Embedded virtualization company Open Kernel Labs has released a new software and services solution based on the company's OKL4 Microvisor. The SecureIT Mobile Enterprise solution is targeted at device manufacturers (OEMs), mobile network operators (MNOs), and systems integrators (SIs) building and deploying requirements for mobile devices.

With support for Android and other open operating systems, this new product release aims to address the gaps in mobile enterprise security while preserving user privacy and device functionality. The company points out that mobile workers around the world increasingly prefer to use their own smartphones, tablets, and other wireless devices for both work and personal communications and computing. This consumerization of enterprise IT is a natural consequence of smartphone and mobile applications growth, but it puts new pressures on corporations to accommodate and secure employee-owned mobile devices.

According to the Open Kernel Labs website, "Currently, enterprise IT looks to Mobile Device Management (MDM) and endpoint security technologies such as encryption and anti-virus (AV) software, to bolster enterprise mobility. These technologies are necessary and powerful, but leave critical requirements unmet. In particular, MDM and security rely on the integrity of the underlying smartphone OS and software stack, which are vulnerable to exploits."

The company says that deploying SecureIT Mobile Enterprise in a smartphone or tablet creates a software architecture with separate, isolated personal and enterprise domains on a single device. This is designed to meets employer requirements for security and employee needs for privacy and device functionality without the compromises that today limit enterprise mobility ROI.

"Effective enterprise mobility rests on three pillars: security, privacy, and freedom to fully use the capabilities of the device," said Steve Subar, founder and CEO of Open Kernel Labs. "By building on OKL4 virtualization, SecureIT Mobile Enterprise enables enterprise IT to deliver on all three -- securing access to enterprise assets and services, ensuring user privacy, and preserving intact smartphone user experience. All on a single off-the-shelf smartphone or tablet."