses for the software application called Privacy Observant Location System (POLS), according to a posting on Intel's Web site by John Miller, the privacy and security policy manager of Intel's corporate technology group.
The addendum says that vendors must inform the end-user what information is recorded and how long it is stored, and it requires developers to include opt-out capability so users can change those settings, Miller said.
POLS is a tool for mobile application developers that determines its location by triangulating between nearby radio beacons such as GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) cells or Wi-Fi access points. Most location-aware devices use different approaches, relying on the wireless provider to track every device, or on GPS chips, which can have poor reception in dense cities.
POLS supports eight models of Windows Mobile-based phones made by HTC (High Tech Computer Corp.) and Motorola Inc., branded by carriers including Audiovox Corp., Cingular Wireless, Orange PLC and T-Mobile USA Inc. For more information, see http://pols.sourceforge.net/.
While Intel's ethics concerns are compelling, the market may be slow to react to this initiative because so few customers actually use location-based technology, analysts say.
Only 10 percent of the PDAs (personal digital assistants) sold today are equipped with internal GPS antennas, and most of those are in Europe, where the more complex roads and diversity of languages have made street mapping a larger market, said Todd Kort, principal analyst for Gartner Dataquest.
In contrast, nearly 90 percent of CDMA (code division multiple access) phones from Sprint Nextel Corp. and Verizon Communications Inc. offer assisted-GPS technology, which relies on Intel's type of cell tower navigation technique. But most users don't know it exists or have chosen not to use it, he said.
"It's great that it's there, and someday we'll appreciate it, but it is something that's in the back of Americans' minds and will not be a driving force for sales," Kort said.
In the meantime, Intel faces a continuing challenge as it must convince developers to abide by its privacy initiative. The new addendum is useless if software developers don't obey it, so the company has begun a campaign to build support in the open-source community. Intel has asked members of the Open Source Initiative to refine and adopt the policy as an acceptable amendment to the OSI's standard open-source license, and made available to the open-source community at large.
"We believe that a bottoms-up effort to encourage the development of privacy-sensitive social norms is necessary, and in fact critical, for both privacy and public adoption of the technology," Miller said. "We post this information here with the hope that others will see value in this approach."
Intel drafted the policy after discussions with the Value Sensitive Design Research Lab at the University of Washington, with other academics at the University of California, Berkeley ,and Johns Hopkins University, and with private sector lawyers. For more information on Intel's privacy initiative, see http://privacyaddendum.seattle.intel-research.net/.
Software suite aims to speed Linux phone development
Trolltech AS is offering a suite of products designed to make it easier for mobile phone makers to develop Linux-based smart phones.
Called the Qtopia Greensuite, it aims to unify the disjointed mobile Linux development environment by bundling together several applications and tools that are available separately today from a variety of vendors.
The products in the suite include RealNetworks Inc.'s mobile multimedia software, Opera Software ASA's mobile phone browser, MontaVista Software Inc.'s operating system and Mimer Information Technology AB's SQL database management product.
The suit also includes WAP (Wireless Application Protocol) and HTML browsers, messaging software, video and audio recording capabilities, DRM (digital rights management), 3D graphics, video telephony, VOIP (voice over IP) support, a VPN (Virtual Private Network) client and Java MIDP (Mobile Information Device Profile).
The applications come pre-integrated with Qtopia Phone edition, Trolltech's application development platform for Linux phones. Phone makers that use the suite will save time developing their products because they won't have to integrate all of the software components themselves, Trolltech said.
The first version of the suite is due in the second quarter next year. It uses Qtopia's Greenphone as the hardware platform for developing and testing applications. Qtopia introduced the phone, which can operate on a live mobile GSM/GPRS (Global System for Mobile Communications/General Packet Radio Service) network, in August.
Qtopia Greensuite will be demonstrated at the ITU World Telecom 2006 show, which starts Dec. 4 in Hong Kong. No pricing has been announced yet.
While interest in mobile Linux is growing around the world, the disjointed development environment has slowed momentum. Several groups have formed in the past couple of years to try to unify the environment.
The Linux Phone Standards Forum, whose members include France Telecom SA, MontaVista and VirtualLogix Inc., are creating application programming interfaces to allow applications to interoperate across Linux handsets. The Mobile Linux Initiative, started by the Open Source Development Labs Inc. with members including Motorola Inc., Intel Corp. and NEC Corp., is unifying developments around the mobile Linux kernel.
