The new mobile lock is designed for devices smaller than 12 mm in thickness, but is compatible with traditional lock slots as well.

Today, accessories maker Kensington is announcing the MiniSaver Mobile Lock, a new thin security lock system designed specifically for ultra-thin mobile devices including Ultrabooks and tablets.

“With the way the market is developing with ultrabooks and tablets, more and more are being used for business purposes, but organizations have no way to lock them down,” said Judy Barker, Global Product Manager, at Kensington. “The new lock is designed for these devices smaller than 12 mm in thickness.”

The MiniSaver locks are not limited to thin devices, however.

“Some of the OEMs want to standardize on one slot and so they are putting the thinner on their thicker devices as well,” Barker said. The MiniSaver is fully compatible with the larger lock slots, but the reverse is not true, as the larger devices will not fit into the min slot.

Kensington, which recently sold its 20 millionth lock, started out in the physical security business, and it’s still a third of their business, with desktop productivity solutions and mobile each also accounting for approximately a third as well. All the major OEMs except Apple use the Kensington Security Slot.

“The lock implementation is primarily on the B2B side, so this is aimed primarily at the commercial market,” Barker said. The consumer market for this is generally students going off to college. Even though most organizations with an IT security policy use some type of software solution to destroy information if a device is lost or stolen, the hardware solution is used as well to deter theft.

“It’s just good security policy to do that,” Barker said. “You may have an alarm on your car or house, but you still lock it to restrict entry.”

The new MiniSaver features a new patented Cleat locking design with an extremely small attach point, to resist pulls and tampering in a space that is as small as a micro USB connector or audio jack.

“The T bar lock, which won’t fit into the mini slot, turns when you engage the lock, while the Cleat has two teeth to grip the security slot so there is no rotation any more,” Barker said. “The Cleat also has one-hand locking designed for ease of use. One hand locking is important, because if locks are too complicated, people don’t use them.”

The MiniSaver’s design also moves the main lock housing away from the device, preventing interference with surrounding ports and jacks used for other accessories.

“OEMs want all their connectors very close together, Barker said. “Being able to fit into this small space is one of the innovations of this product.”

The MiniSaver Mobile Lock is available now with pricing starting at $USD 59.00. That’s about five dollars more expensive than the traditional locks.