At the Cellular Technology Industry Association (CTIA) of America Wireless 2007 conference, Microsoft’s CEO Steve Ballmer introduced Microsoft System Center Mobile Device Manager 2008 (MSCMDM), a new mobile-dedicated server solution that helps companies increase security, provide device-management, and help customers to manage smart devices (similar to how Microsoft’s System Center manages and automates tasks for Windows-based laptops and PCs). Utilizing Mobile Device Manager, companies can deliver new applications to phones over the air as well as connect people via a Mobile VPN (Virtual Private Network) with security-enhanced access to address the evolving needs around security and management while providing end users with anytime, anywhere access to corporate data such as expense reports, customer information, or custom applications.

Today, organizations are experiencing an increase in the number of employees utilizing mobile devices to get their work done while out of the office. Mobile Device Manager provides organizations with enhanced on-device security and over-the-air policy enforcement. It allows IT professionals to easily manage devices within the organization, and gives mobile employees access to confidential information on corporate networks with firewalls all in one flexible, end-to-end solution allowing for single-point access of line-of-business (LOB) applications and corporate data on Windows Mobile devices. Mobile Device Manager not only provides control of Windows Mobile devices, but also offers a reliable, low-cost, and consistent manageability that works well with other existing Microsoft infrastructures and policies.

Key Features and Benefits

Active Directory/Group Policy Domain Join

Mobile Device Manager utilizes Active Directory/Group Policy (the most widely deployed enterprise network directory for desktop management), which allows IT professionals to set and control policies in a single, familiar environment. Windows Mobile devices are now considered “first-class citizens” in an organization’s IT infrastructure like desktop and laptop computers.

Granular Device Management

Mobile Device Manager provides advanced features, such as policy enforcement, inventory, reporting, and software distribution all-in-one solution for all enrolled Windows Mobile devices (even in complex organizational environments). This allows IT administrators to lock down communications for compliance and confidentiality purposes, including the disabling of Bluetooth, SMS/MMS, WLAN, infrared, POP/IMAP e-mail, as well as camera functionality. Mobile Device Manager also provides control over 125 policies to help meet the critical security requirements of IT professionals, with the ability to target devices based on Active Directory groups and device status.

Device Encryption

System Center Mobile Device Manager is designed to provide IT professionals with the flexibility to enable full file encryption on a Windows Mobile device, which not only increases the security for sensitive files or corporate data (such as contacts, e-mail, and calendar, My Document Folder, and the Microsoft Internet Explorer Web cache) but also allows them to go beyond just storage card encryption, thus allowing Windows Mobile software to offer full data encryption capabilities.