Kingston Digital has acquired the USB technology and assets of IronKey from Imation.
The flash memory affiliate of Kingston Technology Company, Kingston Digital is a provider of memory products and will add IronKey to its range of encrypted portable solutions.
Imation has also sold the IronKey Enterprise Management Services (EMS) platform, which provides centralized management to encrypted USB drives, to Kingston Digital partner DataLocker, who previously acquired the SafeConsole management system from BlockMaster.
Valentina Vitolo, flash business manager at Kingston, said: “The addition and integration of the IronKey brand with our own DataTraveler encrypted USB drives provides a dynamic range of encrypted solutions for customers of all levels who want to protect mobile data.
“Having our partner DataLocker manage both the EMS and SafeConsole platforms is a win for all of our combined customers. We look forward to extending our relationship with DataLocker.”
The IronKey brand was mostly sold to Imation in 2011, and the remaining technology was rebranded as Marble Security and offered mobile security. This was acquired by Proofpoint in 2015.
In an email to Infosecurity, Rik Turner, senior analyst at Ovum said that Imation is getting shot of a technology which is clearly past its heyday as sharing is done in the cloud.
“Secure portable media evidently still has its place in the market, but with the advent of Dropbox and OneDrive, there’s probably not the demand there was when Imation bought them,” he said. “Will USB keys ultimately go the way of the fountain pen, one wonders?”