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Interested in capitalizing on the emerging opportunities available with Windows To Go? The IronKey Partner Program unveiled at this week’s Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference in Washington DC. Designed to make our partners successful, the new program, consisting of Platinum, Gold and Silver levels, enables security resellers and Microsoft Certified Partners to more easily and profitably sell the family of IronKey Workspace PC on a Stick™ products for Windows To Go. If you’re at the show, stop by our booth #621 to learn more.

Our new IronKey Channel Program elements include:

* A deal registration program offering generous margins and recurring revenue from license and maintenance renewals.

* Training via a variety of formats including new online courses.

* An enhanced partner portal for lead tracking, sales and marketing support programs and technical resources.

We’re hearing great things from our partners about the reception to Windows To Go as organizations look to meet the needs of an evolving mobile workforce. But don’t take my word for it; here’s what our partners had to say:

Ed McNamara, Director of Communications and Marketing at SHI International Corp

“The BYOD trend has been a closely watched topic as the demands of a more mobile workforce clash with IT’s need to keep corporate data and the network secure. We’re looking forward to providing customized Windows To Go solutions for trusted IT-managed workstations.”

Ted Murphy, President of Matrix Mobile Security Solutions

“The healthcare industry is notoriously slow in adopting new technologies because of stringent regulations and compliance requirements for protecting patient health information (PHI). Together, Windows To Go and IronKey’s secure PC on a Stick are a breakthrough in supporting a more mobile healthcare workforce while ensuring security.”

Larry Hall, Vice President of Purchasing and Partner Development at Paragon Micro

“New mandates are requiring a certain percentage of federal employees to be teleworkers. Federal agencies are struggling to meet these mandates due to security concerns that unauthorized devices could access government networks. Based on the early success we’ve had with a large federal agency, we see great value in being an Imation partner selling the IronKey secure mobile workplace solution.”

With the ‘Hacktivist’ group Anonymous having announced they were preparing a full scale cyber-attack on the World Cup’s corporate sponsors during the tournament, and an influx in World Cup related malware, security threats are likely to be the topic of choice for all those looking to protect against potential breaches and attacks during the tournament.

IT managers will have been steeling themselves for a potential spike in lost corporate devices, such as USB’s, tablets and mobile devices, during the World Cup. Whether it be a flight to Brazil, a booze fuelled train journey home, or live streaming a match from your laptop, the potential for a security breach, and the resulting consequences, could be more excruciating than a bite from Luis Suarez!

Whilst the tournament might be coming to a close, the risks associated with remote workers and mobile devices are still an inherent danger to corporate data. Many of us undertake work while commuting, with little regard for the security of the information we are working on, so whether you are lucky enough to have flown out to watch a match, or simply travelling home after watching the game in the pub, the need to secure your devices is never more crucial.

With shrinking boundaries between work devices and work-enabled personal devices, the risk of corporate data falling into the wrong hands is a huge possibility. Employees dropping memory sticks, leaving files on trains, and laptops in bars, are all high probabilities, and inevitably, these devices will contain data not meant for prying eyes.

Failing to protect the vast volumes of information they carry and not equipping employees with the IT tools required to securely manage and handle information while travelling could result in a ‘red card’ for your business.

No computer or tablet not ‘locked down’ by IT should ever be connected to the corporate network, either from inside (fixed line or BYOD) or outside (VPN of VDI). Allocating employees a corporate computer for use inside the network and an IT secured USB device for outside would simplify security and avoid frustrations typically related with tight security policies such as these.

Whether your data is in transit or at rest, encryption is absolutely essential to safeguarding confidential company information. Whether you use strong authentication or hardware encryption will very much depend on your organisation, you need to be able to manage encrypted devices in order to ensure that if there are any concerns that data integrity has been compromised it is possible to remotely wipe the device.

Accidents will happen, but being vigilant in your security practices, and, educating and enabling your employees could be as easy as knocking England out of the Cup altogether.

