AirWatch 8.3 released with focus on IT transparency

AirWatch has unveiled version 8.3 of its enterprise mobility management platform with new features aimed at boosting user privacy and usability.

A few highlights include one-touch mobile single sign-on (SSO) to allow app access without passwords or PINs. The company says it has patented a secure app token system to support SSO by using a container approach for corporate applications.

Also on the privacy front is a new officer administrative role in the AirWatch console, which gives policy oversight and control over privacy-related actions to a designated employee.

For the sake of transparency, the new release includes expanded visibility into what IT administrators can and can not see via the AirWatch privacy program. Basically, AirWatch wants to lay out exactly what the app is doing and reassure users that their personal data is off limits to IT departments. To that end, AirWatch is launching WhatIsAirWatch.com, a new user-facing educational website.

AirWatch 8.3 also comes with recommended industry templates for five industries including healthcare, education, hospitality, retail, and field service. The recommendations are based on anonymized data aggregated from AirWatch customers and compliance rules.

The templates are delivered via a wizard in the AirWatch console. The aim is to highlight specific apps, settings and device compliance policies for various end-user roles:

AirWatch 8.3 includes a redesigned user experience update to Content Locker, an aggregator that works with file sharing services such as Box and Sharepoint.

Like other recent VMware products, AirWatch 8.3 is designed to support the VMwareWorkspace ONE app. Unveiled last week, the end-user application addresses the need for "hybridity" as workers toggle between devices and personal and professional roles.

AirWatch 8.3 is set for release this quarter.