Alcatel-Lucent buys Mformation for IoT security boost

Alcatel-Lucent acquired U.S.-based Mformation, a specialist in mobile and 'Internet of Things' (IoT) security and device management solutions for mobile operators, service providers and enterprises.

The Franco-U.S. equipment manufacturer, which itself is in the process of being acquired by Nokia, said the terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Mformation will be incorporated into Alcatel-Lucent's IP platforms unit, and will bring in an IoT security and control platform that can be used across different industries including automotive, healthcare, utilities, manufacturing and the digital home.

Additionally, Mformation's software products are expected to extend and enhance the capabilities of Alcatel-Lucent's Motive device management solution for home, mobile and enterprise networks.

Alcatel-Lucent noted that security concerns are on the rise as networks become increasingly virtualised, wireless devices become mainstay components of complex machines pervasive in every aspect of life, and unmanned connected devices begin to outnumber the world's population tenfold.

In the past six months alone it said that more than 50 million IoT devices have been hacked or recalled.

Bhaskar Gorti, president of Alcatel-Lucent's IP Platforms business said that as connected devices become a growing part of the social and economic fabric, it is important to ensure that these devices, and the networks they navigate, are secure, reliable and efficient.

"Mformation's cloud-enabled IoT platform will enable our customers to rapidly deploy IoT services that can be trusted and managed efficiently," he said.

Dr. Rakesh Kushwaha, founder and CTO of Mformation, also noted that the company's portfolio is "highly complementary" to Alcatel-Lucent's IoT aspirations.

"We look forward to leveraging our mobile and IoT security capabilities to enable customers to fully exploit the benefits of a connected world," he said.

Founded in 1999, Mformation provides mobility management solutions to more than 20 service provider customers around the world, managing more than 500 million devices.

For more:
- see this Alcatel-Lucent release

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