Mobile Device Manager for IBM's Tivoli Endpoint Manager 8.2 software, currently available in beta, adds the ability to apply security policies to Android (2.2 or later) and iOS devices, as well as Nokia Symbian, Windows Mobile and Windows Phone devices - in addition to being able to manage your company's desktop and server machines.

Nokia Symbian, Windows Mobile and Windows Phone devices can be managed from within the Tivoli MDM management console, but assumes that you have a Microsoft Exchange deployment and are managing devices via an Exchange ActiveSync mailbox policy (or policies), which the Tivoli software interfaces with. Integration with a Lotus Traveler deployment is also supported from within the Tivoli management console.

In addition to Google Apps' existing device management features, Google has added a number of new tools for administrators.

In addition to being able to define a password usage policy, including password complexity, password history, number of permitted attempts, automatic device wiping and automatic device lock:

3LM, recently acquired by Motorola, develop device management and secure remote connectivity VPN solutions for the Android platform: the three laws of mobility being:

• Protect your user - a mobile device may not harm its user or, through inaction, allow its user to come to harm through malicious code or content
• Protect yourself - a mobile device must protect itself and the integrity of its data and secured communications
• Obey - a mobile device must let the user use the device freely, as long as such usage does not conflict with the First or Second Law

A number of vendors already offer solutions for applying security policies to Android Smartphones (use of a password, for example) such as Soti's MobiControl and Syabse Afaria. Where 3LM differs is the ability to provide not only policy enforcement and remote application installation on client devices, but also a VPN solution for Android providing secure remote connectivity to internal corporate resources, such as intranets and line of business (LOB) applications, including Microsoft Exchange - something that the stock Android operating system does not handle very well.

I have written previously about Soti's MobiControl device management solution for the Windows Mobile Platform (http://blog.brightpointuk.co.uk/soti-mobicontrol). Now in version 8.51 Soti have added support for the Android platform, on devices running Android 2.2 or later.

With the huge success of the Android platform, and the growing trend for employees to use their personal Smartphone for company tasks, the need for a central device management solution that supports the Android platform is increasing.

Together with the Google Apps contact lookup tool and the new version of the Google Apps device policy tool, Google have also released a new feature for users of a Google Apps for Business domain account: My Devices.

Requiring Android 2.2 or later, and also requiring that you have the latest version of the Google Apps Device Policy tool installed (available here - https://market.android.com/details?id=com.google.android.apps.enterprise...), the service is accessed from your web browser and allows you to:

• remotely locate your phone on a map if it has been lost or stolen
• remotely lock the device (if the device needs to be wiped you should contact your administrator)
• remotely reset your device PIN

  

• cause the device to ring, helping you to find your device if it is nearby but misplaced. This feature will work even if the device has been set to silent mode

  

Google have released a new version of their Google Apps Policy tool to the Android Market for devices running Android 2.2 and later. When used with a Google Apps for Business domain account, it allows administrators to enforce usage policies on user devices including:

• Enforce password usage
• Enforce password length
• Enforce password complexity
• Enforce password expiration
• Enforce password history
• Enforce password attempts
• Enforce on-device encryption
• Disable camera
• Disable synchronisation when roaming

MobileIron are a relatively newcomer to the corporate device management space, but have already been listed by Gartner among their "cool vendors" in 2010.

The MobileIron Virtual Smartphone Platform is a complete device management solution incorporating over-the-air enforced security and usage policies, file and application deployment and control, secure mobile network access, asset management and inventory reporting as well as mobile cost control.

Supporting Windows Mobile, BlackBerry, Symbian, Android and Apple iOS, the solution provides a central web-based console to manage all platforms in use in your organisation including BlackBerry provided that you have an existing BlackBerry Enterprise Server infrastructure deployed.

Soti (www.soti.net) has announced that its MobiControl device management product will be supporting iOS 4+ devices in early 2011, providing support for the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch.

Organisations that do support, or allow users to access corporate resources from iOS devices, will be able to use the solution to reliably manage, track, support and secure their mobile devices.

Google have added a number of new device management features to the Premier Apps service, enabling administrators who have decided to run their email infrastructure from Google's cloud to enforce device usage policies onto devices as well as remotely lock and wipe them. The list of features includes the ability to:

• Remotely wipe all data from lost or stolen mobile devices
• Lock idle devices after a period of inactivity
• Require a device password on each phone
• Set minimum lengths for more secure passwords
• Require passwords to include letters and numbers

The new features appear in the Mobile section of the Apps Control Panel: