Trust Digital Makes Enterprise Smartphone Management Move

Company:

Headquarters: McLean, Va.

Technology Sector: Software

Key Product: Trust Digital EMM (Enterprise Mobility Management)

Year Founded: 2004

Number of Channel Partners: 5 in the U.S.; 25 worldwide

Ideal Channel Partner: Enterprise-focused solution providers

Why You Should Care: Trust Digital offers mobile enterprise management software that covers the full smartphone market, including Apple iPhone.

The Lowdown: Solution providers looking to cash in on the huge opportunity opened up by the proliferation of smartphones now have a trustworthy option.

Trust Digital has stepped into the smartphone fray with its Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM) software product that supports everything from Apple's iPhone to Android-based smartphones to BlackBerry devices from Research In Motion.

Not only that, Trust Digital has launched a new channel program to gain traction with solution providers. That program includes training, support and sales leads.

Nick Turner, vice president of reseller and service provider sales at Trust Digital, said EMM fills a big gap for solution providers that up until now have been just managing BlackBerry RIM devices via the Blackberry Enterprise Server. "VARs are looking for help to extend beyond BlackBerry," he said. "This allows them to fulfill those customer requirements. This is a burning and urgent request among enterprises."

Craig Abod, president of Carahsoft, the federal government's largest VAR and No. 6 on the 2009 CRN Fast Growth list, said Trust Digital's EMM product compliments his company's BlackBerry practice.

"Now other devices coming into the IT environment, including iPhone and Microsoft Windows-enabled phones, have the same level of security, governance and compliance that the BlackBerry Enterprise Server has enjoyed for years."

Abod said Trust Digital's EMM eliminates the religious battles for a single smartphone standard. "This allows freedom of choice," he said. "This is all about letting users on the network with devices of their choice and giving them the same functionality as Blackberry Enterprise Server."

Abod said there is a "significant services opportunity" for VARs that understand the compliance and governance requirements and can help CIOs set policies and procedures.