Prey Inc., maker of a freemium software suite for tracking and monitoring mobile devices to prevent theft, announced a new version of its enterprise offering with improved anti-theft and multi-device management capabilities.

The improved geofencing and file retrieval capabilities help secure devices before they can be lost or stolen. Advanced search, labeling and large-scale management tools also enable organizations to track and control in environments with 30 or more devices.

More than 2 million Americans had phones stolen in 2014, according to the Consumer Reports National Research Center. Although nearly 90 percent of businesses suffer a theft of a laptop, more than a third don’t have physical security policies in place, according to Kensington Computer Products Group Inc.

Based in San Francisco, Prey is self-funded and claims 7 million users, primarily of its free product. Its code that runs on clients is available as open-source and its server tracking code is proprietary, with an open-source version available. Prey doesn’t claim to replace mobile device management or MDM products, but acts as a companion to them, said Mattias Wolf, chief marketing officer.

“MDM companies have features to find a device, but they’re not totally focused on retrieving stolen devices,” he said. “Our idea is not to replace an MDM, but to allow administrators to get more precise information to get a device back.” Prey said its key differentiation point is its reporting capabilities, which summarize data from elements such as a device’s camera, location and WiFi connection in a single report.

The upgrades to Prey Business address management and control of multiple devices and policies that prevent loss or theft. New multi-device management capabilities provide for group actions to be initiated, such as sending a message or alarms to thousands of devices to alert users, for example, to turn in a device at the end of a shift. Administrators can also wipe multiple devices simultaneously. Search and labeling capabilities span a large inventory of mobile devices and make it easier for administrators to manage groups.

New control zones leverage geofencing technology to create GPS-secured zones within a building, campus or city. Managers can get real-time notifications if a device leaves or enters an area. Remote file retrieval has also been added to enable users to recover sensitive information via email when a lost or stolen device comes online.

Prey Business is available as a free plan for up to three devices. Beyond that, pricing is based on the number of covered devices, beginning at $1 per device and decreasing with volume. The software runs on all major mobile platforms, including iOS, Android, Linux, Ubuntu, Windows and MacOS.

Photo: Prey