Forty mobile phone makers including Motorola and ZTE Corp. use Qtopia. Motorola is one of the biggest mobile handset makers using Linux, which is most popular as a mobile phone operating system in China.
Called the Qtopia Greensuite, it aims to unify the disjointed mobile Linux development environment by bundling together several applications and tools that are available separately today from a variety of vendors.
The products in the suite include RealNetworks Inc.'s mobile multimedia software, Opera Software ASA's mobile phone browser, MontaVista Software Inc.'s operating system and Mimer Information Technology AB's SQL database management product.
The suit also includes WAP (Wireless Application Protocol) and HTML browsers, messaging software, video and audio recording capabilities, DRM (digital rights management), 3D graphics, video telephony, VOIP (voice over IP) support, a VPN (Virtual Private Network) client and Java MIDP (Mobile Information Device Profile).
The applications come pre-integrated with Qtopia Phone edition, Trolltech's application development platform for Linux phones. Phone makers that use the suite will save time developing their products because they won't have to integrate all of the software components themselves, Trolltech said.
The first version of the suite is due in the second quarter next year. It uses Qtopia's Greenphone as the hardware platform for developing and testing applications. Qtopia introduced the phone, which can operate on a live mobile GSM/GPRS (Global System for Mobile Communications/General Packet Radio Service) network, in August.
Qtopia Greensuite will be demonstrated at the ITU World Telecom 2006 show, which starts Dec. 4 in Hong Kong. No pricing has been announced yet.
While interest in mobile Linux is growing around the world, the disjointed development environment has slowed momentum. Several groups have formed in the past couple of years to try to unify the environment.
The Linux Phone Standards Forum, whose members include France Telecom SA, MontaVista and VirtualLogix Inc., are creating application programming interfaces to allow applications to interoperate across Linux handsets. The Mobile Linux Initiative, started by the Open Source Development Labs Inc. with members including Motorola Inc., Intel Corp. and NEC Corp., is unifying developments around the mobile Linux kernel.
Forty mobile phone makers including Motorola and ZTE Corp. use Qtopia. Motorola is one of the biggest mobile handset makers using Linux, which is most popular as a mobile phone operating system in China.
Software corrals enterprise smart phones
A trio of vendors has announced new or improved software to better protect enterprise smart phones and the corporate data they hold.
In general, the software applications combine centralized management tools with client-based code to enforce security policies and protections. Such tools have been available for notebooks and handheld computers, but only recently have they been applied to the ubiquitous smart phone.
Enhancements include expanded support for the most popular smart phone operating systems, improved over-the-air management features, and controls for other on-phone wireless interfaces, such as Bluetooth and 802.11.
Network Chemistry, in Redwood City, Calif., this week announced that a version of its RFprotect Endpoint application, the first one with features specifically for securing smart phones, is entering beta testing. The new version will detect whether a VPN client or a firewall is active on the handheld; if neither is, will block it from connecting to a network. Administrators will be able to set policies to prevent the use of specified interfaces, such as Bluetooth, and ad-hoc wireless connections with other client devices.
Also new is a tight connection between the server application and Microsoft Active Directory: Administrators can drag and drop Active Directory users or user groups into the server software, then create and apply security rules for them.
Finally, the new version will support Windows Mobile 5.0 and the Symbian operating system.
The new version of RFprotect Endpoint is expected to ship sometime during the first half of 2007. Pricing, unchanged from that of previous versions, starts at $8,000.
U.K.-based rival Synchronica has begun shipping Version 1.3 of its Mobile Manager software. Synchronica is one of the few companies specializing in smart phone security for the enterprise.
Mobile Manager is a server-based application that has a Web GUI from which a help desk staff person or IT administrator can manage smart phones remotely that have access to corporate data, e-mail, and other applications.
With Version 1.3, administrators can:
Remotely configure 802.11 wireless LAN adapters, which increasingly are appearing in high-end mobile phones designed for cellular and wireless IP connectivity.
Retrieve contact lists from a phone.
Remove specific e-mail accounts or Web favorites from a phone.
Extend the list of emergency phone numbers that users can call if a phone is locked.
Check a phone remotely to see whether a given software update file has been received.
Schedule firmware and application updates, so these can be done wirelessly when a phone is not in use.
