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Latest Blog Posts

Release Update: Calendars for Public Folders and new functions for Team Mails

The Materna Virtual Solution team wishes you a Happy New Year! This year, too, we are doing everything we can to make our products a little better with every release – the perfect resolution for 2024, don’t you think?
Download the latest versions of SecurePIM and the SecurePIM Management Portal from the Apple App Store, Google Play or the Infohub and take a look at what we have improved this time.

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The temperatures are slowly dropping again – but we are still hot for new features and improvements! The new versions of SecurePIM and the SecurePIM Management Portal are waiting for you in the Apple App Store, Google Play and Infohub. Why don’t you take a look right now?

 

SecurePIM Enterprise / Government  (8.90.x for iOS &

8.6.x for Android)

SecurePIM Presents: Public Folders (iOS)

You can now add public folders in the Team Mails module. Public folders provide access to information for large groups or even your entire organization. They’re ideal for collecting, organizing, and sharing information. And they make it easy to keep track of conversation histories or track group conversations. Before you can add public folders in SecurePIM, your administration team needs to enable this feature. In a public folder, you currently have read-only access to emails.

 

Edit Shared Mailboxes (Android)

The Team Mails module becomes even more useful: You can now edit only shared mailboxes you have access to. The respective person or the administration team only need to give you the respective permission for this.

 

Prepare for discontinuation of support for TLS 1.0 and 1.1 (Android & iOS)

Support for TLS versions 1.0 and 1.1 is expected to end in November 2023. As of November 2023, only TLS version 1.2 is supported and recommended. Please update your server to support TLS 1.2. in time. This affects only SecurePIM configurations that use TLS 1.0 or 1.1 with the Reduce TLS security setting enabled in the SecurePIM Management Portal. If you haven’t updated to TLS 1.2 after the November 2023 SecurePIM release, you won’t be able to connect to your mail server or to your TLS endpoint.

Technical Information

Please update SecurePIM and SecureCOM to the latest version on all your devices.

For iOS-Devices

We recommend using iOS/iPadOS versions 16.6.1. As of September 18, we recommend using iOS/iPadOS versions 17. Please note that we will discontinue support for older iOS versions 6 months after an official release of a new iOS version.

 

For Android-Devices

Do you have an Android device, but are not yet using Android version 13? Then it’s high time – take a look right now to see if you have already installed the update.

 

SecurePIM Management Portal (Version 2.49.x)

Calendar settings: Expiration date for licenses adjusted

When a specific day is specified as the expiration date of licenses, the respective licenses now expire at 23:59:59 of the specified day. The day specified as the expiration date of a license is thus the last day on which the license is valid.

 

Domain is automatically added to the Allowlist

When adding start page domains in the browser settings by administration teams, the respective domains are now automatically added to the Allowlist.

Please also refer to the notes on the system requirements for the SecurePIM Management Portal. A detailed table can be found in the release notes for version 2.49.x.

 

Download the new versions now

The new version of SecurePIM is now available in the Apple App Store (version 8.90.x) and in Google Play (version 8.6.x). Update now and benefit from the latest features.

Detailed release notes on the current versions of SecurePIM, SecureCOM and the SecurePIM Management Portal including system requirements can be found in the Infohub.

Are you satisfied with our app? Let other users know and write a review in the Apple App Store or Google Play.

 

Summer, sun, SecurePIM! The latest versions of SecurePIM and the SecurePIM Management Portal are waiting for you with some refreshing new features in the Apple App Store, Google Play and Infohub. Why not take a look right now?

SecurePIM Enterprise / Government (8.86.x für iOS &

8.5.x für Android)

Scrolling to Infinity and Beyond in Shared Mailboxes (iOS)

When you open a shared mailbox or a shared subfolder, 200 emails will now be loaded at a time instead of just the emails from the last 30 days. Once you scroll down long enough to reach 80 percent of the synced items, 200 more will be loaded. This process will continue and you can keep on scrolling to infinity (or at least till you reach 80 percent of the freshly loaded emails again. Or the bottom of the shared mailbox.).

Traceable Document Editing and Comments (iOS)

In the document editor, you can now see who edited a document. The user name of the editor is shown under Modified by. You can also trace the names of the people who made changes in the change history of a document. If someone commented on one of your documents, you can trace the comment’s author.

