Mobile Device Manager Ships

The just-released System Center Mobile Device Manager 2008 helps IT administrators manage Windows Mobile 6.1—based smart phones by simplifying the process of adding devices to the corporate network, providing automatic application installation and inventorying, preventing data loss when devices are stolen or lost, and improving virtual private network (VPN) access to data behind the corporate firewall.

Features of Mobile Device Manager include the following:

• Active Directory enrollment from the device without the assistance of the IT help desk
• IT-controlled configuration, application installation, and updating
• Data encryption on the device and remote wipe of all data in the event the device is lost
• Mobile VPN, including automatically reconnecting when the signal is lost and reacquired.

Windows Mobile 6.1 is required for devices to be managed. Nine phones are supported: HTC Tilt, Motorola Q 9h Global, Pantech Duo, and Samsung Blackjack II (all from AT&T); HTC Mogul, HTC Touch, and Motorola Q 9c from Sprint; and HTC PPC6800 and HTC Touch from Alltel Wireless. Other devices makers and mobile operators have announced support and will deliver products over time.