Armour Communications
Armour Communications is a London-based provider of government-grade encrypted voice, messaging, video, and conferencing on everyday consumer devices, selling primarily to UK and allied government, defence, financial services, and legal customers. It was founded in 2015, certified to FIPS/NATO/CPA standards, and acquired by PentenAmio in April 2026.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Armour Communications does
Armour Communications Limited is a London-based private company founded in January 2015 by Dr. Andy Lilly and David Holman to deliver government-grade encryption for voice, messaging, video, and conferencing on off-the-shelf consumer devices (iOS, Android, macOS, Windows 10, Linux) operating over EDGE/HSPA/LTE/5G/Wi-Fi/satellite networks. The platform is built on the NCSC's MIKEY-SAKKE identity-based encryption protocol combined with Signal Protocol-based cryptography, and is delivered as a tiered portfolio — Armour Mobile and Armour Desktop as the client applications, with Armour Cloud, Armour Cloud+, Armour Enterprise, and Armour Sovereign Capability as deployment options ranging from fully managed SaaS to on-premises and bespoke sovereign builds. Add-on modules include Armour Recall (archive/audit), Armour Unity (secure video conferencing with deepfake-resistant authentication), Armour Connect (SIP/PBX/UC interoperability), and Armour Bridge (cross-domain gateway). The platform is FIPS, NATO NIAPC-listed, CESG/NCSC CPA-certified, and ISO 27001-certified, with approvals up to OFFICIAL-SENSITIVE and partner-enabled solutions extending to SECRET.
The company sells primarily into UK government, defence, military, financial services, legal, maritime, healthcare, and blue-light/emergency-services customers, supplemented by enterprise accounts with commercially sensitive IP. The revenue model is enterprise licence agreements (ELAs) and SaaS subscriptions billed annually, with minimum licence floors of 50 (Enterprise) and 100 (Cloud); applications only function after a licence is issued, and bespoke engineering/white-label services contribute additional revenue. Distribution combines direct enterprise sales with a channel-partner network that includes BAE Systems, Cisco, Leonardo, L3 Communications, QinetiQ, Samsung, Roke, Nine23, and Bittium, plus the UK G-Cloud 14 procurement framework for public-sector buyers.
The company was acquired by PentenAmio in April 2026, marking the end of its standalone trajectory and integrating Armour's specialist engineering team into PentenAmio's 300-strong workforce serving UK, Australian, and allied-markets defence and government customers. Prior to that, the company was sustained by a single disclosed growth funding round of approximately $2.17m from BOOST&Co in February 2020, and earned recognitions including the Queen's Award for Enterprise: International Trade (2021) and multiple SC Awards Europe for Best Communications Security Solution.
Armour Communications firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Armour Communications
- Legal name
- Armour Communications Limited
- Website
- https://armourcomms.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Acquired
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Armour Communications is a London-based provider of government-grade encrypted voice, messaging, video, and conferencing on everyday consumer devices, selling primarily to UK and allied government, defence, financial services, and legal customers. It was founded in 2015, certified to FIPS/NATO/CPA standards, and acquired by PentenAmio in April 2026.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Armour Communications industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Secure Communications Software
- NAICS
- Telephone Apparatus Manufacturing (33421), Other Communications Equipment Manufacturing (334290), Wireless Telecommunications Carriers (except Satellite) (517112)
- SIC
- Communications Equipment, Nec (3669), Computer Communications Equipment (3576)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Defense Communications (Secure Radios, SATCOM Terminals, Crypto) (IMABAGAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Battlefield Networking, Tactical Data Links & Waveforms (IMABAOAJ), Armor Systems (Passive/Reactive/Active Protection) & Survivability Kits (IMABAJAJ), SMS/RCS Messaging Platforms (BPAMACAF)
Keywords
Where Armour Communications is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Armour Communications business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Software Licencing (Enterprise Licence Agreements): Armour Communications generates revenue through enterprise licence agreements (ELAs) for their secure communications platform. Licences are sold with minimum user requirements (100 for Cloud, 50 for Enterprise). Applications only function after a licence has been obtained.
- Professional Services & Consulting: Bespoke engineering services and consultancy to support OEM and White Labelling arrangements based on extensive experience in high assurance and enterprise environments.
- SaaS Subscriptions: Fully managed SaaS solutions (Armour Cloud, Armour Cloud+) with subscription billing for secure communications services.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Armour Cloud - Standard SaaS deployment for SMB/SME |
| Subscription | Annual | Armour Cloud+ - SMB/SME with user management |
| Subscription | Annual | Armour Enterprise - Higher assurance and complete control |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels9 records
Armour Communications product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Armour Communications provides a secure communications platform delivering end-to-end encrypted voice, messaging, video, and conferencing on off-the-shelf consumer devices (iOS, Android, Windows 10, MacOS, Linux) over standard mobile, Wi-Fi, and satellite networks. The offering is delivered as a platform-plus-modules architecture with deployment options including Armour Cloud (SaaS, minimum 100 licences), Armour Cloud+ (with audit and recording), Armour Enterprise (on-premises or SaaS, minimum 50 licences), and Armour Sovereign Capability (bespoke nation-state deployments), complemented by Armour Mobile and Armour Desktop clients and add-on modules for archiving, conferencing, and UC interoperability.
