Tag: 2013 mobile gaming

Mobile security company, Lacoon, acquired by Check Point

The announcement of the purchase of the Israeli company has now been officially made.

Check Point Software Technologies has now officially announced the acquisition of the Israel based Lacoon Mobile Security business, following a slew of reports that had appeared throughout March.

Last month’s reports had suggested that the companies had been in talks for an $80 million purchase.

As of the writing of this article, the actual price of the sale of the mobile security company had not been released. That said, the deal has now officially closed and has been announced by the companies. This purchase of Lacoon will hand Check Point an important piece in the smartphone and tablet based security puzzle. This will allow it to step its offerings up from the standard mobile device management that is the foundation of many of its rivals. This, according to the vice president of business development at Check Point, Alon Kantor.

Adding mobile security to device management can provide an entirely new level to remote services.

Mobile Security - Company AcquiredTypically speaking, mobile device management has to do with providing IT with control over a smartphone or tablet in a remote way, so that actions can be taken such as removing corporate data from a personal device if an employee should leave the business, or even completely wiping a stolen phone.

What makes Lacoon unique is the way in which it looks at mobile device security. Kantor described it by saying that “MDM manages the devices and the applications while the Lacoon solution is about securing these devices and blocking advanced mobile threats such as malware, [advanced persistent threats] or targeted network attacks.”

This functions with both Android and iOS based devices. It collects data with regards to threats and then complements any other existing security infrastructure that a company has put into place. This could provide Check Point with a very powerful mobile security tool, according to Constellation Research principal, R. Ray Wang. He explained that instead of having to depend on the reaction of MDM to a threat to security, once it has already happened, Lacoon protects proactively to protect against the attacks in the first place.

Mobile gaming to make a bigger splash in 2013

Mobile Gaming SplashTheo Sanders provides some insight on the industry and mobile gaming

The advent of mobile gaming has caused quite a stir in the game industry. As 2012 comes to a close, the industry has begun gearing for a new year of possibilities, with many developers adopting a strong focus on mobile gaming. Recently, SPOnG, a gaming news source, interviewed Theo Sanders, Lead Producer for Ubisoft Singapore. Through the interview, Sanders provided some insight on how the game industry views mobile gaming and what the future may hold for mobile platforms.

Developers begin to show serious focus on mobile platforms

Though mobile gaming now represents a massive market, the sector itself is still relatively new to the game industry. Large development studios have long held focus on traditional platforms, such as PCs and consoles. These developers have adhered to these platforms for decades, only recently beginning to show interest in the mobile gaming space. Sanders suggests that many major game developers are still unfamiliar with mobile platforms and that 2013 may be the year in which gamers see their favorite developers begin pushing their own boundaries and producing higher quality mobile games.

Mobile gaming helps keep game industry solvent

Sanders suggests that game developers are likely to produce some quality products despite the economic problems they face. Over the past year, the game industry has performed well in comparison to other industries. Mobile games helped keep the industry solvent. While most mobile gaming applications cost between $1 and $3 — with many more being completely free — sales volumes have been sky high. The financial clout of the mobile gaming market has helped propel the game industry through turbulent economic waters.

2013 may be a major year for mobile games

Mobile gaming is expected to pick up more momentum in 2013. Next year, consumers will have access to more advanced mobile devices that will allow them to play a wider range of games. The mobile game market will not likely have a shortage of new content any time soon, so consumers will likely have more than enough to keep themselves occupied well into the future.