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The WDN Symbian DevZone... The Symbian and Symantec Partnership
by Richard Bloor, August 12, 2002
One of the challenges facing the vendor of today’s mobile devices is convincing IT
Managers that they can deliver secure solutions. While the threat is currently
minimal it is only a matter of time before these devices come under attack from
virus writers and hackers. Symbian and Symantec last month announced a
partnership that will undoubtedly strengthen the security offerings available for
Symbian OS. Richard discusses what the deal means with Jason Conyard of
Symantec and Jerry Panagrossi of Symbian.
Last month Symantec became a Symbian Platinum Partner in a move that will
facilitate in-depth interaction between Symantec's Internet security experts and
Symbian technical teams as new generations of Symbian OS are developed.
Symantec was founded in 1982 and has grown to over 4000 employees with
solutions which address every aspect of Internet and Computer security from
virus protection and e-mail filtering through firewalls and virtual private networks
to remote management products. Their products address the security
requirements for customers ranging from the largest of enterprises to the
individual home user through traditional and Internet based channels. Symantec
are also active in providing backup services and consultancy that support their
applications.
I spoke to Jason Conyard Director of Symantec's Wireless Product Management
about the announcement and what it would mean in terms of products and
services.
WDN: Jason thanks for talking to WDN, I would like to start by asking about the
background to the announcement, how and why has it come about?
Jason: Symantec have been working on wireless and mobile security technology
for almost 2 years now in a number of different areas, one of which is Symbian
OS. We have already brought one wireless product to market the Symantec
AntiVirus product for the Palm OS that we released in March 2001.
We have realized that as we see the convergence of the PDA and mobile phone
creating always-on Internet connections utilizing 2.5 and 3 G technology we see
operating systems like Symbian OS come to the fore. With the mass market
adoption of these technologies we recognize that all the ingredients are there for
security threats to emerge. The balance has been deciding when to bring a
solution to Market for a need that does not necessarily exist yet. We pride
ourselves as a company that always delivers value to our customers with
solutions that address the challenges they face, so timing has been an important
issue with wireless products.
So we have been working with Symbian for some time, to understand their
operating system, how it works and where it is going. Then using this knowledge
to determine how we can add value for our customers, by developing and
evaluation prototypes. It’s been a long time in the making and the partnership
agreement we have announced is the culmination of those discussions. It’s a
recognition and acknowledgment by Symantec that we will be bringing Symbian
products to market.
WDN: So what products can we expect to see emerging?
Jason: Our specific product plans are still evolving, so I can not be specific.
However I see a number of areas where Symantec will bring solutions to market.
Some will be in traditional areas, those where people would expect to see our
products, but also some more unique areas.
We are obviously aware that viruses may evolve to run on specialist machine,
there are more third party applications being written and the accessibility of the
operating system to the virus writing community is increasing. As we see people
with always-on connections, instant messaging type applications being resident
on the devices there is an increased potential for the devices being hacked. Also
the carriers and service providers are very keen to see users using these devices
for m-commerce and using them for keys to open doors, accessing bank accounts
and other secure applications. So we recognize the need to be able to protect the
devices, not only at its source but also within the carriers infrastructure, at the
gateways and in the servers. So there are many different ways that we may
provide security solutions.
WDN: I think we all know that security is an important issue for any computing
architecture, do you see any special aspects to security for mobile devices?
Jason: Yes I believe so. For some years and more so in the last couple we have
seen companies like Palm and others struggle to get enterprise adoption for these
solutions. We have certainly seen solutions, like Palm and Pocket PC, coming
through the front door every day in people’s pockets but they have not necessarily
had the blessing and support of the organizations IT department. The companies
that have adopted Symbian OS want to see these devices adopted by the
enterprise, to achieve this they need tools that allow the devices to be secured
and managed. So we are paying a lot of attention to what the enterprise, and the
individual user and owner, needs to have these devices and be able to use them
in a secure fashion.
WDN: You mentioned device management, does that mean that your future
product roadmap includes this type of product?
