Windows Mobile 6.1 and Microsoft System Center Mobile Device Manager 2008 (SCMDM)
Microsoft released Windows mobile 6.1 on the 1st April which is full of new enhancements, such as:
· Instant messaging-like texting - Messages are threaded together to allow you to track your conversations, this provides you access to the chain of discussions that have just taken place
· Improved Internet browsing – Adds the ability to easily view full-screen web pages and multimedia on the web
· Simpler e-mail and Bluetooth setup
· New Home screen interface
· New Getting Started Center
· Security enhancements – Mobile VPN access to Line Of Business Applications (LOB)
· Easier Wi-Fi connection
· More personal choice
To compare versions of Windows Mobile starting from 5.0 see the compatibility chart. Smartphones listed on Windows Mobile devices list all devices that can be updated with Windows Mobile 6.1, there is also a full listing of Windows Mobile phones.
To managed your windows Mobile 6.1 device you can use Windows Mobile Device Center 6.1 for Windows Vista (6.1 is only supported on Windows Vista) or you can use Microsoft System Center Mobile Device Manager 2008 (SCMDM) which provides a powerful management tool for your mobile devices. Using SCMDM 2008 you have control over and can centralised the management of over-the-air devices, set advanced policies, run inventory and reporting using Active Directory Group Policy (GPO).
SCMDM 2008 features:
· Over 130 GPO’s can be applied to user and device groups to allow your organisation to apply consistent settings across your enterprise devices
· Self-service device provisioning and bootstrapping can be used to setup new devices quickly
· Device Models, make and software updates that have been deployed for deivices can be determined in one central console (this information can be stored and retrieved from SQL 2005 databases)
· Deploy software and firmware updates
· Allows IPSec-based mobile VPN capabilities to access Line of business (LOB) applications to run on mobile devices such as SharePoint.
· Improved certificate support, allowing better certificate enrolment, support for wild card certificates and AES for SSL
· Allow or Restrict applications that can be run on devices in the enterprise
Speaking of applications that can be run on your mobile devices, see Microsoft Office Mobile to use applications such as Excel Mobile, Word Mobile and PowerPoint Mobile while on the move.
Written by Daniel Kenyon-Smith