eWEEK Labs Walk-Through: iPhone Configuration Web Utility

The Web utility can be installed in Windows XP/Vista (With .NET 2.0 installed) or Mac OSX v10.5, and the Web page is on port 3000. There is also a standalone configuration application available for Mac OSX.

A proper naming scheme for the identifier is essential, as the iPhone tracks its installed profiles by this tag, and proper configuration will likely require several tailored policies.

Profiles are stored and delivered in an unencrypted XML file, but administrators can sign the package with a certificate or key so the users know they can trust the file.

Administrators can require a passcode on the device and set the level of complexity and the maximum number of failed login attempts. Users will set the passcode when the policy gets installed.

Administrators can define multiple Wi-Fi networks for the iPhone, while also setting the security policy including iPhone 2.0’s new Enterprise security support. However, the Web Utility will not add pre-shared keys to the profile.

We could deliver multiple Cisco VPN configurations in one iPhone profile, using either shared secrets or certificates for authentication.

IMAP and POP3 configurations are on a different tab from Exchange support. The fields marked “[set on device]” are to be filled in by the user when the profile is installed-

Exchange setup is very simple, and the user only needs to know their e-mail username to get going. We’d like to see more controls for content push and data synchronization here, though.

Administrators can add certificates that may be needed for the iPhone: for VPN, for Wi-Fi Security or for other applications.

You can change the way the device connects to AT&T’s network, if you dare. You should not dare.