Wave partners with Intel

Wave Systems Corp. is offering complete management of self-encrypting solid-state drives (SSDs) to deliver stronger security and data protection to the enterprise. The drives, which are part of the Intel® Solid-State Drive Professional Family, support the Trusted Computing Group (TCG)’s industry-standard Opal specification.

The Intel SSD Professional Family helps increase employee productivity with power-efficient performance, reduced wait times and faster data delivery. New small form factors help ensure enterprise-grade storage capabilities designed for use in the latest Ultrabook™ and 2 in 1 designs.
To meet the needs of enterprise IT departments required to protect sensitive data from unauthorised access, the Intel SSD Pro 1500 Series offers improved security and manageability when paired with Intel® vPro™ technology using Wave’s management suite which includes the EMBASSY Remote Administration Server and Wave Cloud 2014. Wave Cloud 2014 is the only cloud-managed solution for SEDs on the market today.
Wave enables pre-boot authentication to the drive, automated user enrolment, drive locking, emergency access, crypto-erase, policy enforcement and remote management. Detailed event logs offer independent verification that information on a drive is protected should a device become lost or stolen—essential for compliance.

“Intel has made guarding sensitive data a top priority with the release of its new Pro 1500 Series, which combines the usability benefits of solid-state technology with the unmatched security and performance benefits of an Opal drive,” said Wave CEO Bill Solms. “We’re honoured to have worked with Intel early on to validate that our software can provide scalable, world-class management of these devices from the cloud to the enterprise. The result is an offering that brings customers no-compromise security, no-compromise performance, and no-compromise management.”

Intel’s release marks an important step forward in the adoption of the Opal TCG standard, which serves as a blueprint for embedding encryption into the device while ensuring interoperability.

“Data security is top-of-mind for IT departments and the Intel SSD Pro 1500 Series provides organisations with the added assurance their most sensitive data is protected,” said Rob Crooke, Intel Corporate vice president and general manager for the Intel Non-Volatile Memory Solutions Group. “In addition to delivering security through self-encryption, the Pro 1500 Series enables flexibility through power-efficient performance. When combined with Wave’s expertise in trusted computing, we deliver a secure and reliable solution for today’s enterprise.”

Lenovo intends to make the SSD Pro 1500 Series available on selected models of T, W and X Series ThinkPads.

“Lenovo is committed to offering our ThinkPad and Ultrabook customers best-in-class security and performance,” said Jerry Fralick, chief security officer, Lenovo. “Intel has raised the bar with its Intel SSD Pro 1500 series, setting a new standard for performance, battery life, ease of use and security with Opal encryption. Wave’s software gives IT all it needs for a quick and painless deployment, minimising the time to compliance.”