Good Work EMM Can Now Mange Apple Watch

Good Technology has updated its Good Work Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM) platform to cover the Apple Watch, claiming it is “imperative” that businesses introduce policies for wearable devices as they enter the workplace.

Apple Watch owners will be able to receive email and calendar notifications from Good Work applications, the level of detail of which can be set by administrators, who have access to a web-based management console to set policies.

Good Device Management supports the MDM controls for Apple Watch introduced in iOS 8.2 and supports the ‘wrist detection’ restriction, which authenticates an authorised user through skin contact.

Apple Watch EMM

“The success of secure mobility for enterprises depends on their ability to embrace new devices and enable seamless, secure access to enterprise data without impacting the amazing consumer experiences of the products themselves,” said Christy Wyatt, CEO of Good Technology. “Today we are proud to announce support for the Apple Watch, demonstrating our continued commitment to provide the management and security tools our customers require.”

Good already supports Android Wear devices and senses a growing opportunity as wearables become increasingly commonplace in the enterprise.

Research earlier this year from Trend Micro found that 81 percent of organisations surveyed in Europe and the Middle East were at least thinking about using wearables. Nineteen percent have already started doing so, 28 percent are in the middle of the process and 34 percent are exploring the concept.

However 95 percent of all respondents felt wearables constitute a security risk, with nearly half claiming this was due to a lack of adequate policies. Fifty-six percent said they would have to introduce limitations on the data captured by wearables and 79 percent said if they were to adopt wearables, they would have to introduce policies that prevented corporate data from being compromised.

‘The Apple Watch is the crest of a wave of wearables aimed at improving productivity by keeping users connected to their data in simple glances,” added Nicko van Someren, CTO, Good Technology. “While these devices offer simplified and convenient usability, we have to take the necessary measures to make sure privacy and security concerns are not compromised.In order to keep corporate information safe, companies must protect their most important asset – their data – while still allowing the end users to access the amazing functionality provided by the Apple Watch and similar devices.

“Just as with BYOD, when companies can overcome the Catch-22 of usability and security they will be able to tackle ‘wear your own device’ with ease.”

What do you know about the iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus and Apple Watch? Try our quiz!