Microsoft's Ballmer to push mobile management

Computerworld - Microsoft Corp. CEO Steve Ballmer on Tuesday will announce a new server to provide wireless access, management and security to Windows Mobile wireless devices, while several smartphone makers will announce support for those new tools.

The server, called System Center Mobile Device Manager, will enable over-the-air application deployments and provide security through a mobile Virtual Private Network and file encryption on wireless phones and other Windows Mobile devices, Microsoft officials said in briefings. Ballmer will announce the software in his keynote address today at the CTIA Wireless IT and Entertainment 2007 conference here.

The server will be available in the first half of next year, said Samir Kumar, a Microsoft senior product planner. It will be part of a family of Windows management products already known to IT managers, a family that includes Microsoft Operations Manager and Systems Center Operations Manager. Pricing will not be announced today, Microsoft officials said.

Client software will also be required, and Palm Inc., one the device makers supporting the new software, plans to announce today that the Treo 750 with Windows Mobile 6.0 will be Palm's first compatible device, said Joe Fabris, senior director of wireless solutions at Palm. It will be available next year. Users will need to download the client software through a PC, although over-the-air capabilities will be possible after the initial download.

The Treo 750 will be offered through AT&T Corp. Other companies planning to provide compatible products, according to a Microsoft spokeswoman, include Samsung, Intermec, I-mate and Hewlett Packard Co.

Ballmer also will announce a new partnership with Enterprise Mobile, a new company created by PC-reselling pioneer Mort Rosenthal. The new company will help provide custom-made solutions for businesses building mobile systems, including acting as an agent that will work with wireless service providers, Rosenthal said in a recent interview.

The capabilities of the new server include providing security for wireless connections to e-mail and back-end applications used by workers, as well as the ability to wipe a device of data if it is lost or stolen, Kumar added. IT managers will be able to update applications and security patches wirelessly.

Even though pricing will not be announced until closer to the product's release, Kumar said Microsoft will attempt to keep prices in check. Analysts predicted the pricing could range from $75 to $150 per user, per year.

A holistic approach to mobile?

Several mobile e-mail providers already provide mobile device management tools, including Research in Motion Ltd., Nokia's Intellisync division, Motorola Corp.'s Good division, Novell , and iAnyhere Solutions, a unit of Sybase Corp.

By contrast, Microsoft's new server is designed to deeply integrate with the established Windows infrastructure, including Active Directory and Windows SQL Server. That will give IT managers the ability to manage wireless devices the same as they already provide for PCs, Kumar said. The wireless capabilities will operate in both Wi-Fi and cellular networks.