AirWatch, Mobile Device Management Leader, Strengthens Rugged Device Management with Immediate Support for Windows Embedded 8 Handheld Devices

ATLANTA --(Business Wire)--

AirWatch®, the global leader and innovator in mobile security and the largest Mobile Device Management (MDM) provider, announces immediate support for Windows Embedded 8 Handheld devices and continued commitment to Windows Mobile 6.x and Windows CE to support the full Microsoft (News - Alert) mobile ecosystem. As other solution providers discontinue support for Windows Mobile 6.x and CE, enterprises are faced with higher prices and limited choices for MDM capabilities. AirWatch (News - Alert) continues to provide the most advanced Windows Mobile 6.x and CE management capabilities, reaffirming support and continued investment, and is offering a new pricing model to support this transition period with a competitor replacement promotion.

AirWatch will manage and support Windows Embedded 8 Handheld devices that utilize laser scanners, imagers, magnetic stripe readers, EMV and NFC. Windows Embedded 8 Handheld is built on Windows Phone (News - Alert) 8, allowing orgnizations to take advantage of the Windows Phone 8 application developer ecosystem. The APIs allow Microsoft to extend the next generation of ruggedized devices into enterprises. To create Windows Embedded 8 Handheld applications, developers can use Visual Studio® 2012 and the Windows Phone 8 SDK.

"AirWatch has supplied industry-leading rugged device management for nearly a decade, and we are reaffirming our commitment to the entire Microsoft mobile ecosystem for our broad customer base for years to come," said John Marshall (News - Alert), president and CEO, AirWatch. "While other providers have discontinued their rugged device programs, only AirWatch has the resources to both support legacy platforms that are critical to day-to-day enterprise operations and provide immediate support for new mobile operating systems."

For Windows Mobile 6.x and lower or Windows CE, AirWatch is featuring a new pricing model offering $15 per device for a perpetual license fee with $3 per device annual maintenance fee or $1 per month subscription fee plus standard hosting for the cloud solution. Additionally, AirWatch is announcing a competitor replacement promotion at $0 perpetual license fee with only $3 per device annual maintenance fee until Dec. 15, 2013. AirWatch will offer Windows Embedded 8 Handheld management at the same price as Windows Phone 8.

About AirWatch

AirWatch is the global leader in mobile device security and management (MDM) systems, and, with 5,000 customers and nearly 1,000 global associates, is more than twice the size of any other MDM company. Having no outside capital, AirWatch is predominantly funded by operating cash flow, resulting in an estimated install base four to five times larger than any other MDM provider. The largest customer base, combined with the largest research and development team in the industry, allows AirWatch to provide the broadest functionality at the lowest cost. This, combined with a scalable high-availability architecture, results in virtually every mobility project with more than 20,000 devices being managed by AirWatch. Examples of this market leadership include the top four global Fortune companies, nine of the top 10 U.S. retailers, six of the top 10 global airlines, the top four global energy companies, six of the top 10 global pharmaceutical companies, seven of the top 10 global CPG companies, three of the top five U.S. medical device companies, five of the top 10 global luxury goods companies and two of the top three global hotel groups.

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