MobileIron

MobileIron was an American enterprise software company focused on managing and securing mobile devices, applications, and data used by organizations. Founded in 2007 by Ajay Mishra and Suresh Batchu and headquartered in Mountain View, California, the company emerged during the rapid adoption of smartphones and tablets in the workplace. Its software addressed the administrative and security problems created when employees accessed corporate systems from devices such as the iPhone, iPad, Android smartphones and tablets, Symbian handsets, and Windows Phone devices. The company was an early specialist in enterprise mobility management. Its technology combined mobile device management with mobile application management, mobile content and data security, and secure access to business services. In practical terms, organizations could use MobileIron to enroll and configure employee devices, enforce security policies, distribute or control applications, protect corporate information, and separate business data from personal use. The company also developed capabilities associated with unified endpoint management and multifactor authentication, reflecting the broader movement from traditional desktop administration toward identity-centered and cloud-enabled endpoint security. MobileIron built its market presence through the period from 2009 to 2013, when it was frequently covered by technology and enterprise-software trade publications. The company completed an initial public offering on Nasdaq in 2014 under the ticker symbol MOBL. Its public-market history was difficult: the share price, reported at approximately $9 at the IPO, fell below $4 in early 2016. That decline coincided with a leadership transition in which founding chief executive Bob Tinker was replaced by Barry Mainz. Tinker remained on the board, while Simon Biddiscombe became chief executive in October 2017. MobileIron operated in a competitive enterprise mobility market that included Microsoft's Enterprise Mobility Suite and offerings associated with IBM, SAP, VMware, and BlackBerry. Several competitors entered or expanded in the category through acquisitions, including VMware's purchase of AirWatch and BlackBerry's purchase of Good Technology. MobileIron's differentiation rested on its dedicated focus on mobile security and management, together with products delivered through both enterprise deployments and cloud services. By June 2015, the company was reported to hold approximately 9.2 percent of the global enterprise mobility management market, although the cited market-share figure reflects that particular period rather than its current position. In January 2018, MobileIron announced a partnership with Google Cloud to distribute Google applications through its enterprise mobility management platform and to provide a secure portal for enterprise applications and services. The arrangement illustrated the company's effort to connect endpoint controls with cloud productivity software and employee access workflows. Ivanti announced an agreement to acquire MobileIron in September 2020. The transaction was completed on December 1, 2020, for approximately $872 million. Following the acquisition, MobileIron ceased to operate as an independent publicly traded company. Its technology and products became part of Ivanti's broader endpoint-management and security portfolio. The MobileIron name may therefore continue to appear in product or historical references, but the standalone MobileIron corporate entity is no longer independently listed.

MobileIron was established in 2007 by Ajay Mishra and Suresh Batchu in Mountain View, California. It was created at a time when smartphones and tablets were moving from primarily personal devices into corporate workforces. The resulting environment created a need for software that could enroll devices, apply security policies, manage applications, and protect business information without relying solely on traditional desktop-management systems. The company became an early specialist in enterprise mobility management. Its software supported major mobile operating systems and device categories, including Apple's iPhone and iPad, Android devices, and earlier platforms such as Symbian and Windows Phone. MobileIron's product scope extended beyond basic device configuration. It included controls for mobile applications and enterprise data, secure access to business services, and security functions associated with multifactor authentication. These capabilities allowed companies to manage mobile endpoints while controlling how employees accessed corporate resources. Between 2009 and 2013, MobileIron received attention from enterprise-technology trade publications as the mobile-management category developed. The company later entered the public markets through a 2014 initial public offering on Nasdaq, where it traded under the symbol MOBL. Its subsequent public-company period included pressure from a competitive market and a decline in its share price. The price reportedly moved from about $9 at the time of the IPO to below $4 in early 2016. During that period, founding chief executive Bob Tinker was replaced by Barry Mainz, although Tinker continued to serve on the board. Simon Biddiscombe became chief executive in October 2017. MobileIron competed with large technology companies and other specialized enterprise-mobility vendors. Identified competitors included Microsoft's Enterprise Mobility Suite, IBM, SAP, VMware, and BlackBerry. The category was reshaped by acquisitions, including VMware's purchase of AirWatch and BlackBerry's purchase of Good Technology. MobileIron remained focused on endpoint control and mobile security while the market increasingly converged with identity, cloud access, and unified endpoint management. In June 2015, MobileIron was reported to have approximately 9.2 percent of the global enterprise mobility management market. This figure describes the market at that time and should not be treated as a current share. In January 2018, the company announced a partnership with Google Cloud. The partnership was intended to make Google applications available through MobileIron's enterprise mobility platform and to provide a secure portal for enterprise applications and services, linking device management with cloud productivity and application access. Ivanti announced in September 2020 that it would acquire MobileIron. The transaction closed on December 1, 2020, at a reported value of approximately $872 million. The acquisition ended MobileIron's existence as an independent listed company and incorporated its technology into Ivanti's broader endpoint-management and security activities. MobileIron is therefore best understood today as an acquired enterprise-software brand and a historical pioneer of mobile device and enterprise mobility management rather than as an independent public company.

