MobileIron Partners up with Metronome Software to Enable Security of Mobile Device Sensor Systems of First Responders

Earlier this week (August 14), MobileIron (NASDAQ:MOBL) announced that it and Metronome Software have partnered up to create a technology solution to enhance the security of mobile-device based sensor systems for first responders. According to the company’s press release, funding for the project will come from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Science and Technology Directorate S&T).
According to Sean Frazier, Federal CTO of MobileIron, the company has been “laser focused”on mobile security technology for roughly 10 years, and applying the company’s technology towards first responder devices is something he felt would be beneficial.
“First responders … have unique use cases and requirements,” Frazier told the Investing News Network (INN) in an email. “We felt that we could apply our commercial technologies and commercial best practices to this environment.”

Below, Frazier discusses the partnership with Metronome, the focus on first responder mobile-based devices, how the product will differ from the company’s other mobile security products, the time frame for the product launch, and what else the company is looking forward to.
INN: The company’s press release of August 14 states it will be partnering with Metronome Software to develop a technology solution to help with security for mobile device-based sensor systems used by first responders–what was the driving force behind the partnership with Metronome Software?
SF: With the focus on providing next generation mobile technology to first responders a gap was identified on how transparent security could be layered in to help first responders do their jobs quicker and easier without adding undo technical burden. This project is to help facilitate that.
INN: The release states that MobileIron and Metronome will develop security for back-end servers, intermediate data centers and individual first responder mobile devices–why first responder mobile-based devices?

SF: This technology is based on mature mobile security technology that MobileIron has been laser focused on for 10 years. First responders however have unique use cases and requirements. We felt that we could apply our commercial technologies and commercial best practices to this environment. The timing is perfect since FirstNET (first responder network) is starting to roll out and will need a mobile device and application security backbone to support this very large and heterogeneous environment.
INN: Can you tell me a little bit more about how the security that MobileIron and Metronome will develop will work with the NGFR framework? Will it differ from the company’s other mobile security products?
SF: We will leverage our individual core competencies to extend the mobile security environment to first responder devices and wearables. IOT (Internet of Things) if a bit of an over-hyped marketing term but the security plumbing requirements are not being addressed for this very large, very desperate network of connected devices. We (MobileIron) believe we are uniquely positioned to provide this “plumbing” due to our laser focus on mobile security. This is just a natural extension to what we do every day.
INN: Is there a timeframe in mind for when the product will be launched?

SF: We have a 2 year period of performance. We’ll be working very closely with DHS, specifically their Science and Technology (S&T) directorate and the Next Generation First Responder (NGFR) teams.
INN: Following the announcement, I note that shares of MobileIron have reacted positively–is this indicative of how investors have reacted to the news?
SF: I can’t speak to that directly but glad it had a positive impact.
INN: Finally, what else is the company looking forward to beyond this product?
SF: MobileIron is very focused on mobile security in all regards. At the end of the day the technology world is coalescing around mobile and cloud. We are uniquely positions to be the security architecture for this new paradigm. Products like Access (cloud security) and Bridge (Windows 10 legacy control support) make us a one-stop-shop for organizations doing mobile (unified) and cloud.
Don’t forget to follow us @INN_Technology for real-time news updates!
Securities Disclosure: I, Jocelyn Aspa, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
The Investing News Network does not guarantee the accuracy or thoroughness of the information reported in the interviews it conducts. The opinions expressed in these interviews do not reflect the opinions of the Investing News Network and do not constitute investment advice. All readers are encouraged to perform their own due diligenc