IBM, in mobile security drive, teams with Juniper on smartphone protection services.

"IBM Security Services said it would team with Juniper Networks to offer managed services for Apple iOS, Android, Symbian, Blackberry OS and Windows through the Juniper Networks Junos Pulse Mobile Security Suite. The service, IBM says integrates policy-based enforcement that prevents smartphones from accessing key corporate resources unless required security policies and applications are in place...

Meanwhile IBM said it is researching and prototyping technologies to manage security and compliance challenges involving mobile smart phones, such as Android-based devices. With one such prototype system, using a single management platform, organizations will be able to extend management across any mobile device on their network, IBM stated. Customers will quickly be able to remotely set policies, monitor employees' devices to identify potential data compromise and wipe data off the devices if they are lost or stolen, IBM stated.

IBM added that researchers are also looking for ways to help customers secure instrumented endpoints for smart electrical meters. By 2015, it is expected that more than 300 million smart meters will be deployed worldwide and IBM expects work from this research project to let customers manage and secure a meter remotely, while helping to ensure they are also tamper proof."

Patent Watch: IBM Figures Out How To Limit Device Access By Geolocation.

"According to the filing, the technology would provide a method and technology to control access to a device based on the location of that device. IBM gave the example of a company that only wanted employees to use a particular device in the office or their home and believe that their technology would allow the employer to control where the particular device can be accessed."

IBM Throws $100 Million at Mobile.

Stacey Higginbotham writes: "IBM’s four areas of focus will be analytics; security; privacy and user interface; and navigation. I think its areas of focus should be around virtualized desktops for mobile phones; authentication and security when it comes to using mobiles to access programs in the cloud; and device security, notably how to protect sensitive information kept on mobile devices. As for user interface research, IBM sold off many of its speech recognition patents to Nuance Communications, which is where I think IBM had the potential to make the biggest impact."

Apple and IBM team up against Microsoft.

"Lotus Notes is coming to the iPhone and iPod Touch, and both Apple and IBM hope that the result will make you want Microsoft solutions a little bit less... The benefit for IBM is obvious; for Apple, it's increasing the perception that the iPhone is a good enterprise-class platform."

iPhone goes corporate: AT&T announces business plan.

"We have a funny feeling that the timing of this has something to do with IBM's imminent announcement of Lotus Notes mail for the iPhone. Now get on the horn to IT, they'll be dreading your call. "

IBM digs into security management.

"There will be competition, but I think that IBM sees this risk management issue as going far beyond what we consider traditional security, they are looking more at setting policies and security within a larger IT management framework that includes performance management, data governance and overall business services issues."

Vodafone Essar outsources to IBM.

"Vodafone already has an agreement in place with IBM to outsource its application development and maintenance services for its operations in several European countries (Ireland, Italy Greece, Spain, Portugal and the Czech Republic), Australia and New Zealand."

Fraud-proof phones patent from IBM.

"Under a special new setting, personal contact numbers stored on the device are marked as 'OK-to-dial' without a password. But new numbers and international or premium ones all require a password to connect. Of course, adding someone to the phone's memory also requires the correct password."

Visa launches mobile platform.

"Visa knows that for the large-scale deployment of mobile payment services to be realized, there is a continued need for cross-industry collaboration. Some of the organizations that Visa has worked with to deliver on its mobile payments vision include:

* CASSIS International
* Ecrio
* Giesecke & Devrient GmbH (G&D)
* IBM
* INSIDE Contactless
* mFormation Technologies
* Nokia
* NXP Semiconductors, formerly Philips
* Venyon
* VeriSign
* ViVOtech"

Visa, Nokia turn cell phones into credit cards.

"Visa, the credit card giant, has launched a global system to turn mobile phones into wallets for millions of customers in a deal with the world's top handset producer, Nokia... IBM helped create the mobile payment system."

related: Visa invests in mFormation