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With the need for wireless access to corporate e-mail and other business applications outpacing the ability to manage it, several vendors have updated their solutions to make it easier for administrators to deploy mobile applications.
Good Technology Inc. this week will announce the newest version of its GoodLink remote data access device and server software. Version 4.0 allows administrators to remotely deploy and upgrade GoodLink for Palm OS and Windows Mobile smart phones over the air. In addition, new security functionality in GoodLink 4.0 allows IT administrators to remotely erase and restore lost or stolen devices and to set more complex password requirements for end users.
Key for IT managers, however, is the ability to deploy applications without having to touch the persons handheld or without having to talk to the person, said Rick Osterloh, director of product management for Good Technology, in Santa Clara, Calif. “This will greatly reduce cost to deploy a new user within the enterprise,” Osterloh said.
Good Technology is not the first to offer this functionality. Mobile middleware providers, such as Intellisync Corp., already offer it in their products.
The over-the-air capabilities will allow Kyphon Inc. to extend the GoodLink technology to more of its sales force, said Rich Scott, support services and security manager for Kyphon, a Sunnyvale, Calif., company that makes medical devices to repair spinal fractures. Kyphon has been beta testing GoodLink 4.0 for about a month.
“The problem right now is that sales reps have to send in their phones; so they have to do without their phones for a day or two, and thats just not acceptable. This allows us to open it up for our entire sales force,” Scott said.
The ability to wipe out data stored on storage cards will be available in future versions of GoodLink, said Osterloh. In addition, future versions of GoodLink will enable access to enterprise applications other than e-mail.
Meanwhile, Research In Motion Ltd. last week released the latest version of its BlackBerry Enterprise Server for Microsoft Corp.s Exchange and IBMs Lotus Domino, with new security, manageability and application development capabilities.
BlackBerry Enterprise Server Version 4.0 also adds the ability for IT administrators to remotely and wirelessly provision devices and to wipe out and restore data on them, eliminating the need to cradle devices, said Alan Panezic, director of the BlackBerry solutions group, in Waterloo, Ontario.
For its part, Extended Systems Inc. last week upgraded its OneBridge Mobile Solutions Platform to give IT administrators more provisioning controls for managing devices, such as enforcing remote installations and updates for on-device components; extended device inventory reporting; and configurable installation packaging tools. OneBridge Mobile Solutions Platform 4.2 Service Pack 1 will ship this week. Extended Systems this week will also make available a tool kit to allow handset manufacturers to embed device management client protocols into mobile devices.