Mimecast, supplier of cloud-based email archiving,continuity and security for Microsoft Exchange and Office 365, has today announced that it is extending its mobile services to Windows Phone and Android. The Mobile Access apps – both available to download from today – mean that Mimecast is the first and only cloud email management vendor to offer archive search apps for all major smartphone platforms; Windows Phone, iPhone, BlackBerry and Android.
Mimecast Mobile Access offers users uninterrupted access to their sent and received email messages from their Windows Phone or Android devices. The service is already available on iPhone and BlackBerry. BlackBerry users also have access to a fully integrated email continuity service that keeps email working even when Exchange, BES or associated network infrastructure is unavailable.
Mobile Access is included as a core element of the Mimecast service; therefore users can switch between smartphone types, or even access Mimecast from multiple devices, with no additional cost or complexity.
Nick Tinning, IT Director at Aberdein, Considine & Company, commented: “With smartphones beginning to outsell PCs, it’s clear that BYOD is now a reality for most organisations. With such a high volume of corporate IP being held in email, we need to ensure we’re enabling our staff to remain productive, yet within a secure environment. Mimecast’s Mobile Access app provides our lawyers with totally secure access to their entire personal email archive from their Windows Phone or iPhone to provide an ‘always-on’ service for their clients – even when primary email systems are unavailable. In the legal industry, the ability to provide this level of service is crucial to our reputation.”
“The bring your own device phenomenon is becoming pervasive in the enterprise, and IT is increasingly under pressure to not only support users’ chosen devices, but to provide enterprise-grade applications to support mobile working,” said Sheila Childs, Research Director at Gartner’s Storage Strategies and Technologies group. “Email is one of the most popular applications on smartphones, and the ability to access the full email archive on the go has the potential to help users make better decisions and improve productivity.”
“The rise of the cloud has heralded a new era for mobile working,” commented Barry Gill, Enterprise Consultant, Mimecast. “Users don’t just want to be able to work from any location; they now expect all of their data to be accessible at all times and on a device of their choosing. With up to 80% of corporate IP stored in the email archive, the limitations on traditional smartphone email applications can significantly restrict productivity with users suddenly cut off from a huge amount of their data when they leave the office.”
“Mimecast’s Mobile Access apps give users the ability to search their entire email archive – and all the data contained within – from anywhere,” Gill added. “This can make a huge difference for users in terms of workforce productivity and, crucially for the enterprise, it guarantees that this data is being accessed from within a secure environment. By extending our Mobile Access offering to all four major smartphone platforms, businesses of all sizes can give their employees increased flexibility and ensure users can use email as productively on the move as they can when sitting at their desk.”