Dimension Data and MDM Vendor AirWatch Partner on Global Mobile Security

Earlier this week, Dimension Data, a $5.8 billion global information and communications technology (ICT) solutions and services provider, noted that it signed a global partnership with AirWatch, an enterprise mobile device, applications and security management provider. We recently covered AirWatch and the latest release of its mobile management platform in some detail, and it is interesting to note that AirWatch has followed this up with what might prove to be a substantial new addition to its collection of partners – especially in terms of getting AirWatch into a larger overall global ICT setting.

Dimension Data, which was founded in 1983, has been a member of the NTT Group since July 2010 when NTT acquired it. Japan-based NTT - Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation – is in turn the world’s largest telecommunications company in terms of total revenue. That is the sort of pedigree that will open real global doors for AirWatch, and in fact a number of Dimension Data’s clients in South Africa and Europe have already gotten on board with the AirWatch platform.

These Dimension clients all cite a significant and growing need for solutions to manage corporate and employee-owned mobile devices, protect corporate data, distribute enterprise applications, and secure mobile access to corporate documents. That in turn simply reads as a litany of what enterprises in North America now use AirWatch (and its various competitors) to manage as well.

Dimension Data provides its clients with its own Enterprise Mobility Framework, which Dimension claims offers a 360-degree view of all the considerations and areas affected by the move to mobility. Dimension also delivers a telecom expense management offering, Xigo Enterprise Security. Dimension needed a platform that would be able to integrate into both of these platforms. AirWatch fit the bill in terms of ease of integration with Dimension’s Enterprise Mobility Framework, but AirWatch has an advanced API framework that allows Dimension to be able to closely integrate the AirWatch platform with its Xigo platform, as well.

Matthew Gyde, Dimension Data’s group general manager for security solutions, notes that, “Given the multi-geography nature of Dimension Data and our clients, we needed a partner with a powerful technology platform that we could work with across all regions and tightly integrate into our own platform. This was the key consideration and AirWatch fit the bill entirely.”

AirWatch also has a partnership with Siemens Enterprise Communications, where Siemens acts as a referral service for AirWatch. The Dimension relationship, we believe, takes things much further, and in many cases AirWatch will simply go along for the ride as an indirect sale. It’s a win-win for all concerned.