Secure Access to Business Apps from iPad and iPhone
The G/On Client for iOS, App Store Edition features a secured browser using the iOS Webkit browser engine. The G/On Client gives an iPad or iPhone user secure access to corporate web applications like email and calendar without having to install and configure a full VPN on the iPad/iPhone, and without leaving any business data behind on the device. Businesses can leverage existing web development capabilities without the need to redevelop their applications in iOS specific tools like Objective C and Cocoa.
The G/On Client for iOS, App Store Edition also includes support for securing the communication between other iOS apps and corporate application servers. An important example is RDP clients for iPhone and iPad for access to your office PC, your virtual desktop, or Terminal Servers (TS). Most RDP clients for iOS are compliant with the official RDP protocol definition and can be used with G/On’s RDP Connector providing full support for TS farms and server side Single Sign-On including office PC and virtual desktops. Users get a superior experience of fast and convenient Single Sign-On while avoiding the security risk of users entering and storing highly sensitive password data on the device. The combination of G/On and RDP access to Terminal Servers or your office PC give users the option of full access to company applications without leaving any company data on the iPad and iPhone. Read here for details on supported iOS RDP clients.
G/On’s support for iPad and iPhone in addition to PC’s and Mac offers significant simplifications for businesses to give secure access to business applications from the rapidly growing number of new devices, which employees are bringing to their IT department. In one single solution, G/On’s management tools easily define and enforce the access policies appropriate to the user context and allows business access from personal and even user owned devices.
G/On is a welcome change!
Rather than managing the entire device, G/On manages the individual connections between the iOS app and the corporate servers and, in the case of web apps, G/On manages the individual G/On browser instances without leaving corporate data on the device and without impacting other applications and data on the iOS device. In the case of Remote Desktop access, users are working remotely on PC’s and servers inside the corporate network and, hence, corporate data is not left on the iPad or iPhone.
Key features:
The G/On Client for iOS, App Store Edition, supports access to intranets and web applications through the G/On Server with the following features:
- Two-factor authentication using public/private key cryptography and challenge/response protocol with private key linked to device identification number (the iPad/iPhone is the hardware token)
- Encrypted communication between the G/On Client and the G/On Server using 256 bit AES en-cryption
- Integrates a G/On secured browser based on the iOS Webkit browser engine for secure access to corporate intranets and web apps:
- Access to multiple web applications - each in a single, isolated browser instance for each application
- Different from and isolated from other browsers (Safari) on the iPad or iPhone (no cross-over info between the G/On secured browser and Safari)
- For each G/On browser instance, the G/On Server controls which web sites/apps can be accessed
- Server side Single Sign-On to the web apps (currently, only http basic authentication is supported).
- Supports transparent TCP port forwarding for TCP connectivity for installed iOS apps for secured connectivity with servers
- Supports secure access via G/On’s RDP Connector with full support for server side Single Sign-On to TS farms, office PCs, and virtual desktops (see here for details on supported iOS RDP clients)
- Auto-re-login of the G/On Client to avoid the need for manual re-login when sessions are sus-pended by iOS (within a timeframe defined in the G/On server)
Deployment: Free G/On App on Apple's App Store
The G/On Client for iOS, App Store Edition, is downloaded as a free app from Apple’s App Store and will by default have access to Giritech’s demo system. The G/On Client for iOS is configured for access to customer’s own G/On Server via iTunes by copying a server generated configuration file onto the iPad. On the iPhone, the information is transferred to the device by scanning an image generated by the G/On Server.
- No need to install and configure VPN on the iPhone/iPad
- No need to configure email or install corporate applications on the iPad or iPhone
- No need to "install" the corporate web apps on the iPad/iPhone. G/On will provide and control access to all corporate web apps.
iPad and iPhone licensing information and requirements:
G/On is using the iPad or iPhone as an authentication token for the user and the device must be enrolled on the G/On Server. Using an iPad or iPhone requires:
- An available Token Access License (TAL) for each iPad and iPhone.
- G/On for Web Apps for each user who needs access to corporate web apps like OWA, portals, intranets, and other web based applications.
- G/On for RDP is required for RDP access with server side Single Sign-On and support for TS farms.
Also note that the current version of the iPad/iPhone client app (1.3.6) available from Apple App Store does not support connection to the server by means of http encapsulation
The G/On Client for iOS, AppStore Edition provides the following benefits:
- Leverage existing, corporate web applications
- Enable access from iPad/iPhone to webmail, intranets, and other web applications that are compatible with Safari browser and iPad/iPhone screen sizes (iOS WebKit framework)
- Leverage existing web development capabilities
- Quickly develop and deploy in-house iPad/iPhone apps with secured access to corporate application servers
- Web apps can be developed with iPad/iPhone styling and user interaction
- No need to learn Objective C and Cocoa
- Web apps can be developed for cross platform support for iPhone, iPad, Android,...
User experience:
- The G/On Client can be the single iPad/iPhone app for access to all corporate resources
- Single sign-on (for web apps/sites that support http basic authentication)
- Minimalistic browser, well suited for web apps (no address bar, for instance)
The G/On support for browser based applications fits well with the principle that corporate data should not be stored on mobile devices like iPads and iPhones.
