Managing mobile devices and mobile data remains one of toughest tasks for the network manager, despite the increasing number of tools on the market that promise to make it easier. As a subset of the overall management task, security probably figures large in the concerns of most managers. iAnywhere, a subsidiary of database vendor Sybase, has developed a number of software products for the management of corporate mobility. One of these is Afaria, which has security concerns at its heart.
iAnywhere says Afaria lets network managers proactively manage all the devices, applications, data and communications critical to frontline mobile working. It says the software allows central control of mobile sales people, field service engineers, workers in remote offices and retail sites, while giving control and visibility of the devices used by these workers to corporate headquarters.
Afaria works via a Microsoft .Net-based console, letting managers control activities from a browser, through a number of system components. Here we show how Afaria delivers this control through those components, and how it can be configured for maximum effectiveness.