1. 2020Acquisition by Ivanti

   Ivanti announced and then completed its acquisition of MobileIron. Closing occurred on December 1, 2020.

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2. 2018Google Cloud partnership

   MobileIron partnered with Google Cloud to distribute Google applications through its enterprise mobility platform and support a secure enterprise application portal.

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3. 2017Simon Biddiscombe becomes chief executive

   Simon Biddiscombe was appointed chief executive in October 2017.

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4. 2016Chief executive transition

   Barry Mainz replaced founding chief executive Bob Tinker after a period of share-price weakness; Tinker remained on the board.

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5. 2014Initial public offering

   MobileIron completed an initial public offering on Nasdaq under the ticker MOBL.

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6. 2007MobileIron is founded

   Ajay Mishra and Suresh Batchu founded MobileIron in Mountain View, California.

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A specialist enterprise mobility and mobile-security provider that helped organizations manage smartphones and tablets, secure corporate applications and data, and extend endpoint policy into cloud-based work environments.

• MobileIron UEMUnified endpoint management

  MobileIron UEM represented the company's unified approach to managing and securing enterprise endpoints, with particular emphasis on smartphones and tablets. Its capabilities covered device enrollment, configuration, policy enforcement, application administration, and controlled access to corporate information. The offering extended MobileIron's original mobile device management focus toward broader endpoint and security workflows.

• MobileIron CloudCloud enterprise mobility management

  MobileIron Cloud was the company's cloud-oriented platform for administering mobile devices, applications, and enterprise access. It was designed to let organizations apply mobility policies and protect business data without relying exclusively on an on-premises management deployment. The platform reflected the shift toward cloud-delivered endpoint administration and secure access services.

• MobileIron mobile device managementMobile device management2007

  MobileIron's core mobile device management software enabled enterprises to enroll and administer smartphones and tablets, enforce security settings, distribute configurations, and manage access to organizational resources. It supported devices running leading mobile platforms as well as earlier systems such as Symbian and Windows Phone, helping establish the company's reputation as an early enterprise-mobility specialist.

• MobileIron mobile security and authenticationMobile security and multifactor authentication

  MobileIron expanded from device administration into mobile security, secure enterprise access, and multifactor authentication. These capabilities were intended to verify users and devices, reduce the risk of unauthorized access, and protect corporate applications and data accessed from mobile endpoints.

• 2020Accept Ivanti acquisitionM&A

  MobileIron faced a competitive enterprise mobility and endpoint-management market as the category consolidated around larger security and software platforms.

  What changed. MobileIron agreed to be acquired by Ivanti in an announcement made in September 2020. The transaction closed on December 1, 2020.

  Aftermath. MobileIron ceased to be an independent listed company, and its technology became part of Ivanti's endpoint-management and security portfolio.

  Reported acquisition value. $872 million (Transaction completed December 1, 2020)

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• 2018Partner with Google Cloud for enterprise application accessStrategy

  MobileIron operated in a market increasingly connecting mobile endpoint management with cloud productivity applications and secure access services.

  What changed. The company partnered with Google Cloud to distribute Google applications through its enterprise mobility management platform and provide a secure portal for enterprise applications and services.

  Aftermath. The partnership illustrated MobileIron's strategy of linking device management with cloud application distribution and controlled enterprise access.

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• 2020Ivanti announces acquisition of MobileIron

  Ivanti announced that it would acquire MobileIron, bringing the mobile-management company into its endpoint and security portfolio.

  M&A
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• 2020Ivanti completes MobileIron acquisition

  The acquisition was completed on December 1, 2020, for approximately $872 million.

  M&A
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• 2018MobileIron partners with Google Cloud

  The companies announced a partnership involving distribution of Google applications through MobileIron's enterprise mobility platform and a secure portal for enterprise applications and services.

  Other
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• 2017Simon Biddiscombe appointed chief executive

  Simon Biddiscombe became MobileIron's chief executive in October 2017.

  Leadership change
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• 2016MobileIron changes chief executive after share-price decline

  After the company's share price fell below the reported IPO level, Barry Mainz replaced founding chief executive Bob Tinker. Tinker remained on the board.

  Leadership change
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• 2014MobileIron completes initial public offering on Nasdaq

  MobileIron became a publicly traded company on Nasdaq under the ticker MOBL.

  Other
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1. MobileIron
2. MobileIron official website