Product overview
Armour Communications provides the Armour Secure Communications Platform, a unified platform-plus-modules architecture for secure communications (voice, messaging, video and data) on off-the-shelf devices. The core portfolio includes Armour Cloud (SaaS), Armour Cloud+, Armour Enterprise (on-premises or SaaS), and Armour Sovereign Capability as deployment options, with Armour Mobile and Armour Desktop as the primary applications. Add-on modules include Armour Recall (archiving/audit), Armour Unity (video conferencing), Armour Connect (UC interoperability), and Armour Bridge (cross-domain gateway). The platform is built on MIKEY-SAKKE identity-based encryption and Signal Protocol cryptography, with solutions available via selected partners to mitigate threats up to SECRET classification.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- SigNet by Armour: State-of-the-art security and end-to-end encryption for private messaging and Internet calling services.
- Armour Mobile
- Armour Cloud
- Armour Cloud+
- Armour Enterprise
- Armour Sovereign Capability
- Armour Recall
- Armour Unity
- Armour Connect
- Armour Bridge
Products and services
- Armour Mobile Flagship mobile application providing secure voice, messaging, video and conferencing on iOS, Android and Windows devices. Replaces consumer-grade apps with government-grade security (MIKEY-SAKKE identity-based encryption and Signal Protocol cryptography) for mobile communications, supporting working from home and BYOD without MDM.
- Armour Cloud Fully managed SaaS solution for standard SMB/SME deployments with one simple affordable price and minimum 100 licences. Replaces consumer apps with improved mobile communications security, GDPR compliance, and data sovereignty. Provides secure voice, video, conference calls, and messages.
- Armour Cloud+ SaaS solution for SMB/SME organisations managing their own users. Includes secure recording, archiving and audit of voice and instant messaging, with interoperability extending to enterprise UC systems including desk phones and IP soft phones. Minimum 100 licences; secure video conferencing available as optional extra.
- Armour Enterprise Configurable solution for higher assurance and SME/Enterprise organisations requiring complete control over secure communications. Provided as on-premises implementation or via SaaS options with secure UC interoperability, video conferencing, and archive/audit. Minimum 50 licences.
- Armour Sovereign Capability Bespoke secure communications platform for organisations and nation states requiring sovereign capability. Uses Signal Protocol-based cryptography for complete data control with options for additional customisations. Covers voice, instant messaging, group video calling and attachments.
- Armour Desktop Desktop application for Windows 10 enabling secure mobile-to-desktop communications between off-the-shelf devices. Supports secure voice, messaging, and conferencing.
- Armour Recall Archiving and audit solution providing ability to record and playback messages, audio or video calls subject to strict security processes. Essential for regulated industries. All transmitted media archived with tightly managed audit access and individual encryption keys.
- Armour Unity Enterprise secure conferencing and collaboration solution. Combines video, documents and chat within protected Armour ecosystem. Provides strong authentication to mitigate AI-generated deepfake fraud with several configurations matching conversation sensitivity levels.
- Armour Connect Provides interoperability options extending reach of mobile secure communications to desk phones in enterprise. Supports integration with SIP, PBX, and other UC installations.
- Armour Bridge Cross-domain gateway providing interoperability with third party messaging systems. Allows Armour Mobile and Unity users to exchange messages across security boundaries with colleagues not using the Armour platform. Delivers audit compliance for public records.
- SigNet by Armour State-of-the-art security and end-to-end encryption for private messaging and Internet calling services. Uses Signal Protocol-based cryptography ensuring calls and messages can never be shared or viewed by anyone except intended recipients.
- Armour Collaborative Environment (ACE) Independent managed communications service at OFFICIAL SENSITIVE for defence sector organisations working collaboratively on bids, projects and research. Guards against cyber-espionage and minimises travel and overheads.
- Bespoke Engineering & White Label Services Range of consultancy and bespoke engineering services supporting OEM and White Labelling arrangements, blending Armour technology with third-party hardware and software to provide specialist solutions with additional security features for enterprise and higher assurance levels up to SECRET. The team has over 25 years of experience delivering secure communications systems from high assurance military-grade to commercial environments.
Quantifiable outcome
- US banks fined over $2.8 billion for record-keeping violations due to unapproved messaging apps
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Armour Communications
Customer profileNamed customers11 records
Segments9 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Armour Communications technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
Feature12 records
Armour Communications partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.
