Nokia launches enterprise security initiatives

Setting its sights on the Microsoft mobile camp, Nokia has kicked off two standards initiatives intended to strengthen its appeal to enterprise IT.

Nokia, the largest cell phone manufacturer in the world, last week teamed up with Pointsec Mobile Technologies to develop encryption technology for smart phones based on its Nokia Series 60 and Series 80 design platforms, which run on the Symbian operating system.

At the same time, Nokia also announced it will work with Vodafone Group, Europe’s largest wireless operator, to drive development of a specification for an open standards-based mobile Java services architecture.

According to Bob Egan, principal analyst with Mobile Competency, although Microsoft laid down the gauntlet by stating unequivocally that Java is not the way to go on mobile, Sun disappointed many by not fulfilling the role of Java evangelist in the fight against Microsoft.

“Nokia has stepped up and said we will help everybody stage this battle. This announcement shows that they will continue to invest and do deals with Java,” Egan said.

Although the Nokia/Vodafone initiative won’t introduce any new API specifications, it aims to establish a number of new component Java Specification Requests and clarifications to existing specifications in a move to define a consistent Java API services architecture, according to the companies. This unified services architecture will enable Java applications to run on mobile devices from multiple vendors.

The architecture will also include security enhancements for services, such as the delivery and administration of software components to mobile devices over the air, resulting in cost savings for mobile software maintenance.

Security was also an emphasis in Nokia’s partnership with Pointsec. As the first cell phone manufacturer to be hacked, Nokia wants to polish its security image, Egan said. 

“The minute you move up to more capable handsets and higher computing power and more applications that will attract the business market, you have to be thinking about security, and with this [hacking] incident that happened, encryption has to be high on the list,” Egan said.

The new Nokia encryption technology extends to mobile devices the same type of security many enterprises use in desktop and notebook systems, said Pekka Isosomppi, a spokesperson for Nokia’s Enterprise Solutions division.

The encryption data prevents unauthorized people from accessing stored data in a lost or stolen device, Isosomppi said.

It is clear Nokia has its gun sites set on Microsoft, Egan noted. “They want to be the mobile equivalent of Windows.”