Here's a link to a pile of Microsoft Windows Mobile "Strategy Papers" that may help you convince your IT department to support the Windows Mobile platform.
That's the good news.
But, depending on the size of your firm, adding in another "official" mobile platform can represent a lot of work. I think it's fair to say that 99% of IT departments are understaffed. That means the "
if it ain't broke" mentality becomes a pragmatic approach to prioritizing what projects to work on.
Back when NTP and RIM were playing chicken over patents and payments, Corporate America was waking up to the fact that they had become hooked to mobile e-mail from RIM. SO they started learning about companies like Extended Systems, Good, Intellisync, JPMobile, Seven, Smartner, and Visto. Many of these companies have been bought up by larger players because they deem this market so important.
So, what will it take to convince an IT department to investigate a non-RIM mobile e-mail solution? I suggest four things:
1) employee demand - especially fom the executives who forced RIM down so many IT throats in the first place
2) an easy co-existance strategy
3) lower annual maintenance costs - follow the money!
4) robust security on par or better than with RIM
I think the first requirement is building up steam fast. The second requirement I'm lead to believe exists, but does require some work from IT to implement, test and deploy. The third requirement needs to be proven - and here is where Microsoft can price things right to help. The last requirement - security - currently is currently not met, at least that's what analysts covering this market have been saying.
"Email security is also questionable for Windows Mobile devices, Avi Greengart, principal analyst with Current Analysis says.
Unlike the BlackBerry, there is no end-to-end security on the native email client," he said.
Todd Kort of Gartner Inc agreed, noting that in Windows Mobile "there's not a lot of great security" for email. Companies are better off adding in third-party software for email and mobile email security and management, he said – Good Mobile Messaging (formerly GoodLink), for example, which he believes is better than Microsoft's native email.
"I'm expecting Microsoft to get there eventually; right now, though, they're not at the first tier with RIM and Good," Kort said of Windows Mobile's email. Source:
TechTargetAnd this:
"Analyst Jack Gold, who runs J. Gold Associates, says that devices running Mobile 5 — unlike those using Good Technology, Sybase or Research in Motion — can't encrypt data. Gold says that the data is encrypted between the Microsoft Exchange Server and the OS because the link is made with a Secure Socket Layer (SSL) connection. However, once the data arrives, it is unencrypted because AirSync — the version of ActiveSync used for mobile devices — can't handle encrypted data. If Gold's assertions are verified, it could be a big problem for Microsoft's mobile efforts."Source:
ITBusiness EdgeComments like these mean IT departments can justify doing nothing for a while. That is, until there is so much demand they are forced into action.
There is a silver lining however. Large organizations across the world are implementing Identity and Access Management solutions to help streamline their IT security and ensure regulatory compliance. And
required IAM capabilities are being baked into MS corporate solutions.
So, let's end on an up note.
Heres' that link the Microsoft Windows Mobile "Strategy Papers" again.
Good luck!
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Nov 16 2006, 08:41 PM
