In the latest instances, cellular devices have grown quite effective and feature-wealthy and are becoming attention from clients and companies alike. Faster processors, larger RAM, and flash memories, along with multiple communication technologies, have made cell gadgets suitable to install and run commercial enterprise applications. Such advancements assist businesses in including mobility to enhance their methods, thereby increasing revenues and efficiency even as lowering operational prices. The mobile tool is a critical issue of any cellular answer. There are extensive forms of cell gadgets to pick out from. Most generally used employer cellular gadgets are based totally on Windows Mobile operating gadgets from Microsoft. It has grown to be the desired platform used by corporations around the world.
Problem
Windows Mobile is a function-packed and flexible operating device. There is a lot a corporation can make the most out of this platform. But most of the establishments do not want all the available features. Giving a powerful cellular device to cell personnel can now and again definitely turn out to be a severe difficulty as people might use the tool for private use as opposed to for business. Besides, corporations spend lots of money and attempt to grow and deploying business applications. They need to make certain that the employees use the solution to its full capability in a desire of the business. Following are a number of the demanding situations that should be addressed to maximize the blessings of an answer that involve cellular gadgets:
* Entertainment on the activity
All Windows Mobile gadgets include built-in packages like browsers, games, cell phones, and so on. All of that could, without problems, distract a cellular employee. A game of Solitaire can waste essential working hours. This sort of cell tool usage is truly not favorable to the agencies.
* Maintenance Problems
A worker who isn’t very knowledgeable about Windows Mobile can effortlessly alternate the important tool settings (e., G. Network, gadget documents, and so on.). Such intentional or unintended manipulation of device settings can motive the enterprise essential application to fail. Imagine a user turning off the device’s WiFi radio while the utility is shifting essential records to the server. Results may be luxurious in phrases of time and money. Too a good deal manipulation can “corrupt” the device, which must be returned to the IT department, once more causing loss of productivity and wastage of IT sources. While the tool is with IT, the mobile employee is probably sitting idle, expecting the device to return. Loss! Loss! Loss!
* Installation of Third-celebration programs
There are thousands of 1/3-celebration packages (for personal and gaming purposes) to be had on the internet these days. These applications may be easily mounted on a Windows Mobile tool. Installation of unauthorized 0.33-birthday celebration applications for personal use clearly wastes time and can disrupt the device operation via eating memory and processor assets. Besides, the one’s programs can contain malware and viruses, possibly posing a security hazard to the business enterprise.
* Physical Data Security
Business programs are designed to work online or offline. If connectivity isn’t always available, the application is going to return to offline mode. This makes it possible for cell workers to remain working until the connectivity is executed once more. In offline mode, the application shops the statistics domestically. If the statistics are touchy, it is commonly encrypted. This saves the facts from misuse in case the device is lost or stolen. But once a tool is stolen, the thief can connect the tool to a PC through ActiveSync and duplicate the statistics files. Desktop-based totally hacking gear can be used to decipher/decrypt the facts. There should be a way to block the consumer from copying the information from a device.
Solutions
Locking down general reason Windows Mobile devices into kiosk mode can remedy the above issues. By locking down the devices, the corporation can limit the consumer’s launch and use the handiest “approved” programs and functionality. E.G., an employer can provide the cellular devices not to deploy 0.33-celebration applications independently. Another instance could be to enable a Data Only connection over the phone network, even blocking off the voice calls.
There are alternative strategies to fasten down mobile gadgets:
Method 1: Building Custom Kiosk gadgets
This approach requires a business enterprise to construct custom kiosk devices that do just what the enterprise wishes. Windows CE operating system is maximum typically used to expand custom gadgets. This answer has subsequent benefits and downsides.
Advantages:
* Since necessities are tied to the hardware, the enterprise can precisely manage the tool’s capabilities.
Disadvantages:
* It could be very pricey to develop a hardware device from scratch. This may not be feasible for small and medium-sized groups because it calls for huge premature investments.
* It does now not make commercial enterprise sense to construct your personal hardware if the desired volumes are low, say if only some hundred devices are needed.
* Custom device will want custom application development. Several software program builders for a custom platform can be very low if any.
* Once the custom hardware is designed and built, it is very high-priced to alter or upgrade it. This is widespread trouble with this technique.
Method 2: Lockdown mobile devices with tools like SureLock Studio
SureLock Studio gives businesses the energy to lock down off-the-shelf easily or ruggedized Windows Mobile devices. An administrator can lock down the devices with kiosk configuration generated through SureLock Studio. A kiosk configuration consists of which capabilities and applications are “authorized” to be used by the cellular employee. These configurations are generated within the shape of CAB documents, making it very easy to deploy them on many devices. Kiosk CAB installation works in the same manner as another software CAB. There are blessings of locking down the gadgets with SureLock Studio:
Advantages:
* Save prices: Enterprises should buy off-the-shelf (HTC/ASUS/iPaq and many others) or Ruggedized Windows Mobile gadgets (Symbol/Motorola/Intermec) and deploy the organization enterprise applications on them. SureLock will ensure that the worker is restrained to the device’s most effective use of “accepted” capability.
* Choice of gadgets: Since all Windows Mobile devices are based totally on the identical core running machine, corporations have the choice to choose a device model based on the particular features that the model can also have. The commercial enterprise software will work on any tool version with little or no modifications.
A new SureLock Kiosk configuration can be deployed with the cellphone feature enabled.* In destiny establishments can alter the kiosk configuration to allow or disallow new functions or programs. For e.G. The corporation would possibly determine afterward to permit cellular employees to use the devices for making cell phone calls.
Disadvantages:
There are multiple workarounds. A kiosk cab may be saved inside the garage card at the side of an Autorun.Exe.* As SureLock does software lockdown of the tool, difficult-resetting the tool to factory defaults (clean boot) will motive the loss of kiosk settings. After a reboot, the kiosk configuration can be hooked up, a good way to once more lock down the tool. Besides, a few ruggedized mobile device providers (like Symbol/Motorola) have aid for companies in building their own Writable ROM pictures. Kiosk configuration can be stored in the ROM and may be installed robotically after a clean boot.
Conclusion
Using a tool like SureLock Studio makes the technique of locking down Windows Mobile gadgets clean and painless. Enterprises can manipulate the use of their mobile devices and allow them to be utilized by the cellular employees handiest for the benefit of the business enterprise.