- PentenAmioflagshipPentenAmio, formed through merger of Amiosec Limited and Penten Limited, acquired Armour Communications in April 2026. This marks PentenAmio's first acquisition since its formation and combines eight years of working relationship between the organisations. The acquisition integrates Armour's specialist engineering team into PentenAmio's 300-strong workforce to strengthen secure mobility solutions for government and defence customers in UK, Australia and allied markets.
- AmioseccoreListed partner with eight-year working relationship that led to the formation of PentenAmio through merger with Penten Limited.
- BAE SystemscoreListed as partner providing distribution and integration of Armour secure communications solutions.
- CiscocoreTechnology partner for interoperability with Cisco unified communications systems.
- SamsungcoreTechnology partner - Armour Samsung Client listed in NATO Information Assurance Product Catalogue (NIAPC).
- LeonardocoreDefence and security partner for distribution of secure communications solutions.
- L3 CommunicationscoreTechnology and solutions partner for secure communications.
- QinetiQcoreDefence technology partner for secure communications distribution.
- Air RadiominorListed managed service provider partner.
- CentiantminorListed partner for solutions distribution.
- CLA ConsultingminorListed consulting partner.
- TSGminorListed technology solutions partner.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Armour Communications competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Bittium: Finnish provider of secure mobile devices and tactical communications — broader portfolio than Armour and also an Armour partner (listed), competing in defence secure-comms.
- BlackBerry Secure Communications: BlackBerry's secure messaging and communications portfolio (SecuSUITE, BBM Enterprise) — broader incumbent offering secure voice/text with government-grade certifications and significant installed base.
Direct peers
- Threema: Swiss end-to-end encrypted messaging, voice and file-sharing service with European sovereignty positioning; comparable secure-messaging product targeting enterprise and government.
- Element (Matrix): Provider of secure, interoperable messaging built on the Matrix protocol; offers a comparable secure communications platform for government and enterprise, including sovereign deployments.
- Silent Circle: Provider of enterprise-grade encrypted voice, video, messaging and conferencing on mobile devices — the closest direct competitor to Armour's core secure-communications platform, with similar go-to-market targeting enterprise and government.
- Wire: Switzerland-based secure messaging, voice, video and conferencing platform with end-to-end encryption; comparable product offering with similar enterprise/government focus.
- SaltDNA: Encrypted voice, messaging and conference-call platform for enterprises and governments — directly comparable feature set and regulated-industry customer base.
- KoolSpan: Provider of secure communications solutions (TrustCall) for voice, messaging and conferencing targeting government and regulated enterprises — directly comparable niche.
- Wickr (Amazon): End-to-end encrypted messaging, voice, video and file sharing acquired by AWS — competes head-on with Armour for enterprise and government secure-collaboration contracts, with much larger platform distribution.
- Cellcrypt: UK-based secure voice and messaging provider for government and enterprise; directly comparable product (encrypted mobile comms on off-the-shelf devices) and customer base.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Armour Communications social profiles
Digital presenceArmour Communications compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance5 records
Armour Communications financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Armour Communications leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Armour Communications funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Armour Communications M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Armour Communications
What does Armour Communications do?
Armour Communications provides a secure communications platform delivering end-to-end encrypted voice, messaging, video, and conferencing on off-the-shelf consumer devices (iOS, Android, Windows 10, MacOS, Linux) over standard mobile, Wi-Fi, and satellite networks. The offering is delivered as a platform-plus-modules architecture with deployment options including Armour Cloud (SaaS, minimum 100 licences), Armour Cloud+ (with audit and recording), Armour Enterprise (on-premises or SaaS, minimum 50 licences), and Armour Sovereign Capability (bespoke nation-state deployments), complemented by Armour Mobile and Armour Desktop clients and add-on modules for archiving, conferencing, and UC interoperability.
Is Armour Communications a public or private company?
Armour Communications is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently acquired.
When was Armour Communications founded?
Armour Communications was founded in 2015. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Armour Communications based?
Armour Communications is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Armour Communications make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Software Licencing (Enterprise Licence Agreements) is the primary driver. The others are professional Services & Consulting and saaS Subscriptions.
Who are Armour Communications's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Bittium and BlackBerry Secure Communications. Direct peers are Threema, Element (Matrix), Silent Circle, Wire, SaltDNA, KoolSpan, Wickr (Amazon) and Cellcrypt.
Does Armour Communications have an API?
No public API is recorded for Armour Communications.
What industry is Armour Communications in?
Armour Communications's product category is Secure Communications Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMABAGAG, Defense Communications (Secure Radios, SATCOM Terminals, Crypto), with a secondary code of IMABAOAJ, Battlefield Networking, Tactical Data Links & Waveforms. Its NAICS code is 33421 and its SIC code is 3669.