Alcatel-Lucent secures mobile assets with new OmniAccess 3500 Nonstop Laptop Guardian

Alcatel-Lucent (Euronext Paris and NYSE: ALU) today introduced the OmniAccess 3500 Nonstop Laptop Guardian, a revolutionary laptop security and management system developed to secure, monitor, manage and locate a mobile computer, and to destroy its data if it is lost or stolen. OmniAccess 3500 Nonstop Laptop Guardian leverages broadband networks to let enterprises manage laptops anywhere, anytime, even when the computer is turned off.

With this solution, IT departments are able to enforce policies for compliance, protect and recover stolen devices, and deliver patches and upgrades to an increasingly mobile workforce, thereby increasing productivity and efficiency. Alcatel-Lucent continues to deliver solutions like the OmniAccess 3500 Nonstop Laptop Guardian to help businesses to competitively transform themselves, by leveraging their communications networks to meet key business objectives. For businesses of all sizes, an increasingly mobile workforce drives opportunity, but also challenges, as IT departments tackle sophisticated security threats.

The OmniAccess 3500 Nonstop Laptop Guardian, which is based on technology code-named “Evros” that was incubated by Alcatel-Lucent Ventures, is delivered to enterprises, bundled with 3G data services that enable the always-on connection. Alcatel-Lucent also announced it intends to work with Alltel, Sprint and Verizon Wireless to provide the complete solution to enterprises.

Alcatel-Lucent customer Visiting Nurses Association of Northern New Jersey (VNA) is piloting the OmniAccess 3500 Nonstop Laptop Guardian for staff members who spend their days on the road at patient homes and care facilities. “Our business is caring for patients in their environment, so we need to take our technology and records on the road – and we must be able to protect that data,” said Michael Landsittel, Manager of IT at VNA. “The OmniAccess 3500 Nonstop Laptop Guardian enables us to manage our laptops and protect the data they contain, preventing a true disaster if a laptop was lost or stolen. We view this as a breakthrough that will help us to better protect our patients and meet regulatory requirements.”

“With close to 50 percent of all new PCs in the enterprise being laptops, and with 81 percent of companies reporting they’ve lost at least one laptop containing sensitive information in the last 12 months (according to CSO Magazine), the problems around managing remote laptops are becoming acute. Laptops are notoriously difficult to manage and patch, and represent a liability to the company when lost or stolen,” said Tom Burns, President of Alcatel-Lucent’s enterprise solutions activities. “Until OmniAccess 3500 Nonstop Laptop Guardian, there has been no comprehensive solution to mitigate this risk and deliver the full flexibility of ‘always-on’ connectivity, while retaining full visibility and control over laptops on a 24/7 basis – even when the laptop is turned off.”

“With more than 50 million mobile workers in the US today, business needs solutions that address remote and mobile device systems management,” said Sandra Palumbo, Program Manager for Enterprise IT and Communications Services at The Yankee Group. “Offerings such as OmniAccess 3500 Nonstop Laptop Guardian directly focus on addressing remote and mobile security and management issues.”

Availability
OmniAccess 3500 Nonstop Laptop Guardian will be available later this year through Alcatel-Lucent channels in North America, primarily through service providers that will bundle the solution with their 3G wireless WAN offerings.