Configure Mobile Manager to lock a phone automatically and erase all data if the agent detects that the phone's SIM card has been removed or replaced, an action that often is a precursor to an attempted hack.
Synchronica's software can be deployed either as a managed service from a mobile operator or other provider, or as an enterprise application behind the corporate firewall.
Pricing for enterprise users varies with the number of phones and the specific deployment. As a guideline, pricing often works out to $10 per phone, per year, the company says.
Separately, Trend Micro, in Cupterino, Calif., has released Version 3.0 of its Mobile Security application. The new version incorporates a customizable firewall that monitors two-way traffic to block an array of attacks. Users can adjust protection easily by selecting from low, medium, or high levels on a GUI, or administrators can block specific ports and IP addresses.
Also new in Version 3.0 is support for Windows Mobile 5.0. A version for the Symbian OS 9/S60 3rd Edition platform will be available in 2007.
Trend Micro's Mobile Security 3.0 for Windows Mobile 5.0 PocketPC and Smartphone costs about $35 per device.
In general, the software applications combine centralized management tools with client-based code to enforce security policies and protections. Such tools have been available for notebooks and handheld computers, but only recently have they been applied to the ubiquitous smart phone.
Enhancements include expanded support for the most popular smart phone operating systems, improved over-the-air management features, and controls for other on-phone wireless interfaces, such as Bluetooth and 802.11.
Network Chemistry, in Redwood City, Calif., this week announced that a version of its RFprotect Endpoint application, the first one with features specifically for securing smart phones, is entering beta testing. The new version will detect whether a VPN client or a firewall is active on the handheld; if neither is, will block it from connecting to a network. Administrators will be able to set policies to prevent the use of specified interfaces, such as Bluetooth, and ad-hoc wireless connections with other client devices.
Also new is a tight connection between the server application and Microsoft Active Directory: Administrators can drag and drop Active Directory users or user groups into the server software, then create and apply security rules for them.
Finally, the new version will support Windows Mobile 5.0 and the Symbian operating system.
The new version of RFprotect Endpoint is expected to ship sometime during the first half of 2007. Pricing, unchanged from that of previous versions, starts at $8,000.
U.K.-based rival Synchronica has begun shipping Version 1.3 of its Mobile Manager software. Synchronica is one of the few companies specializing in smart phone security for the enterprise.
Mobile Manager is a server-based application that has a Web GUI from which a help desk staff person or IT administrator can manage smart phones remotely that have access to corporate data, e-mail, and other applications.
With Version 1.3, administrators can:
Remotely configure 802.11 wireless LAN adapters, which increasingly are appearing in high-end mobile phones designed for cellular and wireless IP connectivity.
Retrieve contact lists from a phone.
Remove specific e-mail accounts or Web favorites from a phone.
Extend the list of emergency phone numbers that users can call if a phone is locked.
Check a phone remotely to see whether a given software update file has been received.
Schedule firmware and application updates, so these can be done wirelessly when a phone is not in use.
Configure Mobile Manager to lock a phone automatically and erase all data if the agent detects that the phone's SIM card has been removed or replaced, an action that often is a precursor to an attempted hack.
Synchronica's software can be deployed either as a managed service from a mobile operator or other provider, or as an enterprise application behind the corporate firewall.
Pricing for enterprise users varies with the number of phones and the specific deployment. As a guideline, pricing often works out to $10 per phone, per year, the company says.
Separately, Trend Micro, in Cupterino, Calif., has released Version 3.0 of its Mobile Security application. The new version incorporates a customizable firewall that monitors two-way traffic to block an array of attacks. Users can adjust protection easily by selecting from low, medium, or high levels on a GUI, or administrators can block specific ports and IP addresses.
Also new in Version 3.0 is support for Windows Mobile 5.0. A version for the Symbian OS 9/S60 3rd Edition platform will be available in 2007.
Trend Micro's Mobile Security 3.0 for Windows Mobile 5.0 PocketPC and Smartphone costs about $35 per device.
Thursday, December 21, 2006
CEBIT Nokia updates mobile blogging software
Mobile bloggers using a new version of Nokia's Lifeblog software can automatically attach location, time and relevant calendar information to photos, videos and audio clips, Nokia said Wednesday. The new software, Lifeblog 2.0, will also allow users to attach audio clips to their blogs.
