04/06/2013
Kensington’s 360-degree mobile protection line helps reduce risks for professionals who use personal devices for work
Aylesbury – June 4, 2013 – Bring your Own Device, or BYOD is providing companies and employees with many personal and business benefits. However, policies for dealing with device loss, damage or theft are not consistently defined, and on-the-go professionals using personal devices for business face increased risk, compared to using employer-provided devices. Kensington, the leader in smart, safe, simple computing accessories, recognizes that “life happens” with a new complete range of 360-degree protection for mobile phones and tablets, helping to protect these valuable electronics against power and device loss or accidental damage for road warriors.
Nearly two-thirds of US and European companies now allow employees to use their own smartphones for work, and nearly half have programs in place for tablets and laptops. BYOD policies decrease device investments for companies, and make it easier for employees to be productive during and after work hours. But with these benefits, there is increased data vulnerability for companies, and most corporate device replacement and repair policies lay the financial costs on employees.
Costs and risks with BYOD
When a phone, laptop or tablet goes missing, is or is damaged, there are obvious and not-so-obvious increased risks with BYOD. Business data, corporate credibility and individual reputations are all at stake in addition to financial risks for device and data replacement. Since both business data and personal data reside on the same device, the liability is amplified for road warriors who lose or damage their devices.
Mobile devices aren’t just phones – they have become on-the-go replacements for a multitude of devices including music players, cameras, alarm clocks, currency calculators, photo albums, organizers, calendars, address books, telephones, game-players, news readers, entertainment devices, travel books, reference guides – not to mention office lifelines. So when a smartphone is lost, damaged by water or has a dead battery, today, this is a major inconvenience and a business risk.
A recent study that traced behaviors when people found “missing” devices discovered that more than 95% of the finders tried to access sensitive information. Beyond that, 57% accessed files for saved passwords, and around 40% tried to access the owner’s personal online banking folders and corporate email.
A more common issue -- when a BYOD device loses battery power—results in increased liabilities for employee and company alike. Missed conference calls, misplaced contacts, and unresponded emails can equal missed opportunities or diminished customer credibility.
Thanks to the set of innovative and affordable products in its new 360-degrees of protection line-up, Kensington is making it easier to keep mobiles safe, dry and powered up for business “road warriors” using their personal devices for work. With solutions for battery charging, water damage, protection against loss or theft and even an easy way to locate a mislaid device, Kensington has the broadest range of protection accessories for essential electronics.
SafeGrip protects your iPad from bumps and drops
One of the realities of BYOD and the iPad is that the devices are easy-to-use and attractive to children. This makes them vulnerable to damage, especially if younger members of the family use the devices when the road warrior is at home. Children have no awareness of the risks when a BYOD device is damaged by careless use, and their small hands are challenged to grasp the slippery iPad.
The Kensington family of SafeGrip cases includes several options that feature tough, padded protection against drops and bumps in attractive, fun colors. The SafeGrip’s innovative design includes a burly handle made for kid-sized hands that doubles as a two-position stand for viewing and typing. SafeGrip also includes versions with built-in security locks to protect against theft. Featuring a built-in Kensington ClickSafe® Anchor and included ClickSafe lock for easy-to-use and superior security, the rugged case keeps the iPad safe.
EVAP Dries the Damage
One of the realities of life as a road warrior is that accidents happen. Sometimes they involve liquids, a deadly development when electronic devices are involved. Almost one-third of smartphone owners in the UK report they have damaged a smartphone with liquids. Since water damage can be detected by manufacturers and is not repaired under warranty, these common accidents are a costly mistake.
The web suggests several ways that a road warrior can use to rescue a drenched smartphone. They include burying your phone in a dish of rice or salt, or turning your hairdryer on in a desperate attempt to dry your device. The problem is, all are ineffective and can actually result in permanent damage to the phone.
The innovative new EVAP Rescue Pouch safely removes moisture from soaked electronics, and has been shown in lab tests to save up to 90% of water-damaged devices. The EVAP pouch features a moisture-wicking silicon lining to safely absorb moisture. The EVAP Rescue Pouch is priced at just EUR 19.99, less than a 20th of the cost of replacing an expensive smartphone.
Should a device get waterlogged, drying it out is with EPAP is simple. After drying excess moisture from the outside, just place the soggy smartphone into the pouch for up to 48 hours. All the moisture inside is absorbed by the silicon. Once the built-in moisture indicator on the bag changes color, the device has been successfully dried out and can be powered on again.
