VMware launches Anywhere Workspace to secure remote workers

VMware has introduced Anywhere Workspace, a suite of integrated technologies that include the company's unified endpoint management product and its software for securing the devices of remote workers.

Announced this week, Anywhere Workspace is a combination of the UEM software Workspace One, the VMware secure access service edge (SASE) architecture and the Carbon Black endpoint security tool. VMware SASE is a collection of cloud-based security services.

Demand for endpoint security increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, which turned many corporate employees into at-home workers. Analysts expect many people to continue working from home, at least part time, even as companies reopen offices.

VMware's integrated product package means IT staff will not have to write code to bring the technologies together, Forrester analyst Andrew Hewitt said. Also, the integration lets one tool automatically adjust to changes in another.

"If Carbon Black detects an issue on a device, it could adjust policies within [Workspace One] to ensure that the attack does not proliferate," Hewitt said.

The security provided by Anywhere Workspace should let companies offer employees more flexibility in choosing devices, apps and work locations, Hewitt said.

Analyst Lee Doyle at Doyle Research said the integrated bundle of VMware products makes it easier for IT staff to keep employees compliant with corporate policies.

"Things that are easier to use and easier to deploy will make people more compliant," he said.

Anywhere Workspace is available now. Pricing will vary by customer, said Renu Upadhyay, vice president of product at VMware.

VMware announced the product release less than a week after parent Dell said it will spin off the company. Dell and VMware expect to remain close partners.

Maxim Tamarov is a news writer covering mobile and end-user computing. He previously wrote for The Daily News in Jacksonville, N.C., and the Sun Transcript in Winthrop, Mass. He graduated from Northeastern University with a degree in journalism. He can be found on Twitter at @MaximTamarov.