MobileIron's Virtual SmartPhone Platform attaches to a company’s IT infrastructure to provide data-driven device management and cost control. The solution supports three of today's top mobile platforms, including the iPhone, with more to come soon.

The challenges facing IT in managing and integrating smartphones into the enterprise grows more complex and, in many cases, overwhelming all the time. The latest company to answer the call to battle is a startup called MobileIron, which launched its Virtual SmartPhone Platform today.

This solution comes in the form of an appliance that you plug into your enterprise's IT infrastructure. Once the appliance is attached, the Virtual SmartPhone Platform can be up and running in less than an hour to monitor employees' smartphone usage, according to MobileIron. 

It said the appliance combines data-driven mobile device management with real-time wireless cost control. MobileIron's platform does this creating a central view of smartphone content, activity, and applications in the data center. That way both IT and end-users can gain insight into usage, and control over security and cost.

Features of the Virtual SmartPhone Platform include security, device, and application management; the creation of an enterprise data boundary for employee-owned smartphones; real-time usage alerts for roaming and cost control; operator service quality monitoring; and the installation of MobileIron's MyPhone@Work end-user application on corporate smartphones.

MyPhone@Work is an application that installs as a client on smartphones to integrat them into your company's mobile operations. It links a handset into the Virtual SmartPhone Platform to get it up and running on your company's network. This provides the smartphone with access to email and network resources and allows end users to access a enterprise's recommended applications. It also allows for the testing and profiling of network connection speeds.

PDAStreet asked MobileIron CEO Bob Tinker to elaborate on how exactly the platform works as an appliance that plugs in to the corporate IT infrastructure. Tinker said that when the Virtual SmartPhone Platform is plugged into the datacenter, "a small client is downloaded over the air to each smartphone." Then, he added, "data from the phone is cloned back up to the data center so there's always a central view of smartphone content, activity, and applications."

The platform is currently compatible with the BlackBerry, iPhone (see top image), and Windows Mobile smartphone operating systems. Support for the Symbian and Android platforms will, according to MobileIron, arrive soon. No word on when or if Palm's fledgling webOS will be supported.

"Smartphones are no longer phones - they are computers. Enterprise data is moving to the smartphone," said Tinker when we asked him to speak to the advantages for his company's platform and how it stacks up to other mobile device management solutions. "Device management alone can't handle the new security and wireless cost challenges this creates."

"Companies need to know what data is on their phones and how those phones are being used so they can manage security and cost in real-time," Tinker elaborated, as he went on to assert that the "Virtual SmartPhone Platform is the first solution to provide this visibility and control."

Tinker went on to explain how MobileIron took an ask first, develop later approach to creating the Virtual SmartPhone Platform. In other words, the startup listened for what enterprises were looking for to help them manage smartphones before creating the platform. As a matter of fact, it was this very approach that led the development to take the data-centric approach it did with its platform.

"We talked to customers for six months before we even started writing code or looking for funding," noted Tinker. "The original insight that 'it's all about the data' came from one of those discussions and set the stage for the development of the MobileIron architecture." 

When MobileIron went out looking for funding, it found a trio of venture capitalists to foot the bill to the tune of $9 million so far.

"We are funded by Sequoia Capital, which funded Cisco, Google, and YouTube, Norwest Venture Partners, which funded PeopleSoft and Airespace, and Storm Ventures, where MobileIron was incubated," Tinker said. "In fact, these were the first three VCs we showed the deal to and they all said 'yes', which is quite unusual and speaks to the opportunity in enterprise mobility and the unique approach of MobileIron."

MobileIron unveiled a pair of customers with today's launch announcement—in fact, these companies, Fenwick & West-a technology and life sciences law firm-and Windsor Foods, are the first to implement the Virtual SmartPhone Platform.

"Smartphones will become more important to our business than laptops," said Fenwick & West CTO Matt Kesner. "MobileIron's virtual data architecture gives me the insight I need to make sure we're in charge, not the carrier."

Meanwhile, Windsor Foods VP of information technology Stephan Henze noted how the Virtual SmartPhone Platform provides his company with the tools to not just manage smartphones today, but to also plan for the days ahead. According to Henze, "MobileIron lets us do what we need today, like asset management and smartphone troubleshooting, but also future-proofs our mobile strategy for tomorrow." 

Virtual SmartPhone Platform's Dashboard to give IT an snapshot of overall smartphone operations.

In addition to these initial customers, MobileIron announced partnerships with six mobility integrators today. These partners include Cellular Optimization, Info Plus International, Invisible IT Mission Critical Wireless, Mobility Partners, and Unwired Revolution.

"MobileIron's technology solves multiple issues for our customers," said Mission Ciritcal Wireless president & CEO Dan Croft in a statement. "MobileIron's unique virtual phone data architecture expands the set of services we can offer to help our enterprise customers aggressively take control of their mobile operations and costs."