Oh, things just got seriously geeky for the uber-restrictive IT admins in the audience. Microsoft's being Microsoft (you know, making products its tech staff want to use, ignoring the needs of the end user) in announcing its System Center Mobile Device Manager 2008 today -- the result of years of work generating the perfect dull, restrictive mobile device management system with the most dull, interminable possible name. Basically, Microsoft System Center Mobile Device Manager 2008 (or MSCMDM08 for "short") empowers IT staff to lock down, er, manage and integrate corporate Windows Mobile 6 devices per Windows domain policy, including new types of VPN connectivity and forcing granular automatic overrides like shutting off each device's camera -- as necessary, of course. MSCMDM08 will be available to the suits as a simple software upgrade package to Windows Mobile 6 -- not that they'll care, except when their phone stops functioning like they want it to, and starts functioning like Roy the IT dude wants.
posted Oct 23rd 2007 2:27AM
MSCMDM08 ... lol
"...and starts functioning like Roy the IT dude wants"
Or maybe like the killjoy Sarbanes Oxley wants.
Very cool and useful. A rather well known chip maker company where I used to work used a load of laptops for remote management. If I read this right, they'll be able to perform a lot of the tasks on their PDAs instead, much more portable and cool looking than a bunch of IBM ThinkPads.
Just another BES
Exactly what I was thinking - this is Microsoft trying to steal more market share from RIM by introducing a competitor to the BES.
The Mobile Device Center may be a free add-on (yay for deploying agents to who knows how many PDAs) but System Center ain't cheap. I get the feeling this will mostly be used in enterprises where Roy the IT Dude enforces exactly what he's told to by the IT Boss, and the fleet of WinMo devices are company property anyway.
What about Moss the IT dude? I would trust him with my group policies.
Ryan,
Where did you find this information. What news source? Want to join the distribution list.
thanks.
This software is nowhere near "just another BES". Does BES provide with you an always-on VPN? Does BES allow you to do remote installs of software? Certainly not.
Let's look at the bigger picture here. This is a huge step forward for large corporations that want to manage smartphones the same way they manage laptops and desktops. Once your doctor starts looking up your medical records or issuing you prescriptions on his mobile device, or your broker starts initiating trades for you from his smartphone, wouldn't you want this level of security?
When the next major personal data breach comes from mobile devices, you'll be wishing that the company was running this software.
Chris,
You don't know BES very well then. It IS a constant encrypted signal to the server. We deploy many application through the BES. wow is all I can say about that comment.
The very reason we push our users to BB's is because of the security and control..
Yeah Ryan, I love you man but I think you're being a wee bit harsh on our Redmond overlords. In a *true* corporate environment, that unfortunately has to bend to the every whim of Sarbanes Oxley requirements, Blackberry is the only way to go. Microsoft can't even begin to compete with this market segment until they develop a BES competitor. It sucks that you have to lock down every single aspect of the end user's experience but that's just the way it is.
Another AnnounceWare from MS.
I prefer SOTI to this.. they have been in business far longer and it works.
I prefer SOTI to this.. this sucks as it does not support that many devices yet...
Reason number 2008 to dump the WinMo handsets altogether. And great reference to the I.T. Crowd ;-p.
Blackberry has had these functions available for a long time now. I guess those dumping WinMo6 should dump Blackberry too?