Email Delivery Comes First

The MDM has overshadowed the real dilemma - what solution will provide the same type of service RIM has provided over several years?

Before we can discuss mobile device management we have to provide the email delivery in a timely manner that users have come to expect. 

We have looked at the sandbox approach (GoodLink) and the ActivSync native client solutions (McAfee).

Does anyone know of any other vendors that deliver email from the messaging system to the smartphones besides these two?

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Adhoc Distribution - how to encrypt the binary?

When deploying to the Appstore, the published applications are encrypted using Apple's binary encryption scheme. How can i use this for enterprise deployment?

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iPad Editing Concept

I thought this was a cool concept — and presentation — of how text editing could be different on an iPad.

It is a reminder of how the platform is so new, and has much room to grow.

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My Enterprise/Education iOS Wish List

I wrote a blog post: here that I will repost:

With iOS 6 likely to be announced in a few weeks, I thought I’d explain my wish list from an education/enterprise perspective. Apple has quietly beefed up what mobile device management systems can do with each version of iOS (a lot of new things in iOS 5).

1. The ability to disable automatic Software Update (or require passcode to download)
While I love the ability to do over the air iOS updates, I also want to control when it happens. I don’t want a student to be able to install an update that I have not tested with our mission critical applications.

2. Install apps wirelessly with volume purchase program codes with no interaction from end user
While a lot of MDM providers have the ability to push apps to devices, they still require the end user to enter an iTunes password. I want to be able to silently install (and update) applications without an end user having to do anything.

3. Google Apps style iCloud account creation
While I love iCloud for personal use, it is tough use to use in an education/enterprise setup. The users either have to create their own account (most won’t do it) or I have to do it and then I will be responsible for keeping up with their information. Google Apps gives me all the benefits of a Google account while also being able to have control (set permissions, reset passwords, etc). I would love to be able to do this for iCloud

4. Require pass code to enter Settings.app (or a toggle switch to turn off each setting individually)
This has become an issue with students using school owned iPads (cart scenario). Some of the students have found their way into the universal access section and changed some of those settings. I’d prefer to be able to lock them out of Settings.app in general. Apple currently allows me to lock down Mail, Twitter, and iCloud.

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Considering MDM? Compare 30 MDM vendors online and off with our community-generated chart.

Whether you BYOD or not, Mobile Device Management is a crucial tool for managing iOS in the enterprise. And if you are doing research, our own Comparison of MDM Providers is one of the best resources we know of. The community-generated chart now lists 30 providers, and compares them by dozens of features. And today we added the ability to peruse offline with a PDF download.

We've gotten close to 100,000 views of the comparison, and as you can tell we're pretty proud of it. It is the result of an ongoing community project with dozens of contributors. Sign in with an account, and you can help improve each vendor's information.

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Apple Configurator + VPP + Apps that Go Free For A Day

I spoke with Apple today regarding how apps that have a temporary price reduction of free affects Apple Configurator. Here was the response I got:

Apple Configurator checks to see if the app is free at the moment you import the app into Apple Configurator. If a free app is imported and Apple Configurator finds that it is no longer free, you will be required to import VPP app codes for it. If the app is still free as you import it then it stays free forever on that particular computer. Each computer does this check independently.

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Apple releases iOS 5.1.1

Apple has released iOS 5.1.1. Tap Settings > General > Software Update or connect to iTunes to install.

This update contains improvements and bug fixes, including:

• Improves reliability of using HDR option for photos taken using the Lock Screen shortcut
• Addresses bugs that could prevent the new iPad from switching between 2G and 3G networks
• Fixes bugs that affected AirPlay video playback in some circumstances
• Improved reliability for syncing Safari bookmarks and Reading List
• Fixes an issue where 'Unable to purchase' alert could be displayed after successful purchase

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What is the future role of the enterprise architect?

In this interesting opinion piece, the folks at GigaOM present an interesting and provocative vision of the future role of enterprise IT in an era of could computing.

See the article here:
http://gigaom.com/cloud/cloud-and-the-evolution-of-the-enterprise-archit...

I'd be curious to hear the reaction to this hypothesis by folks who are enterprise IT professionals.

- Reid

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WWDC Tickets On Sale. Sold Out.

Well, that was quick.

Ticket's for Apple's annual Developer Conference went on sale this morning, and promptly sold out. It took less than two hours.

The conference is the only opportunity for most of us to interact with Apple engineers face to face. Although there used to be a track for systems administrators, the conference has increasingly focused on app development, for both iOS and Mac. And with the extremely short window for ticket purchases, it's unlikely that many business types got approval in time.

So did you get tickets? Let us know in the comments.

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iOS Device Tracking

Hello All!

Does anyone know of a MDM solution that physically tracks iOS devices in real-time? So far the best things I have found are the tracking methods used by Apple's Find My Device and Air-Watch.

Also, does anyone know if there is a way to track these devices but prevent the user from clearing the settings that allows this tracking method?

Maybe a little background information would help describe what I am looking for. Our company wants to deploy some iPads but wants to be able to know where the device is at all times.

Any help is greatly appreciated and would love to hear how others are tracking/locking down their devices.

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