Lifeblog 2.0 comes in two parts; software that is loaded onto phones plus compatible software for PCs. Users can take photos and videos and make audio recordings on their Nokia Nseries phones, then upload the files wirelessly from their phones to an online blog, provided they have a blog set up through Six Apart Ltd. The PC software is designed to make it easier for users to organize and share the files, Nokia said in an announcement a day before the Cebit trade show opened in Hanover, Germany.
The Lifeblog 2.0 PC software is available for download now and the compatible phone software is expected to become available in April.
A new tagging capability can make it easier for users to find photos and other files, said Andreas Myka, research and development manager for Lifeblog at Nokia. Software on the phone detects photos as soon as they are taken and then looks for certain information to attach to the photo as a tag, Myka said in a phone interview. For example, the software finds information in the nearest cell tower that indicates which country the phone is in and attaches a tag with the country name as well as the time to the photo, he said.
The software also looks in the user's calendar and attaches any calendar entries as tags, he said. That could later help users identify the files based on the calendar entry, which could indicate that a photo was taken at a conference or during a holiday, for example.
While the tags can be automatically attached to the photos, for privacy reasons, they aren't automatically uploaded if a user then posts the photo to a blog, Myka said. The tags are primarily useful in making it easier for users to search for photos, videos or audio clips on their PCs or phones, he said.
Lifeblog 2.0 also improves the user interface of the PC software, Myka said. The software now works within Windows, making it easier for users to drag and drop files between programs, he said.
The first version of Nokia's mobile blogging software came out in 2004 but other phone makers have recently made announcements of services designed to make mobile blogging easier. Last week, Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB introduced a new phone that is integrated with Google's Blogger application. Users can set up a new blog using the phone and take and upload photos from the phone to the blog.
Samsung Electronics is featuring photo blogging in a section of its Samsung Mobile stand at Cebit, but until the show floor officially opens on Thursday it's unclear exactly what type of mobile blogging capabilities Samsung will display.
Lifeblog 2.0 also improves the user interface of the PC software, Myka said. The software now works within Windows, making it easier for users to drag and drop files between programs, he said.
The first version of Nokia's mobile blogging software came out in 2004 but other phone makers have recently made announcements of services designed to make mobile blogging easier. Last week, Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB introduced a new phone that is integrated with Google's Blogger application. Users can set up a new blog using the phone and take and upload photos from the phone to the blog.
Samsung Electronics is featuring photo blogging in a section of its Samsung Mobile stand at Cebit, but until the show floor officially opens on Thursday it's unclear exactly what type of mobile blogging capabilities Samsung will display.
Lifeblog 2.0 comes in two parts; software that is loaded onto phones plus compatible software for PCs. Users can take photos and videos and make audio recordings on their Nokia Nseries phones, then upload the files wirelessly from their phones to an online blog, provided they have a blog set up through Six Apart Ltd. The PC software is designed to make it easier for users to organize and share the files, Nokia said in an announcement a day before the Cebit trade show opened in Hanover, Germany.
The Lifeblog 2.0 PC software is available for download now and the compatible phone software is expected to become available in April.
A new tagging capability can make it easier for users to find photos and other files, said Andreas Myka, research and development manager for Lifeblog at Nokia. Software on the phone detects photos as soon as they are taken and then looks for certain information to attach to the photo as a tag, Myka said in a phone interview. For example, the software finds information in the nearest cell tower that indicates which country the phone is in and attaches a tag with the country name as well as the time to the photo, he said.
The software also looks in the user's calendar and attaches any calendar entries as tags, he said. That could later help users identify the files based on the calendar entry, which could indicate that a photo was taken at a conference or during a holiday, for example.
While the tags can be automatically attached to the photos, for privacy reasons, they aren't automatically uploaded if a user then posts the photo to a blog, Myka said. The tags are primarily useful in making it easier for users to search for photos, videos or audio clips on their PCs or phones, he said.
Lifeblog 2.0 also improves the user interface of the PC software, Myka said. The software now works within Windows, making it easier for users to drag and drop files between programs, he said.
The first version of Nokia's mobile blogging software came out in 2004 but other phone makers have recently made announcements of services designed to make mobile blogging easier. Last week, Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB introduced a new phone that is integrated with Google's Blogger application. Users can set up a new blog using the phone and take and upload photos from the phone to the blog.