Team-Mails Innovations (Android)

Team mailboxes are used when several people need access to the same information, e.g., in the support team. Delegate Mailboxes are the shared personal mailboxes of your colleagues. If a person or your administrator has assigned the respective permissions, you can write, read, manage, or delete emails in the shared mailboxes or in shared subfolders. Furthermore, you can create, edit and send drafts, reply to emails, forward them or respond to meetings for your colleagues. In this document, these mailboxes are referred to as “shared mailboxes”.

Change the Smart Card PIN Yourself (Android)

Now you can change the PIN for your smart card yourself in the SecurePIM settings.

Smart Card on Demand: Independent of the Smart Card

Smart card on demand allows you to open the secure container with PIN, password or biometric authentication and only makes it necessary to connect the smart card to SecurePIM in specific use cases. So, you don’t need to establish a smart card connection for normal SecurePIM usage, and only need the smart card to perform specially.

Preparing for End of Support for TLS 1.0 and 1.1 (Android & iOS)

Support for TLS versions 1.0 and 1.1 is expected to end in November 2023. As of November 2023, only TLS version 1.2 is supported and recommended. Please update your server to support TLS 1.2. in time. This affects only SecurePIM configurations that use TLS 1.0 or 1.1 with the Reduce TLS security setting enabled in the SecurePIM Management Portal. If you haven’t updated to TLS 1.2 after the November 2023 SecurePIM release, you won’t be able to connect to your mail server or to your TLS endpoint.

Technical Information

Please update SecurePIM and SecureCOM to the latest version on all devices used.

For iOS devices

We recommend that you use iOS/iPadOS versions 16.5.1 (c). Please note that we will discontinue support for older iOS versions 6 months after an official release of a new iOS version.

iOS 17 Preperation

It’s that time of year again: At WWDC 2023, Apple announced its new operating system iOS 17 with new features and improvements for iPhone and iPad. iOS 17 and iPadOS 17 is expected to arrive in September 2023.To ensure that you can make the most of all new features, we’re already preparing SecurePIM for the upcoming changes. The goal is to support the new iOS version with the September release. In the next few weeks, we’ll therefore also test all beta versions before the official release. So, we’re able to react quickly to any changes. Based on previous experience, our focus is once again on the behavior of push notifications on iOS 17.Please install the latest SecurePIM version when you update your device to iOS 17 (beta).

For Android devices

You have an Android device, but you are not using Android version 13 yet? Then it’s high time – Check right now if you have already installed the update.

SecurePIM Management Portal (Version 2.48.x)

Customized File Names when Bulk Downloading S/MIME Certificates.

Few things are more of a nuisance than losing track of downloaded files – and, in the worst case, accidentally overwriting them – for example, because they don’t have unique filenames. But don’t worry! From now on, when you download multiple S/MIME certificates in bulk, you will receive a zip file with a default filename that accurately describes the content and time of the download. File names of zip files containing all selected S/MIME certificates have the following format: smime-certificate-yyyy-mm-dd_hh_mm_ss.zip

Please also note the information on the system requirements for the SecurePIM Management Portal. A detailed table can be found in the Release Notes for version 2.48.x.

Download the new versions now

The new version of SecurePIM is now available in Apple App Store (version 8.86.x) and Google Play (version 8.5.x). Upgrade now and benefit from the latest features.

Detailed release notes on the current versions of SecurePIM and the SecurePIM Management Portal including system requirements can be found in the Infohub.

Are you satisfied with our app? Let other users know and write a review in the Apple App Store or Google Play.

Spring is in the air: Although Materna Virtual Solution doesn’t bring flowers to bloom, we do have the latest versions of SecurePIM and the SecurePIM Management Portal for you. Take a look at the Apple App Store, Google Play and Infohub.

SecurePIM Enterprise / Government (8.82.x für iOS &

8.4.x für Android)

Write, manage, and delete emails with Team Mail (iOS + Android)

The May release is all about team mails and comes with a whole new set of features for shared mailboxes. You can now create new emails, reply to emails, and forward them to your colleagues in the Team Mails module. You can also edit drafts and respond to meetings.

Distribute Customized Access Rights for Subfolders (iOS)

If you want to distribute access rights for one of your team members, you can now do this for selected subfolders in Outlook only – without your colleagues being able to see your entire inbox. You can select the specific permissions in the Outlook settings.

Technical Information

Please update SecurePIM to the latest version on all devices used.

For iOS devices

We recommend that you use iOS/iPadOS versions 16.4. Please note that we will discontinue support for older iOS versions 6 months after an official release of a new iOS version.

