As consumers increasingly adopt smart devices, more attention must accordingly be paid to mobile device security; it’s inevitable. Last week, GFI Software revealed that it had snagged VizualMobile in a strategic move to increase mobile device security. GFI is already a well-known player in the fields of such things as network and e-mail security, where it already boasts a slew of proven and powerful products and solutions, but now the company is looking to further extend its reach.

Dr. Alistair Forbes, general manager of the GFI MAX Business unit a GFI Software confirms this in a statement when he says that the company is constantly “on the prowl for innovative new ways to stay on top.”

It seems they have done just that by breaking into a new and exciting opportunity which undoubtedly encompasses virtually every consumer in the nation (and the world) – mobile security. Ninety percent of the U.S. alone own cellphones, and even more, as of February of this year, more U.S. adults own smartphones than simpler feature phones, according to research from the Pew (News - Alert) Internet and American Life project as reported earlier this year by CNN Tech.

This is a certainly a strategic move on GFI’s part, who will now be able to extend its services to provide support to smart devices, directly impacting this market. Already a trusted top vendor for network security among small- to medium-sized businesses (SMBs), the company will now be able to provide them with cloud-based mobile device management for Android, iOS and BlackBerry (News - Alert) smartphones and tablets.

Let’s take a look at some of the stats then, shall we? It looks like GFI will be lining up pretty well with the way things look. Twenty percent of U.S. cell phone owners currently have an Android phone, 19 percent own an iPhone (News - Alert) and six percent have a BlackBerry as of March of this year, CNN Tech also reports. These numbers constantly change, though, especially concerning the perfectly timed – and insanely anticipated – iPhone 5 launch.

Whoever planned this acquisition was certainly taking everything into account, and good thing they did.

“Cloud-based mobile device management is an important market that we believe is, as yet, relatively underserved in the SMB space. The acquisition of this technology will strengthen our products and allow us to address the rapidly-growing demand for mobile management capabilities by SMBs," Forbes elaborated.

The acquired VizualMobile technology from device management specialists will be developed by GFI and integrated into two of its major product platforms – GFI MAX RemoteManagement for managed service providers (MSPs – available later this year) and GFI Cloud, a Web-based platform for SMB IT admins (available in 2013), this CloudPro article explains.

If things pan out accordingly, GFI could soon dominate the face of mobile device management and security as well as remain a trusted vendor of network security. Only time will tell, but one thing’s for sure: their chances in doing so are looking extremely good right now.

To learn more about GFI Software, visit www.gfi.com.

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