Samsung Electronics is featuring photo blogging in a section of its Samsung Mobile stand at Cebit, but until the show floor officially opens on Thursday it's unclear exactly what type of mobile blogging capabilities Samsung will display.
Lifeblog 2.0 also improves the user interface of the PC software, Myka said. The software now works within Windows, making it easier for users to drag and drop files between programs, he said.
The first version of Nokia's mobile blogging software came out in 2004 but other phone makers have recently made announcements of services designed to make mobile blogging easier. Last week, Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB introduced a new phone that is integrated with Google's Blogger application. Users can set up a new blog using the phone and take and upload photos from the phone to the blog.
Samsung Electronics is featuring photo blogging in a section of its Samsung Mobile stand at Cebit, but until the show floor officially opens on Thursday it's unclear exactly what type of mobile blogging capabilities Samsung will display.
Mobile users to get more control of personal data
Mobile subscribers will be able to easily control what applications can access their location and other personal information with software that's now commercially available from Redknee, the mobile infrastructure software vendor said Tuesday
With the proliferation of services on mobile phones, including ones that use information about a cell phone's location or a subscriber's "presence" on instant-messaging or other systems, more personal data is going in to the back end of the mobile network, said Jeff Popoff, vice president of marketing at Redknee. The company, which already sells carriers software for personalizing mobile data services and simplifying phone-based transactions, now wants to help operators ease concerns about the privacy of that data.
The Mississauga, Ontario, vendor's Unified Profile Server (UPS) lets a mobile operator centralize control over access to subscriber data that may exist in many different places on its network, Popoff said. With one setup session, the subscriber can set down rules for which applications or vendors can see specific types of information related to user identity. Those could include current location, credit card number, shipping address, phone number, buddy lists and presence, Popoff said.
The user can also ask to be prompted with opt-in choices for information sharing whenever a new application is loaded on the handset. They could grant no access, one-time access or ongoing access to specific kinds of information, Popoff said. In some cases, if another subscriber or application on the network requests a piece of information about the subscriber, the UPS could trigger an SMS (short message service) message asking permission for that data to be provided. The UPS can also be used to block calls, such as when a subscriber doesn't want to get calls from co-workers on weekends.
Through standardized interfaces among applications, such as those developed by the Parlay Group, it's possible to make the UPS work with most mobile applications, Popoff said. Variations from standards in some mobile operators' applications do create challenges, he acknowledged.
One operator group in Europe is already deploying the software and it is likely to go live there during this quarter, according to Popoff. Europe is likely to lead in adoption of the system because of strict privacy laws there, he said.
Customers of Redknee's existing personalization and transaction software include Vodafone, Cingular Wireless, Canada's Rogers Communications and T-Mobile USA, Popoff said
With the proliferation of services on mobile phones, including ones that use information about a cell phone's location or a subscriber's "presence" on instant-messaging or other systems, more personal data is going in to the back end of the mobile network, said Jeff Popoff, vice president of marketing at Redknee. The company, which already sells carriers software for personalizing mobile data services and simplifying phone-based transactions, now wants to help operators ease concerns about the privacy of that data.
The Mississauga, Ontario, vendor's Unified Profile Server (UPS) lets a mobile operator centralize control over access to subscriber data that may exist in many different places on its network, Popoff said. With one setup session, the subscriber can set down rules for which applications or vendors can see specific types of information related to user identity. Those could include current location, credit card number, shipping address, phone number, buddy lists and presence, Popoff said.
The user can also ask to be prompted with opt-in choices for information sharing whenever a new application is loaded on the handset. They could grant no access, one-time access or ongoing access to specific kinds of information, Popoff said. In some cases, if another subscriber or application on the network requests a piece of information about the subscriber, the UPS could trigger an SMS (short message service) message asking permission for that data to be provided. The UPS can also be used to block calls, such as when a subscriber doesn't want to get calls from co-workers on weekends.
Through standardized interfaces among applications, such as those developed by the Parlay Group, it's possible to make the UPS work with most mobile applications, Popoff said. Variations from standards in some mobile operators' applications do create challenges, he acknowledged.
One operator group in Europe is already deploying the software and it is likely to go live there during this quarter, according to Popoff. Europe is likely to lead in adoption of the system because of strict privacy laws there, he said.