For Android devices

You have an Android device, but you are not using Android version 13 yet? Then it’s high time – Check right now if you have already installed the update.

SecurePIM Management Portal (Version 2.47.x)

The SecurePIM Management Portal also has a few new features:

Notification Banner for Unstable CLM Connection

If the connection to the CLM is not working, some functionality in the SecurePIM Management Portal may be unavailable – however, operation is still possible. To help administration teams adjust to the limited functionality, a hint banner now appears on the dashboard when the CLM connection is unstable or not working. Once the connection is stable, the notice disappears.

Better visibility into expired enterprise licenses

We have made the overview of the status of the company licenses more convenient. This allows you to see the status of all enterprise licenses, even if your SecurePIM Management Portal configuration contains more than one company: In the company drop-down menu on the SecurePIM Management Portal starting page, a new icon will appear next to each company to indicate the status of the respective license. The icon comes in three different colors: A green icon is displayed when the company license is active, a yellow icon indicates that the company license is about to expire and a red icon  indicates that the company license has expired.

Please also note the information about the system requirements for the SecurePIM Management Portal. A detailed table can be found in the release notes for version 2.47.x.

Download the new versions now

The new version of SecurePIM is now available in Apple App Store (version 8.82.x) and Google Play (version 8.4.x). Upgrade now and benefit from the latest features.

Detailed release notes on the current versions of SecurePIM and SecureCOM as well as the SecurePIM Management Portal including system requirements can be found in the Infohub.

Are you satisfied with our app? Let other users know and write a review in the Apple App Store or Google Play.

Just in time for the beginning of spring, Materna Virtual Solution provides you with the new versions of SecurePIM, SecureCOM and the SecurePIM Management Portal. Take a look at the Apple App Store, Google Play and Infohub and discover the new features of our solutions. The applications are available for you to download now.
 

SecurePIM Enterprise / Government  (8.78.x for iOS &

8.3.x for Android)

Overlay Uplift: State-of-the-art action sheets throughout the app (iOS)

SecurePIM is getting (even) more modern: You have already seen and used it in the Team Mails module – now you can experience our new, state-of-the-art UI overlay in the Calendar, Mail, Browser and Documents modules as well. From now on, tapping on a context menu or an options button opens a custom designed action sheet, where you can choose your options.

Change your External Smart Card (Android)

With this release, you have the possibility to change your smart card. The process can be started conveniently in the settings menu of SecurePIM.

“Modern Authentication” (OAuth) now available for additional accounts only (Android)

With OAuth, you can authenticate securely and quickly on your email provider’s mail server. Now, if you want to add a second, third, or seventeenth account, you can use OAuth for your secondary accounts even if your default account uses basic authentication.

SecurePIM Messenger / SecureCOM (Version 7.6.x)

In this release, we’ve put our focus on bugfixing in the background, so you can use SecureCOM in the quality you are accustomed to.

 

Technical Information

Please update SecurePIM and SecureCOM to the latest version on all your devices.

For iOS-Devices

We recommend that you use iOS/iPadOS versions 16.3. Please note that we stop supporting older iOS versions 6 months after an official release of a new iOS version.

For Android-Devices

You have an Android device, but you are not yet using Android version 13? Then it’s high time – take a look right now to see if you have already installed the update.

 

SecurePIM Management Portal (Version 2.46.x)

The SecurePIM Management Portal also has a few new features:

Bulk Download S/MIME Certificates is available

Download each S/MIME certificate separately? Quite a hassle, isn’t it? We thought so too, and with this release we’ve introduced a feature to download multiple certificates collectively. Choose the certificates you want to download via the toggle buttons on the left side next to each account – or simply click Select All.

Combination of Account Name and Account Email

The Company Smart Card Certificates page is now more concise: We have combined the SecurePIM Account Name and Account Email columns – and made it the SecurePIM Account column. In this column you will now find both the name of the SecurePIM account and the email address to which the account is registered. This prevents line breaks and misalignments – so you can easily keep track of smart card certificates.

 

Download the new versions now

The new version of SecurePIM is now available in the Apple App Store (version 8.78.x) and in Google Play (version 8.3.x). Update now and benefit from the latest features.

SecureCOM, the stand-alone messenger from Materna Virtual Solution, is also now available with the new versions (iOS version 7.6.x; Android version 7.6.x; Desktop version 7.6.x) in the Apple App Store, Google Play and as a download.

