HP Offers Cloud-Based Management for Smartphones, Notebooks

Hewlett-Packard has unveiled a cloud-based mobile device management system for IT managers struggling to keep track of the growing number of smartphones, notebooks and other wireless devices in the workplace. HP is also looking to partner with telecommunications companies to provide this management tool as a managed service.

The rather awkwardly named HP Cloud Services Enablement for Device Management as a Service, which HP officially rolled out Sept. 20, supports various device management tasks, including device configuration, distributing applications, diagnosing problems, enforcing security policies and protecting the data by backing up the information.

This is the third offering in HP’s Cloud Services Enablement portfolio, and one that telecommunications companies can offer to customers as an on-demand solution. Wireless and broadband companies can now offer customers a secure, customizable Web portal for IT administrators to track and manage all employee devices.

The fact that HP is looking to partner with telecommunications companies to offer this type of managed service is not surprising considering the changes in the workplace and how IT managers must account for an increasing number of mobile devices that employees use.

In turn, mobile device management offers opportunities for communications service providers, especially considering the potential service fees that can be collected through cloud-based management services. As the workforce becomes increasingly mobile and remote workers become more common, enterprises must support a wide array of mobile devices, networks, operating systems and applications.

"With the HP solution, they can leverage the advantages of the cloud, efficiently manage a company’s mobile devices and, ultimately, build a new business for themselves," said Tim Marsden, director of HP's Communications and Media Solutions division, in a statement.

DMAAS (Device Management as a service) joins other cloud-based services announced in the past year as part of the company’s end-to-end HP Cloud Services Enablement portfolio. IAAS (Infrastructure as a service) includes large-scale, utility-priced computing and storage services, while CAAS (communications as a service) is comprised of applications such as self-service interactive voice response, video surveillance, unified communications and IP contact centers.

While cloud computing has generally focused on the data center and Web applications in the past, there are many other opportunities for communications service providers to monetize cloud services. HP’s CSE specifically targets telecommunications companies by providing them with cloud-ready middleware with self-service and automation features to offer customers.

HP CSE for DMAAS leverages HP's Aggregation Platform for SAAS (software as a service), which acts as a mediation layer between HP Mobile Device Management, the service provider’s operation and business support systems and the customer’s IT environment.

The HP software automates key processes for mobile device management, such as integrating and managing third-party SAAS services and other capabilities, and enables service and user management. With HP Cloud Service Automation, the applications can tightly integrate with other systems, such as the customer’s data and billing systems. The HP BladeSystem Matrix on the aggregation platform delivers pay-as-you-go network and computer resources.

While HP is providing the cloud delivery and functionality to integrate with operating and business support systems, the actual mobile device management solution is from Mformation Technologies, which provides MDM software to service providers.