Customers of Redknee's existing personalization and transaction software include Vodafone, Cingular Wireless, Canada's Rogers Communications and T-Mobile USA, Popoff said
Spy software company argues product isn't a Trojan
The company selling a mobile phone spy application that has been labeled malware by F-Secure says the software isn't malicious or illegal.
F-Secure software recently began blocking a commercial application called FlexiSpy that bills itself as the world's first spy software built for mobile phones.
When FlexiSpy software is loaded onto a Symbian mobile phone, it sends all text messages that are sent and received, as well as call details, to FlexiSpy servers. Users can log on to the servers via the Internet to read the messages and view the call records. The problem, says F-Secure, is that the phone owner may not know the program has been installed and can't uninstall it.
"We're convinced that this could be used for malicious and illegal purposes in so many ways that we made the decision to flag it as malware," F-Secure Chief Research Officer Mikko Hypponen said.
Vervata, the Bangkok, Thailand, company that created FlexiSpy, argues that the product isn't a virus, a Trojan horse or malware.
"Like any other monitoring software there may be a possibility for misuse, but there is nothing inherent in FlexiSpy that makes it illegal or malicious," a Vervata spokesman wrote in an e-mail exchange. He said that the software must be consciously installed by a person, does not self-replicate and doesn't pretend to be something it's not.
He said that an uninstall option is provided so the user can uninstall the program at any time but F-Secure found that the application uninstaller doesn't work.
Hypponen also worried that a user could "beam" the program via Bluetooth to other nearby users. "If one in 100 people who received it wonders what it is and clicks on it, it would install without telling the user what the program does," he said. Going forward, the person who sent the program could read that person's text messages online. "If that's not malicious, I don't know what is," Hypponen said
Some changes to the program could make it more palatable, he said. For instance, if the installation process clearly shows that a spy program is being installed, it could be useful for parents that might want to monitor a child's text messages, he said.
But using this type of program to spy on another person is illegal in most parts of the world, he noted. In addition, he also said that users might be concerned that the text messages and calling information is being stored on Vervata servers.
F-Secure has contacted Vervata to discuss the program but hasn't received a response, Hypponen said.
Each page of the FlexiSpy Web site warns visitors that logging other people's text messages and other phone activity or installing FlexiSpy on another person's phone without their knowledge could be illegal. It also says that Vervata assumes no liability and isn't responsible for misuse or damage caused by FlexiSpy.
F-Secure software recently began blocking a commercial application called FlexiSpy that bills itself as the world's first spy software built for mobile phones.
When FlexiSpy software is loaded onto a Symbian mobile phone, it sends all text messages that are sent and received, as well as call details, to FlexiSpy servers. Users can log on to the servers via the Internet to read the messages and view the call records. The problem, says F-Secure, is that the phone owner may not know the program has been installed and can't uninstall it.
"We're convinced that this could be used for malicious and illegal purposes in so many ways that we made the decision to flag it as malware," F-Secure Chief Research Officer Mikko Hypponen said.
Vervata, the Bangkok, Thailand, company that created FlexiSpy, argues that the product isn't a virus, a Trojan horse or malware.
"Like any other monitoring software there may be a possibility for misuse, but there is nothing inherent in FlexiSpy that makes it illegal or malicious," a Vervata spokesman wrote in an e-mail exchange. He said that the software must be consciously installed by a person, does not self-replicate and doesn't pretend to be something it's not.
He said that an uninstall option is provided so the user can uninstall the program at any time but F-Secure found that the application uninstaller doesn't work.
Hypponen also worried that a user could "beam" the program via Bluetooth to other nearby users. "If one in 100 people who received it wonders what it is and clicks on it, it would install without telling the user what the program does," he said. Going forward, the person who sent the program could read that person's text messages online. "If that's not malicious, I don't know what is," Hypponen said
Some changes to the program could make it more palatable, he said. For instance, if the installation process clearly shows that a spy program is being installed, it could be useful for parents that might want to monitor a child's text messages, he said.
But using this type of program to spy on another person is illegal in most parts of the world, he noted. In addition, he also said that users might be concerned that the text messages and calling information is being stored on Vervata servers.
F-Secure has contacted Vervata to discuss the program but hasn't received a response, Hypponen said.
Each page of the FlexiSpy Web site warns visitors that logging other people's text messages and other phone activity or installing FlexiSpy on another person's phone without their knowledge could be illegal. It also says that Vervata assumes no liability and isn't responsible for misuse or damage caused by FlexiSpy.
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