Detailed release notes on the current versions of SecurePIM, SecureCOM and the SecurePIM Management Portal including system requirements can be found in the Infohub.

Are you satisfied with our app? Let other users know and write a review in the Apple App Store or Google Play.

 

We have just released the new versions of SecurePIM, SecureCOM and the SecurePIM Management Portal. Visit the Apple App Store, Google Play and Infohub. The applications are now available for download.

 

SecurePIM Enterprise / Government (8.73.x for iOS & 8.2.x for Android)

Organize and delete your Team Mails (iOS & Android)

With the new version, the Team Mails got an upgrade: In shared mailboxes you can now edit single or multiple mails, move them to other folders or delete them.

SecurePIM is now (even) more beautiful (iOS)

SecurePIM shines in new colors: In this version, we’ve optimized the app’s color palette. Thanks to clearer contrasts between background and foreground colors, you can also see contents much better.

 

SecurePIM Messenger / SecureCOM (Version 7.5.x)

New option to choose between open or closed channels

Users can now choose between open and closed channels: In open channels, participation is now very simple via a participation link and, if necessary, a channel PIN. In a closed channel, participants must first be added – so only selected people can see shared content and can participate in meetings. Creating a channel is still easy: The app guides you through the steps.

 

Technical Information

Please update SecurePIM and SecureCOM to the latest version on all used devices.

For iOS-Devices

We recommend you to use the iOS/iPadOS version 16.3. Please note that we stop support older iOS versions 6 months after an official release of a new iOS version.

For Android-Devices

The new Android version 13 is available and includes some security-relevant adjustments. Take a look to see if you have already installed the update.

 

SecurePIM Management Portal (Version 2.43.x)

The SecurePIM Management Portal also has a few new features:

Enable and disable SecurePIM Messenger for groups (iOS)

Your organization can now individually enable or disable SecurePIM Messenger for groups via the SecurePIM Management Portal.

Download function for filtered smartcard certificates

You can now filter smartcard certificates before you download them. This allows you, for example, to download certificates only from a specific issuer.

 

Download the new versions now

The new version of SecurePIM is now available in the Apple App Store (version 8.73.x) and in Google Play (version 8.2.x). Update now and benefit from the latest features.

SecureCOM, the stand-alone messenger from Materna Virtual Solution, is also now available with the new versions (iOS version 7.5.x; Android version 7.5.x; Desktop version 7.5.x) in the Apple App Store, Google Play and as a download.

Detailed release notes on the current versions of SecurePIM, SecureCOM and the SecurePIM Management Portal including system requirements can be found in the Infohub.

Are you satisfied with our app? Let other users know and write a review in the Apple App Store or Google Play.

 

Despite the availability of state-of-the-art technology, security agencies and organizations (known in German as BOS) often lack a uniform communication solution for mobile working scenarios. In this blog article, we illustrate why such a solution is crucial and outline which requirements a solution needs to fulfill in the context of security organizations.

The tried and tested old communication channels and closed IT infrastructures that are still employed in many security-related organizations quickly run up against their limitations when it comes to field operations. For instance, police officers still often have to record accident details by hand. And even when digital tools are available, they have generally not been integrated fully into the corresponding back-end systems, generating a substantial amount of additional administrative efforts for operatives in the field. Lacking secure alternatives, emergency and security workers often resort to using unsafe, unapproved applications such as WhatsApp and other services. This kind of shadow IT poses an immense risk to the highly sensitive data which security and emergency workers often handle. For precisely this reason it is vital that secure, ultra-mobile communication solutions be made available for security and emergency staff to use.

Below we have compiled the key prerequisites such a solution definitely needs to fulfill.

1. All employees need to be networked with each other

Staff deployed in the field need to be able to work flexibly and securely wherever they are located. It is equally important that they can transfer sensitive, confidential data to their back-office colleagues in real time using end-to-end encryption, thus reducing the administrative workload. An appropriate solution must be able to guarantee the real-time, encrypted transfer of the data and trouble-free synchronization of each individual process.

2. Uncomplicated usability is of crucial importance

Communicating while deployed in the field also needs to be straightforward to handle and work seamlessly across and between organizations. This requires a standardized solution which functions reliably even in extreme conditions, enabling military forces and emergency services to work together seamlessly.

