* Wireless VAR discusses a few common gotchas with mobile deployments
Managing a new enterprise-wide mobile device deployment might create some unexpected challenges. I spoke recently with wireless VAR Dan Croft, head of Mission Critical Wireless in Lincolnshire, Ill., on this topic. Croft, like me, admits to being around back in the day of proprietary 4Kbps mobile data networks in the early to mid 90s. This wireless veteran offered up some basic tips and guidelines for making sure today’s wireless handset deployments go smoothly.
Managing a new enterprise-wide mobile device deployment might create some unexpected challenges. I spoke recently with wireless value-added reseller (VAR) Dan Croft, head of Mission Critical Wireless in Lincolnshire, Ill., on this topic. Croft, like me, admits to being around back in the day of proprietary 4Kbps mobile data networks in the early to mid 90s. This wireless veteran offered up some basic tips and guidelines for making sure today’s wireless handset deployments go smoothly.
What’s the most common issue you run into?
Many accounts call us when they run into trouble. In the interest of saving money, they set up their wireless servers and devices themselves, and everything operates fine. But networks grow, and the hiccups start when you get 200+ users on them. Getting the wireless setup right in the beginning pays dividends in the future.
What are the success factors in ‘getting it right’ the first time?
We recommend not installing your wireless server [such as a Motorola Good, Nokia Intellisync or RIM BlackBerry Enterprise Server] on your corporate e-mail server. Often, businesses see additional capacity on those servers so it seems to make sense to add [wireless] to them.
Why not do this?
The biggest problem is you’re dependent on a single server; if it should crash, you have a problem. Also these servers are single-threaded. So if one server hiccups, you lose both your e-mail application and your wireless connectivity.
What are some other common faux pas?
It’s a natural inclination to use default settings for wireless servers, but there’s really no good reason to use them. When default solutions come out of the box, they are not fully [Sarbanes-Oxley]-compliant. To be compliant, you have to make sure any external communications are documented and archived. Anything that has to be archived from the computer, must be also archived from the BlackBerry, Motorola Q, or any other data-capable mobile device. Consider instant messaging text messages going over corporate accounts. You either need to shut those apps off or put in settings to capture those messages in an archive.
What about security?
Enforcing password requirements is the No. 1 rule of device security, because devices get lost. If [files are] encrypted but there is no password required, whoever finds it can read everything. Passwords can be enforced at the server level so users can’t override them. This is the most likely source of a security breach. I’d be surprised if more than 50% [of mobile shops] enforce passwords on mobile devices today.
