Dell offers Data Protection/Encryption to speed compliance

Dell has introduced Data Protection/Encryption, a platform intended to help firms implement data protection on endpoints and removable media and thus meet increasingly strict compliance legislation.

Available from Tuesday, Dell Data Protection/Encryption (DP/E) fits with existing corporate processes and offers streamlined deployment and integration with Active Directory policies.

It enables companies to roll out file-based encryption to protect data on laptops and desktops, as well as external devices such as USB memory sticks, all governed by policies set by the administrator.

The platform has been co-developed by Credant and Dell, and uses Credant's endpoint cryptography combined with Dell management tools to integrate into a customer's corporate infrastructure.

Bob Bennett, field marketing manager for Dell UK, said that large organisations are increasingly focused on compliance issues, but want solutions that are easier to implement.

Customers are also looking for a global one-stop provider that can do everything for them, Bennett added, which is another motivation for Dell to come up with its own product.

"We heard from customers that it's very difficult to roll out encryption. Existing tools call for tedious formatting of the hard drive, and the transition can be difficult for end users, taking 24 hours or more," Bennett said.

In particular, DP/E will be much quicker and simpler to roll out than Microsoft's BitLocker, and easier to manage, he claimed.

"We will be able to get customers compliant quicker," he said.

The platform comes with pre-defined 'templates' for compliance with legislation such as PCI and the US HIPAA regulations, and the endpoint agent will ship pre-installed on Dell's Latitude laptops, OptiPlex desktops and Precision workstations.

At launch, Dell is offering support for Windows and Mac OS systems, but the company is looking at extending support to cover other client platforms, especially tablet operating systems, Bennett said.

Licensing starts at £50 per seat for a minimum 50 seats, falling to £30 per seat for organisations with up to 25,000 seats. This includes client licensing, one year's support plus the admin console.