3. All key functions combined in one solution

Security and emergency workers continually exchange sensitive, sometimes strictly confidential information such as reports, witness statements or even investigative strategies with each other by way of email, messages or telephone calls. As a result, the communication solution they require does not only need to offer a secure messaging function but also a hardened browser and a safeguarded camera, as well as an encrypted email program and secure calendar. 

4. Data protection and security are top priorities

Security and emergency organizations work with sensitive, security-critical information on a daily basis. Consequently, it is essential that a communication solution facilitating secure and ultra-mobile work also needs to be suitable for the communication of confidential data up to VS-NfD classification level. 

To facilitate a high degree of mobility and security for military forces and emergency services when working across and between organizations, security-relevant services crucially need to equip their workers with a uniform communication solution which ensures the unconditional protection and security of the highly sensitive data they handle at all times. Beyond that, the solution should also enable uncomplicated, seamless communication and cooperation for all security and emergency staff, no matter whether they are working in the office or deployed in the field, to prevent them from resorting to unauthorized applications.

 

Security agencies and organizations (known in German as BOS) are often lacking a uniform IT infrastructure as well as the corresponding communication and collaboration tools to be able to provide their employees with secure, ultra-mobile working options. In this blog article, we outline why these types of solutions are especially essential for organizations with security responsibilities.

The umbrella term “BOS”, which translates into English as “agencies and organizations with security duties”, includes agencies such as the police and emergency services but also technical relief organizations. One special aspect of this field of work is the fact that workers spend most of their working day on the go, engaged in operational duties. On these assignments, every second may be of crucial importance. The need for secure, digital communication solutions which enable the various agencies and organizations to exchange information in real time while deployed should thus be entirely self-evident. 

The reality is, however, somewhat different: The daily work of security and emergency workers is characterized by filling in forms and other paperwork, because the ultra-mobile devices they require are lacking or have not been integrated completely into the backend systems. This is partly because the IT security regulations enforced by the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) require minimum hardware and software standards for IT security, such as encryption processes, data authentication or interoperability when it comes to digital radio transmission.  

There are indeed tools and applications on the market which meet these strict requirements, but they are expensive to procure, and the budgetary situation is tight in the world of security and emergency organizations. Exacerbating the situation further, there are no binding standards for IT infrastructure that cover all security-relevant organizations, making it difficult for the various authorities and agencies to agree on a universal application. Instead, organizations have favored the use of their own, expensive on-premises solutions rather than far more agile cloud computing options. As long as this is the case, interoperability and flexibility are set to remain a distant reality for agencies and organizations with security duties.

Faced with a lack of appropriate alternatives, many of those employed in the security and emergency fields resort to using their private smartphones and insecure messaging services such as WhatsApp. However, this leads to a shadow IT situation, which does not conform with the high security standards for agencies and organizations with security duties and is therefore strictly prohibited.

A way out of this predicament

Preventing these kinds of shadow IT situations in the future and ensuring the security & protection of data in security-relevant organizations, requires a state-of-the-art communication solution which meets the high security standards set by the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI). The solution should support integration into the existing backend systems at the security or emergency organization, and include the encryption mechanisms required to cover the processing and communication of confidential data up to VS-NfD classification level. In the case of BYOD or COPE models, it is also necessary to ensure that private and professional data or applications are strictly separated from each other. The application should moreover have the capacity to cover a large number of licenses, as the authorized recipients change on a regular basis in the cooperation between federal and state governments. Last, but not least, it needs to be easy to administrate and intuitive for users to handle. Otherwise, one runs the danger of the application not being accepted by the employees, who may then again turn to unapproved, unsafe apps. Modern communication solutions, based on container technology, fulfill all these requirements – irrespective of the device and platform employed.

Considering the security-critical scope of security agencies and organizations are engaged in, it is paradoxical how much their daily work is still characterized by hand-written, paper-based, analogue processes. The solution to this problem is self-evident – a secure, ultra-mobile tool for communication and collaboration is required, which completely fulfills the strict provisions of the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) and is also easy to operate. A lack of financial resources is also no longer a deal breaker, as costs can be reduced substantially by employing BYOD models. As soon as agencies and organizations with security duties can agree on a single, standardized application, there will be nothing standing in the way of secure, ultra-mobile communication for security and emergency workers.

 

 

Dortmund/Munich, February 21st, 2022 – Ultramobile applications for government and enterprises – secured up to levels required for classified, restricted information – are set to bolster the growth trajectory of the IT group. Nicolaus von Rintelen has handed over Virtual AG entirely to Materna.

