Latest release of Armour’s WhatsApp replacement product extends user management capabilities for easier enterprise deployments and a raft of features for greater user adoption
London, UK, 25 April 2022 – Armour Comms has announced the latest version of SigNet by Armour®, its enterprise-grade WhatsApp replacement platform. SigNet v3.3 includes enhancements to streamline the administration of enrolling new users, license management and managing groups, saving time for IT and security. The new version also includes many end-user improvements designed to boost user-adoption which in turn increases security around communication of sensitive information. SigNet now supports up to 8 participants on a group secure video call.
David Holman, Director at Armour Comms said; “SigNet by Armour was developed for enterprises looking to increase security around the use of informal messaging and communications apps, and to provide a replacement solution for consumer-grade apps, that staff will be highly motivated to use. The extension of secure video capabilities for up to eight people that can be used from a mobile device or desktop is a significant enhancement that will enable enterprises to mandate the use of SigNet for all business conversations.”
“Every organisation has sensitive commercial information to protect, and this can now be shared securely, and conveniently, with colleagues using SigNet without ever using an email service or consumer app. Users love the ease of use and anonymity of SigNet, where there is no requirement to provide their mobile phone number as their unique identifier.”
Group Management:
Chat groups within SigNet v3.3 have admin account capabilities for configuring and managing the group by adding and removing users, permission control, and appointing new admins.
Licensing
SigNet v3.3 strengthens enterprise licensing, with license expiry messaging and multiple licence support and management. If an employee leaves or is no longer required to use SigNet the license can be redeployed to a new user, similarly if a device is lost or stolen, the license is rescinded and can be re-used. This new feature enables enterprises to more tightly control licenses and the associated costs, particularly for an on-premises implementation.
A new ‘last seen’ facility indicates if a contact is currently online or displays the last time the contact used the application. This is helpful for end-users and enables administrators to identify where licenses are not being used, and therefore not required.
Group Calling
Group audio and video calls are now supported for up to 8 people to be involved in the same call/video at any one time. When first using the feature users are prompted to grant camera and microphone permissions. With three or more participants, users have the option of a grid layout or a view that focuses on the active speaker by simply swiping up or down whilst in a group call.
@Mentions
The @Mentions feature is now supported, simply typing “@” and selecting the name from the picker allows the user to get someone’s attention. People mentioned in this way can quickly jump to the message at the click of a button. Users can set their notifications if they wish to receive an alert when they are mentioned.
Enterprise Benefits of SigNet by Armour
SigNet provides secure comms for voice, text, messaging, video and attachments, with Disappearing Messages (timed deletion of messages sent). All communications including attachments are encrypted using 256-bit AES encryption.
Increasing Security Awareness – Using SigNet encourages a culture of heightened security awareness amongst employees while also protecting user anonymity and privacy.
One-step provisioning – end-users simply download the app, and they can start using it straight away once provisioned by IT using a one-time use QR code.
Strong user adoption rates – the app is so easy and intuitive to use, people like it and are happy to use it.
Anonymity and protection of privacy – users do not need to reveal their mobile number, email address or even full name in order to use the app.
Use across multiple linked devices – the same instance of the app can be installed on desktop, laptop, tablet and mobile, so that information can be shared across devices securely, without the need to use email.
Desktop instance – the app can be used by desk-based employees on PCs and laptops, which is often more convenient than using a mobile device.
Note to Self facility – voice-to-text notes and reminders are held within the app, and can be shared with linked devices.
Ultra secure sharing of information – documents for signature, instructions or commercial details can be shared via SigNet, meaning that the use of email systems or printed sensitive documents can be avoided. Users receive a timestamp when a screenshot is taken of a message they have sent, ensuring they retain full visibility of exactly where information and data has gone.
SigNet by Armour supports IPv6, the latest network communications protocol, enabling calls to seamlessly transition between modern networks.
SigNet is available as a Software as a Service (SaaS) product hosted on Armour’s secure cloud, or as an on-premises installation, and uses a peer-to-peer key management system.
