Seesmic is focused on social enterprise; Android, iPad Debuts Apps for Salesforce CRM

Leena Rao is currently working as a writer for TechCrunch. She recently finished graduate school Medill School of journalism at Northwestern University, where she studied business journalism and videography. From 2004 to 2007 she helped lead Congresswoman Carloyn Maloney advocacy and community relations in New York. She graduated from Columbia University in 2003, where it was ... ? Read More

Social application developer Seesmic makes a big step in social enterprise and debuting dedicated Android app and iPad app for Salesforce CRM product (Windows phone 7 will also be added soon), called Seesmic CRM. Android app will be published tomorrow morning at Salesforce at the annual Conference, Dreamforce and Seesmic launches iPad app within a few weeks.

For the background of Seesmic, which was founded by a French entrepreneur Loic Le Meur, allows you to monitor and follow up the social web. Seesmic desktop, Internet and mobile clients integrate with Twitter, Facebook and other social networks. Bonus using an application like Seesmic is the ability to combine your streams from a variety of social Web services such as YouTube, Foursquare, Techmeme, LinkedIn, and others.

But lately, Seesmic dabbling in the enterprise and launch more focused business functions. Last fall, Seesmic has deep integration with Salesforce enterprise social network chatter. And then earlier this year, Salesforce 4 million Australian dollars round in Seesmic.

Mostly Seesmic Android and iPad apps CRM lead all the functionality of Salesforce CRM for mobile phones. Users can search their Salesforce.com account from native applications; Search for leads, contacts, accounts, related activities and sets of chatter on the move; Creating and updating leads, contacts, tasks, and activities; Log calls and emails after meetings; and much more. And applications use mobile OS; to map users to their respective leads to their current location; upload photos and more. While prices had not been announced yet, Seesmic may charge a fee of $ 10 per month per user for the application.

Le Meur tells us that he does not compete with Salesforce CRM giant, because currently does not offer in-depth Android and iPad apps. In fact, Seesmic is working "hand in hand" with Salesforce mobile group to develop these native apps. And Salesforce particularly bullish on social enterprise at the end — "Welcome to the social enterprise» is the theme of the Dreamforce this year. As Le Meur said: "we are working with Salesforce, not compete with the company."

Of course it's interesting that Twitter's developer platform is shifting focus from building consumer and focusing on the enterprise. In March, Twitter basically told developers avoid compete with them on their own customers. It's not that Twitter doesn't want developers to build off their platform, they simply do not want developers to create clients that simulate Twitter's own services.

Thus Seesmic found new user base in the area of business. Le Meur explains that the use of mobile and social enterprise of the future for Seesmic. While the startup will not relinquish their Web and mobile applications (Android app company has more than one million users); all efforts of Seesmic now completely focused on attracting social for business users, "said Le million euros.

Seesmic BlackBerry app shuttered a few months ago. You can watch Le million euros in a recent conversation with TechCrunch TV Andrew Kina here.

(Disclosure: TechCrunch editor Michael Arrington was an early investor in Seesmic.)

Seesmic is a powerful set of social media and collaboration tools that provide businesses and individuals with everything they need to build and manage their brands online. WITH ...

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Hides the new Google Android Malware + App, answers calls for you

Trend Micro security researchers have discovered a new application for Android mobile malware that disguises itself as Google +. The application has the ability to record phone calls, and collect GPS location phone, text messages and call logs, all of which are sent to remote servers.

The application installs itself on the Android devices under the guise of Google + application using the Google icon + disguise myself in Android applications and services list.

Malware is a version of the previously detected ANDROIDOS_NICKISPY.(A) and (B) because it uses the same code structure found within those applications. This particular version is called ANDROIDOS_NICISPY.(C).

In this case at least, it is unlikely that the malware is especially prevalent, as it is not listed in the Android market. The application displays only for mobile phone users who unknowingly visit malicious Web site. And delete as simple as uninstalling the application.

Interestingly, here's how quickly malware authors used the hype about Google's new social network to their advantage. Not even 2 months and Google + has already been used as cover for mobile malware.

In addition to recording calls and collect personal data from the device, the malware can also receive commands via text message that explains the Trend Micro threat analyst Mark Balanza. To do this, it requires the sender to use predefined controller» number from an application configuration file to run all commands.

But the uniqueness of this malware especially Balanza says is its ability to record calls automatically, what other options do not. To answer calls, you must disable the screen of the phone and call should come from a certain telephone number in the application configuration file. Before you answer, the app puts phone into silent mode and hides the dial pad. And when is a phone call, the screen goes blank.

It is important to note that the "auto reply" feature of the malware can only affect Android version 2.2 and below how MODIFY_PHONE_STATE permission was disabled in Android 2.3. Again, this is another very good example to why manufacturers and carriers should not hold back the Android OS updates from pushed to consumer devices.

The Android operating system becomes a target for malware, such as this, the security firm lookout reported earlier this month. Android users are two and 1.5 times faced with malware today than just 6 months ago. And half a million to one million users were affected by the Android malware this year alone. Although this individual application can only be a minor threat, combined with all other for many months, the threat of malware is becoming a problem for Android users, developers, carriers and OEMs.

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