The Materna Group continues to pursue its growth strategy with a 100% takeover of Munich-based software company Virtual Solution AG effective from February 15th, 2022. With a staff of around 90 employees, Virtual Solution develops software to facilitate a secure ultramobile working environment on smart devices for the iOS and Android operating systems. Virtual Solution’s customers include hundreds of federal, state and municipal authorities, agencies and organizations with security functions (BOS) and companies or organizations providing critical infrastructure (KRITIS), which use the services approved by the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) to communicate and work on ultramobile devices in compliance with the GDPR and security levels required for classified, restricted information. To date, this is the only cross-platform solution of its kind. Through the purchase and further development of Virtual Solution’s products, Materna is consolidating is position as the leading provider of IT solutions for the public sector. Virtual Solution will continue to operate as an independent company within the Materna Group. Sascha Wellershoff will remain CEO at Virtual Solution AG. Nicolaus von Rintelen and the other previous owners have transferred a 100% stake in the business to Materna.

Providing a secure mobile working environment is a key precondition for Germany’s digital sovereignty. At the same time, the threat posed by cyberattacks has increased significantly. In the public sector, applications such as specialized administrative procedures and electronic folders have to be available for use within a secure environment via ultramobile end devices. In this field, Materna is a well-established digital administration and cyber security partner for its extremely broad customer base.

“By taking over Virtual Solution, we have cemented our position as market leaders for the public administration sector.  We see ourselves as a strategic partner for our customers including ministries, federal and state authorities and especially the BSI – with unique services and solutions provided from Germany for Germany,” explains Martin Wibbe, Materna Group CEO.

Nicolaus von Rintelen, investor and previously the principal stakeholder in Virtual Solution AG adds: “I’m handing over the company to the ideal candidate. Despite substantial interest from the market, we were set on a renowned German company acquiring Virtual Solution. Since 2014, quite aside from the investment, I’ve poured all my energy and passion into the company. Now the time has come for the company to take the next step in its growth. With a view to its future development, our company is in the very best hands with the Materna Group.”

Sascha Wellershoff says: “We’re very pleased that in Materna we’ve found a well-established German group of companies in which we can raise our potential and continue to develop our high-performance communication solutions. In this way, we can work together to more quickly achieve our mission to equip authorities and enterprises, throughout Germany and internationally, with a secure, ultramobile working environment.”

Dr. René Rüdinger, CFO at Materna, adds: “The Materna Group has a rock-solid, long-term oriented capital structure, which enables us to finance transactions of this magnitude with our own means and independently of the capital market. We’re glad to offer Virtual Solution the crucial stability of our robust group of companies, allowing the company to continue growing in the future.”

BSI-approved solution for secure mobile communication
The most notable solution in Virtual Solution’s product portfolio is SecurePIM, an application based on state-of-the-art container technology for iOS and Android devices. It provides employees with a secure mobile workspace and allows email, calendar, documents, specialized web-based administrative applications for authorities, instant messaging and video conferencing all to be integrated into the daily work, all securely within an app. One unique feature is that the solution can be used across platforms on both iOS and Android devices. The software is approved for confidential content and allows employees to use smartphones and tablets – a MacOS solution is also planned – to work in an encrypted and secure environment. Federal, state and municipal authorities, agencies and organizations with security functions (BOS) and companies or organizations providing critical infrastructure (KRITIS), can communicate and work remotely with SecurePIM on the security levels ‘’classified information, restricted for official use only (VS-NfD)” or “NATO RESTRICTED”.  Smartphones and tablets are gaining in importance in the modern workplace. Virtual Solution anticipates that SecurePIM may well be deployed extensively throughout the German market in the future – at the same time, the international market is growing. German federal and state authorities can source the solution from the government’s electronic purchasing platform by way of an existing framework contract without having to undertake a tender procedure. Materna will continue to develop SecurePIM in accordance with market requirements and is aiming to make it the “standard solution for ultramobile workspaces”.

Materna’s role as digitalization pioneer in the Public Sector
Bringing digitalization solutions to public sector administration is amongst Moderna’s most lucrative fields of business, contributing about a third of the company’s turnover. For many years, Materna has filled the role of forward-thinking pioneer when it comes to digitalization in the public sector, supporting its customers in charting the course towards cutting-edge, lean administration in Germany. One of the forces currently shaping the administration of authorities, which Materna is intensively supporting, is the Onlinezugangsgesetz (Online Access Law), which is slated for the end of 2022 and has become a powerful driver for digitalization in public sector administration.