Great news for government and other highly-regulated enterprises that require a FIPS 140-2 Level 3 Windows To Go drive— IronKey Workspace W700 ™ drives are now available! Our W700 PC on a Stick™ drives are the first Microsoft-certified Windows To Go devices to be FIPS 140-2 Level 3 validated. Now you can enjoy all the benefits of Windows To Go while meeting strict data security mandates.

Why is this Significant for Government Agencies?

If your agency is looking to provide mobile workspaces for your contractors, field workers, employees who want to BYOD or telework, this solution is a “no brainer”. The Windows To Go approach is up to 90 percent more cost effective and more secure than issuing a new laptop or using VDI. Visit our use case section to learn how agencies are using Windows To Go today (link to Use Case section).

What is Windows To Go?

Windows to Go is an enterprise feature of Windows 8.1 that lets people be productive from almost any location they choose to work by inserting the Windows To Go USB drive into any compatible PC of their choice. An organization’s corporate image, operating system, applications and data are all contained on the Microsoft-certified IronKey Workspace USB drive. The host PC boots completely off the Windows To Go drive using local resources such as monitors, CPUs and network connections. The Windows To Go drive can be centrally managed and offers remote wipe features to protect against loss and theft. The Windows To Go solution is ideal for mobile workers, teleworkers and contractors, fueling secure “Bring Your Own Device” (BYOD) strategies that allow employees to use their home PCs for work.

Hi, I’m Peter. I’m a Senior IT guy working for a big, growing enterprise. I set the strategy and I’m responsible for the execution of IT infrastructure in my organization. I need to worry about cost, security, and keeping my customers happy. We have pretty solid IT processes leveraging Microsoft tools, so I’m not about to set my IT team on some wild new solution that requires years to integrate. Recently, after a big meeting with the execs on cutting costs, I came across Windows to Go from Microsoft. Here is a solution that is secure, can save tons of money, make my customers happy, and fits into my IT workflow – Freakin’ SWEET! My CISO stood up and applauded when I presented this to senior MGMT. Needless to say I’ve become a big fan. In fact, they call me Windows To Go Guy around here. There are so many ways to apply this technology across my organization. I don’t get a commission on this stuff – I just love cool technology that makes sense. Here’s my blog entry:
Disclaimer: This blog is based on real Windows To Go ® use cases. The character is fictitious to protect the names of our customers. Any resemblance to actual customers is coincidental and not intentional.

Perhaps I’m a bit of a workaholic, but I don’t think I’m alone. After the kids go to bed, I read email, work on reports, look at presentations, and study excel spreadsheets. I’ve tried webmail and VPN access to file shares from my home computer, but it is just not the same as having your own workspace at home with you. For the past 20 years, I’ve had to lug my laptop between work and home. But laptop screens are tiny when you are looking at a 50-column spreadsheet or comparing two documents side by side. My home computer on the other hand, has a 27” monitor, surround sound, and fast direct Ethernet connect. In addition, we just bought a new Mac – sweet! I’ve wanted to use my home set-up for work and I’ve waited patiently, for 20 years to solve this problem.

Enter Microsoft Windows to Go. Six months ago, I loaded my entire workspace onto a tiny IronKey Workspace W500 ™ USB 3.0 flash drive with the works: OS, apps, AV scanners, and data.. With 128Gbyte, there is plenty of space. When I’m at work, I plug this device into my work computer and run my workspace from the drive. Because it is flash, it runs much faster than my spinning hard drive in the host computer. When it is time to leave the office, I simply unplug the USB drive, stick it in my pocket, and head for home for dinner with the kids.

Later in the evening, I retire to my man-cave, slide the IronKey Workspace W500 flash drive into my mega machine, and my workspace magically appears before me. I settle back into my deep cushion chair, turn down the lights, fire up some hard rock, and slip back into my working world in the comfort of my home. Now that’s productive work at home!