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A VPN (virtual private network) client's just been launched for the Symbian OS by NCP engineering GmbH, which offers similar VPN solutions for laptops and other mobile platforms, including Windows Mobile and Windows CE, as well. The new software promises to secure data as it makes its way over public networks and the Internet to the corporate network.

NCP's VPN client works with devices running Symbian OS 9.0 and up with the S60 3rd Edition platforms. Manufacturers who build Symbian-based handsets add a second interface layer-usually Nokia's S60 interface, but sometimes UIQ-to provide some of their smartphones functionality, look, and feel.

That means NCP's new Symbian/S60 client has pretty much been designed exclusively with Nokia’s smartphones, such as the NSeries and ESeries models, in mind.

According to NCP, the Symbian/S60 client includes an integrated dynamic personal firewall and can communicate with VPN gateways from different manufacturers. It can also be configured over the he mobile phone network.

While it would be nice if Symbian/UIQ smartphones (mostly from Sony Ericsson) were supported as well, starting with S60 with the Symbian OS isn't such as bad idea. Last month, 77.3 million Symbian smartphones shipped. The vast majority of those were from Nokia.

The software is available for trial now.