Jason: Well I will say that having manageability in solutions is critical especially
if you are an enterprise. How do you manage devices that are walking out of the
building and may not come back for days or weeks at a time? So I think that
manageability is very important in the future of mobile devices, if not critical for
enterprise adoption.
WDN: Symbian already have relationships with F-Secure and SSH
Communications Security and McAfee also have Symbian support in their virus
products. What do you see as Symantec value proposition when compared to
these products?
Jason: Firstly when we talk about enterprises they want a complete security
solution. They are not looking for point solutions. They want to know that the
servers, gateways, workstations and the handhelds, be they PDAs or
smartphones, are secure. They don't want to be managing disparate tools from
companies with differing reputations, they want to be working with companies
with solid reputations and the ability to respond and support them when the
need arises. Symantec is best positioned to do that and provide total security
protection and we see this as a key differentiator. Also from a consumer
perspective individuals want solutions that are easy to use and that take care of
the challenges that they face without lots of interaction. Symantec has excelled
in delivering solutions that are easy to use and really take care of the issues that
come up in a security environment, anti-virus is just one example. Clearly we
aim to provide this ease of use to the enterprise user and manager as well.
I then spoke to Jerry Panagrossi, Director of the Technology Partner Program at
Symbian.
WDN: Jerry from Symbian’s perspective what are the advantages of having
Symantec as a Platinum Partner?
Jerry: As you know Symantec is a trusted supplier of security technologies as
well as other applications such as their PC utilities. At Symbian we see a real
benefit in partnering with Symantec as a leader in that space and working with
them in ensuring that we have solid security solutions available for the emerging
new generation of phones and communicators based on Symbian OS.
WDN: The press release seems to suggest that Symantec will have some
influence over or at least involvement in the future development of Symbian OS,
is that correct?
Jerry: That is always a possibility with any of our partners. We have a formal
process in place where we conduct requirements analyses with our licensees [the
mobile phone manufacturers]. The process ensures that we do not show
favoritism or bias toward any particular licensee. When this process identifies
features that need to be added to the OS, we look for the best source for the
solution. If the solution comes from a partner, say from Symantec, we look to
entering into a licensing agreement for the relevant technology.
Symbian OS has a pervasive plug-in architecture. So a benefit of the Platinum
Partner Program is that we can work through our Strategic Product Management
Team with Symantec, as well as with other partners, to ensure that we have the
right hooks in the operating system to facilitate the creation of plug-ins that
support a diverse range of security features. Obviously this is something we do
with all our Partners in their respective areas of expertise.
WDN: Does this partnership effect your relationship with existing security
partners like F-Secure and SSH Communications?
Jerry: No, it just broadens the scope. Symbian enters into partnerships with
companies that provide leading or emerging technologies, especially technologies
that are based on open standards. And through these partnerships we will
continue to enhance Symbian OS to support these market leaders’ solutions.
Our partnership with Symantec perfectly complements our existing family of
security Partners.
We have already extended invitations to a number of our existing partners to join
the Platinum Partner Program. I certainly expect to see more of our existing
partners transition to this new Program in the near future.
While neither Jason nor Jerry would be specific about the products likely to come
to market as a result of this deal, it was clear that work has been underway for
some time and that resulting products might not be too far away. I hope to be
able to bring you details in a future SymbianDevZone column.
If you want to find out more about Symantec then their full range of products and
services are described on their web site. (http://www.symantec.com) More
information on the Symbian Platinum Partners program can be found on
Symbian's web site (http://www.symbian.com/partners/part-platnm.html)
About the “WDN Symbian Guy" Richard Bloor:
Richard Bloor has 16 years experience in the IT industry. His earlier
work was largely in design and development of commercial and
manufacturing systems but more recently has focused on
development and test management of government systems.
Richard Bloor is the Mobile Applications champion at System
Architecture consultancy Equinox of Wellington, New Zealand.
Richard can be reached at rbloor@wirelessdevnet.com.
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