IBM Starts Selling Security Software Patch for Smartphones, Tablets

IBM said it will sell a new security software patch to enterprises to ensure mobile devices like smartphones and tablets are secure. The move is part of a new emphasis on computer security.

Dubbed IBM Hosted Mobile Device Security Management, the new service guarantees employees with a mobile electronic product will be secure. Suggested starting price is $9.99 per device a month.

The company also will deploy a tiered pricing model so that enterprises with many users will be able to use the software for less.

It's a cloud-based application, a managed security service, IBM director of worldwide security services Latha Maripuri told IBTimes. We know that mobile devices are increasingly computing devices.

In essence, corporate IT managers will determine which employees with a smartphone or laptop require the new software, essentially a security patch that can be downloaded or installed on-premises.

IBM, based in Armonk, N.Y., is partnering with Juniper Networks, based in Sunnyvale, Calif., for the hosted mobile device software, Maripuri told IBTimes. From the outset, the software is compatible with platforms including Apple's iOs, Google's Android, Research in Motion's BlackBerry, Symbian and Microsoft Windows.

Other security software from security specialists such as Symantec, Intel's McAfee and Check Point Software Technologies has been traditionally geared to enterprises and networks, as well as laptops. The IBM manager said this product is the first to market.

Maripuri said IBM wants to take advantage of the increased shift to smartphones and other mobile platforms where demand is growing. Last week, the company announced a new security services division that would deploy threat analysis for the enterprise featuring electronic dashboards that monitor threats, along with an automated intelligence correlation engine to draw together sequences of activity to be checked.

Besides ensuring smartphones are secure, the software will also enable managers to contact and completely clean out devices that are stolen.

IBM, the No. 2 U.S. computer services provider, claims to monitor as many as 13 billion daily security threats in 130 countries.

IBM shares rose 2.1 percent to $187.24. The shares have gained nearly 30 percent this year.