Proximo to Protect Phones on the Go
Road Warriors know that sinking feeling when they realized they have left something behind in their hurry to make a meeting or to avoid missing a plane. Accidentally leaving a smartphone behind is more than inconvenient: it can have serious consequences for personal and business reasons. Proximo is an app-enabled proximity monitoring system that empowers iPhone 5/4S owners to know where their smartphone, keys and valuables are at all times. Proximo delivers a unique way to track multiple valuables with a last-seen map pin-drop feature, an active proximity dashboard and extended battery life on both its Fob and Tag.
Kensington recently extended the range to Android devices, introducing a new Proximo Proximity Tag for Samsung Galaxy S3, Samsung Galaxy Note II & Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 models. The Proximo Smart Tag and free Proximo Android app combine to locate a tagged item such as a handbag, key-ring or purse, while a proximity alarm provides instant audible and haptic notifications when the tag is separated by more than a few meters from the smartphone, helping to prevent valuables from being lost or mislaid.
With a Proximo Fob Phone and Key Finder set pricing starting at EUR 34.99, Kensington provides an affordable and convenient automatic early-warning system against opportunistic thieves when you’ve left your smartphone or other valuables behind.
Feel the Force with PowerBolt
When a device is out of power, the road warrior is out of commission. Recharging a mobile device battery on-the-go can be a challenge: charging kiosks and receptacles at airports and coffee shops are few and far between, and charging devices in a hotel brings the added risk of accidentally leaving a smartphone or tablet behind.
Kensington has a new range of PowerBolt devices that are smaller and more convenient for in-car or in-seat charging options. The new Kensington PowerBolt range fits any 9V power adaptor to provide power-on-the-move for USB devices. A range of 11 different PowerBolt models are available, from the top-of-the-range PowerBolt Dual, providing simultaneous charging for two power-hungry USB devices such as iPad, through to the affordable PowerBolt Car Charger, and the super-slimline PowerBolt Micro Car Charger. PowerBolt prices start at EUR 19.99.
Notes to editors:
http://www.cnn.com/2012/03/20/tech/mobile/lost-smartphones-security
http://www.trendmicro.com/cloud-content/us/pdfs/business/white-papers/wp_forrester_measure-value-of-consumerization.pdf
About Kensington
smart safe simple (www.kensington.com)
Kensington, a leader in smart, safe, simple computing accessories, is the recognized industry standard trusted by enterprises around the world. Kensington's mobile security product offerings include laptop and mobile security locks providing a new generation of front-line protection for mobile devices. In addition, Kensington offers accessories including power adapters, chargers, mice, keyboards, trackballs, universal docking stations, desktop accessories, carrying cases and iPad/iPhone/iPod accessories. Kensington Computer Products Group, headquartered in Redwood Shores, California, is the technology division of ACCO Brands (NYSE: ABD), a world leader in branded office products, with products marketed in more than 100 countries across the globe. For more information, visit www.kensington.com.
Kensington is a registered trademark of ACCO Brands. smart.safe.simple, KeyCover, EVAP, Proximo, Proximity and PowerBolt are trademarks of ACCO Brands. MacBook Air, iMac and iPad are trademarks of Apple Inc. All other registered and unregistered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
For more information contact:
Natalie Sutton
Proud PR
01276 679570
Natalie[at]proudpr.com
Notes to editors
About Kensington
Kensington is a leading provider of desktop and mobile device accessories, trusted by IT, educators, business and home office professionals around the world for more than 35 years. Kensington products empower people to dynamically interact with content, creating a better working experience for productive performance. In both office and mobile environments, Kensington’s extensive portfolio of award-winning products provides trusted security, desktop productivity innovations, and ergonomic well-being. Our core competencies in engineering, industrial design, product quality and responsive customer support make Kensington The Professionals’ Choice™.
Headquartered in San Mateo, California, Kensington operates as the technology division of ACCO Brands (NYSE: ACCO), one of the world’s largest designers, marketers and manufacturers of branded business, academic and consumer products, sold in more than 100 countries across the globe.
Kensington is the inventor and worldwide leader in laptop security locks, the acknowledged leader of Trackball innovation and offers a broad range of premium-branded desktop productivity solutions.