Software Distribution

Another way wireless management software can help administrators is by delivering software upgrades and enhancements?including critical virus antidotes?to wireless devices. The diffused nature of over-the-air networks makes wireless software delivery an imperative for organizations that must juggle large numbers of devices. "It’s either very difficult or very expensive for central IT managers to physically touch each device to keep it properly maintained and updated," says Warren Wilson, an analyst who follows mobile device management products for Summit Strategies, a Boston-based technology research company.

Several software vendors, including Mobile Automation, Novell (which acquired Callisto Software, a wireless device management software startup, last year) and XcelleNet, supply products that allow administrators to automatically distribute software to wireless devices. The tools typically allow administrators to deploy software as if the wireless devices were all linked to a traditional cable-based network.

Many products that allow wireless software distribution also support remote synchronization. That capability gives wireless device users?primarily PDA and laptop PC operators?access to their desktop PC information without having to return to the office and plop the device into a cradle.

Asset Management

Wireless device administrators also need to keep tabs on their mobile investments. Wireless asset management tools, supplied by companies like mFormation and Novell, let administrators know exactly how many devices they have in the field at any given moment, the types of devices being used and each unit’s precise configuration.

Management software helps organizations reduce the number of devices lost through theft or negligence, says Nancy Braatz, a senior technology analyst with the Waukesha Engine Division of Dresser Industries, an industrial engine manufacturer in Waukesha, Wis. "We’re able to track who’s got which device, what serial number, etc.," she says. "If you’re going to implement anything more than 10 units, or any users who are not all in the same building, I would recommend doing this."

Having fast and easy access to device type and configuration information is vital to efficient wireless software distribution. "You can’t deploy an application that needs 2MB of RAM on a device that has only 1MB available," observes Summit’s Wilson. Knowing which applications are running on specific devices is also essential to meeting the requirements of software licensing agreements and for troubleshooting problems.

The wireless asset management field is expanding rapidly. The market’s startup pioneers are being joined by a growing number of traditional network management software vendors, such as Computer Associates International and IBM Tivoli, that are adding wireless management capabilities to their existing network management product lines.