IBM Endpoint Manager for Mobile Devices launches into beta plus news
Tags :mobile Tivoli iOS Android BYOD
I have been sitting on this after hearing about Endpoint Manager for Mobile Devices at Lotusphere, waiting for the official press releases and beta announcements. Here is the announcement of the Tivoli branded software and places to find more information.
Unify management of mobile devices and traditional endpoints
With the ever-growing number of smartphone options and the recent explosion of tablet computers, IT departments must find an efficient and secure way to enable employees’ use of mobile devices in the work place. Services such as application management and security controls have been delivered by IT organizations for years, but mobile device platforms have unique management needs that disrupt the traditional paradigm. However, rather than implement a separate infrastructure solely for mobile devices, organizations could benefit from a single solution that effectively accounts for these unique needs while providing unified endpoint management.
Now, with IBM Endpoint Manager for Mobile Devices, currently in Beta, enterprises can leverage the BigFix infrastructure to secure and manage traditional endpoints as well as Apple iOS, Google Android, Symbian, and Microsoft Windows Phone devices.
IBM also announced the purchase of Worklight today, a software development company for tablets and mobile devices.
With this acquisition, IBM's mobile offerings will span mobile application development, integration, security and management. Worklight will become an important piece of IBM's mobility strategy, offering clients an open platform that helps speed the delivery of existing and new mobile applications to multiple devices. It also helps enable secure connections between smartphone and tablet applications with enterprise IT systems.
So what does this mean for your organization and the new BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) push? It means that IBM is staking claim to the enterprise management ground on controlling data that is accessible and the ability to remotely wipe and control your enterprise information across mobile devices. Currently IBM has a few products offering mail and secure connectivity capabilities for iOS, Android and Windows Mobile. Specifically Mobile Connect and Lotus Traveler.
The Endpoint Manager for Mobile Devices (EMMD ?) will offer VPN, password policies, encryption standards, non-compliant device identification and even denial of such devices until they meet company standards.
With the purchase of Worklight, they gain the immediate skills and I imagine patents around mobile device management sorely needed in this new competitive space.
IBM reached out into the social media channels today with a hashtag conversation around #ibmmobile. While it was very loose and not a ton of traffic, it was an interesting way for them to have an open channel conversation.
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On Tuesday, January 31st, 2012 by Chris Miller
