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(Reference - Report by Wipro Technologies on Mobile Device Platforms - A Comparison of RIM
Blackberry 4.0 and Microsoft Windows Mobile 5.0 Messaging and Security Feature Pack
Enterprise Mobile Solutions) Before deploying an enterprise mobile solution, careful
consideration should be given to the associated costs and capabilities.
Your business needs to find an acceptable balance between low cost, ease of use for both
end- users and IT staff, and security capabilities provided by the mobile platform. Mobile phones have evolved from audio only devices to multi-function handsets. They are
now capable of supporting email, Internet connectivity and access to line-of-business
applications. As phone features have improved, employee demand for mobile access to
corporate email, applications, and other critical business information has increased
dramatically. Blackberry
The early leader in mobile email technology - The RIM Blackberry 4.0 solution provides
users with the appropriate functionality to manage email and PIM data from a mobile
device. The RIM BES application includes a comprehensive set of functions and controls for
deploying and managing Blackberry devices and users. However, deploying a RIM mobile
solution requires additional hardware and software infrastructure components to be
deployed and maintained throughout the life of the mobile platform solution. Microsoft Windows Mobile
Many enterprises already have appropriate Exchange infrastructure deployed to support
corporate Outlook and Outlook Web Access (OWA). There are no infrastructure acquisition
costs associated with Windows Mobile deployment. With the release of Exchange 2003 SP2,
Microsoft has enhanced the standard Exchange 2003 solution to include built-in support for
the Windows Mobile platform. The Exchange SP2 upgrade is available at no charge to
Exchange customers and is easily installed into existing Exchange environments. Security is a key component of mobile devices, especially for those devices that contain
corporate data. It is essential for corporate security policies to extend to mobile
devices. Those policies need to be thorough enough to protect any corporate assets
contained on the mobile device Given the upgrade in the Microsoft platform, enterprises planning to deploy mobile
solutions should consider the following:
- The Microsoft solution will minimise both start-up and ongoing operational costs as it
leverages existing Exchange 2003 infrastructure and IT knowledge.
- Both Microsoft and RIM provide functional mobile email solutions.
- The Microsoft solution provides more options from third party applications and enables
more rapid application development leveraging the .Net environment.
- The Microsoft solution will scale up to support the growth of mobile users within the
existing Exchange 2003 environment without the need to continually acquire, install and
manage additional infrastructure components.
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