Group strategy: Mission 2025
The acquisition of Virtual Solution AG and the recent takeover of Traffgo Road GmbH are in line with Materna’s Mission 2025 strategy. By 2025, Materna is aiming to increase turnover in its core market of Germany, but also internationally with customers in Europe, the USA and Asia, to 700 million euros while increasing the workforce to 5,000 employees. Materna is well on track to achieve its goals: At the beginning of February, the company welcomed its 3,000th employee and the fiscal year 2021 was concluded with record figures.

 

About Materna
The Materna group implements sustainable IT and digitization projects for customers from corporations, medium-sized businesses and public authorities. With more than 3,000 employees worldwide, Materna generates sales of 355.1 million euros (2020). Know-how and competencies are bundled along nine focus areas. In the focus areas of Digital Administration, Enterprise Service Management and Passenger Journey, Materna has been a market leader for many years. With the focus areas SAP Transformation, Journey2Cloud™ and Cyber Security, Materna offers solutions for the currently most pressing challenges in almost all industries. In the focus areas of Digital Experience, Sustainability & Resilience and Data Economy, Materna offers solutions that enable customers to position themselves sustainably and generate added value in the long term.

About Virtual Solution
Virtual Solution is a software vendor specialized in mobile applications, headquartered in Munich and with a development location in Berlin. The company develops and markets the apps SecurePIM, SecureCOM and the security framework SERA for iOS and Android. SecurePIM makes encrypted and usable mobile work possible. Government authorities can communication on smartphones and tablets with information classified as “FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY – VS-NfD” and NATO RESTRICTED. For enterprise SecurePIM fulfills the provisions set forth in the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) for mobile devices and therefore prevents GDPR violations and loss of company data. Virtual Solution was founded in 1996 and has around 90 employees. All products by Virtual Solution bear the trust seal “IT Security made in Germany” issued by Germany’s IT Security Association (TeleTrust-IT-Bundesverbandes IT-Sicherheit). Virtual Solution AG has been part of the Materna Group since February 15th, 2022.

 

Further information
Materna Information & Communications SE
Corporate Communications
Christine Siepe
Voßkuhle 37, 44141 Dortmund
Phone: +49 231/55 99-1 68
Email: Christine.Siepe@Materna.de
http://www.materna.de

 

Munich, 14 July 2021 – Authorities and organizations are now authorized to use the SecurePIM Government SDS mobile communication solution provided by Materna Virtual Solution requiring the NATO RESTRICTED security classification. This enables the exchange of security-critical classified information and documents within NATO, but also between companies and government agencies.

The SecurePIM Government SDS system solution has been granted approval by the German Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) for use with information classified with the NATO RESTRICTED security level for iOS devices (from iOS version 14). Accordingly, the solution can now be employed within NATO, between NATO member states, and between NATO and non-NATO organizations. At the same time, SecurePIM Government SDS is also highly relevant for companies working with NATO agencies, as well as suppliers, service providers and companies in the security and defence industry. The NATO RESTRICTED classification corresponds to the German secrecy level ‘VS-NfD’ (classified information – for  official use only).

Following the BSI’s approval of the SecurePIM Government SDS system solution (iOS version) for data classified as ‘VS-NfD’ (classified information – for  official use only) in 2017, the NATO seal of approval now represents an important step for Materna Virtual Solution in the strategic growth and development of the company’s international market position. SecurePIM Government SDS is the only iOS solution on the market to be given approval for NATO RESTRICTED information alongside VS-NfD authorization. The Android version received a pre-approval for VS-NfD in March 2020 and is currently in the final stages of the approval process.

SecurePIM Government SDS is now predestined for use in scenarios such as transnational communication between government agencies, within companies handling classified information, and also in the context of critical infrastructure. Due to its ease of operation, the container solution is exceptionally user-friendly and hardly prone to accidental misuse, thereby increasing both user acceptance and security. The entire range of communication and all access to data takes place via a highly secure, encrypted, self-contained area.

“The approval of SecurePIM Government SDS for NATO RESTRICTED classified information affirms our mobile security competence established over many years and the high security standards of our products,” explains Sascha Wellershoff, CEO at Materna Virtual Solution. “Above and beyond its use in conjunction with NATO, this allows us to provide security-critical authorities and organizations with a solution for smartphones and tablets which has been tested by strict security criteria and approved by the highest authority.”