IT departments may be less sceptical towards handheld devices
following the release of a jointly-developed mobile management
platform from XcelleNet and Internet software company Pumatech,
writes Daniel Thomas.
The Enterprise Intellisync Mobile Management Edition enables IT
administrators to manage the distribution of the software required
for synchronising desktop personal information management (PIM) and
groupware applications with Palm handhelds and Windows Pocket PCs
or Windows CE devices. The platform combines XcelleNet's mobile
management product, Afaria and Pumatech's Intellisync
synchronisation software.
Afaria provides a suite of management tools, including the
ability to rapidly deploy handheld applications across thousands of
mobile devices. Its inventory management capability allows the
administrator to track both the hardware and software associated
with each device.
The Intellisync PC-to-handheld software can keep an organisation
up to date with direct, two-way synchronisation of e-mail,
calendar, contacts and to-do lists with PIM, contact management and
groupware applications.
Steve Nicol, Pumatech's executive vice-president of sales and
business development, explained, "IT has been reluctant to support
handheld devices, because they want control over the types of
applications that are installed, particularly those that are used
in critical business processes.
"Also, they need to ensure that the apps and their related
content are appropriately updated without heavy involvement of
helpdesk personnel - our combined solution addresses these
issues."