Windows Phone 8 - a secure choice for Enterprise

Wow, has it really been a few months now since the launch of Windows Phone 8? I certainly seems like merely weeks. That said, businesses were quick to cotton on to the fact that this new Windows Phone 8 platform packs some serious punch for the Enterprise sector.

For starters, the platform has excellent social media features and the usual plethora of consumer features, as you'd expect. But as far as Enterprise is concerned, security and app compatibility with Windows 8 on the PC and other devices are two of it's biggest plus points. In this post, we're going to take a quick look at the security features...

Email and access policy management with Exchange

If being used as a company phone, Windows Phone 8 supports the Exchange ActiveSync (EAS) protocol for synchronising email, calendar, task, and contact information with Exchange Server 2003 SP2 and all subsequent releases or Microsoft Office 365.

Similar to Group Policy settings for PC operating systems, EAS provides the ability to manage Windows Phone through the use of security-related policies that are configured by an organisations IT department. EAS security-related configuration policy settings that can be managed using Exchange Server include those shown in the following table.

Create you own app store!

Organisations can are also able to create their own private Marketplace app store - then simply push their new apps out to a user's handset. EAS specifies a user's credentials therefore allowing them to use the apps they need for their role.

Secure boot

Microsoft takes a multi-pronged approach to help protect Windows Phone 8 devices against malware.

Secure boot and code signing help assure platform integrity of Windows Phone 8. These features help to protect the Windows Phone 8 boot process and operating system from malware attacks, especially rootkits, by allowing only validated software components to execute. These features help deliver a secured platform for application developers and corporate customers alike, and help assure consumers that the information they care about is safe.

Viruses and other forms of malware on some smartphone platforms are a growing concern for IT professionals today, in addition to concerns about information disclosure and compliance. These concerns are amplified by the increasing number of smartphones that are used to connect to corporate networks.

Data protection

The Windows Phone security design addresses the need for data protection by mitigating the risk of unauthorized data access or unintended information disclosure.

In addition, every Windows Phone includes by design the same set of management and security controls, regardless of hardware manufacturer, which enables organisations to manage all Windows Phones in a consistent, predictable way to mitigate risk.

Handy huh? If you would like to find out more about Windows Phone 8 and it's features, please take a look at the website.

By Howard
Microsoft Enterprise Team