At first it was an expediency by busy executives and get-it-done type, but with the tablet and smartphone revolution now in full swing, enterprises large and small are now supporting bring your own device (BYOD) and trying to fold personal devices into corporate IT policies.
The latest sign of the times comes from Dell (News - Alert), which just announced a portfolio of mobile solutions aimed squarely at BYOD.
The Dell Mobility Solutions platform enables secure access to enterprise applications and data from employees' personally-owned devices for IT departments that are managing assets using traditional, on-premises system management tools, according to a recent eWeek article. It also securely incorporates cloud computing and cloud-based services into mobile applications.
The solution includes mobile management using traditional enterprise management software through the use of the Dell Mobile Management Portal. It can be deployed from the cloud, as an on-premises appliance or as a managed service, according to Dell.
The Dell SonicWall VPN and Firewall solutions ensure that workers on-the-go can tap into corporate resources securely, whether on-site or working remotely with a personal device.
Its Wyse Cloud Client Manager offers enhanced enterprise connectors and integration to Active Directory for automated user management and single sign-on capability, and comes with enhanced mobile application management and integration to Dell’s Wyse Pocket cloud for managed remote access to corporate apps and data.
Image via CIO
Ensuring that BYOD devices have appropriate access management, the latest release of Dell ClearPass, the Networking W-Series, manages BYOD and connects to existing networks to manage policies, securely bring devices onboard, admit guest users, display device usage and perform health assessments. Customers, guests and employees also can be allowed to gain selective access with varying levels of security and service for each, according to the eWeek piece.
Mobile deployment also has been eased with the Dell Kace 3000 mobile management appliance, which brings the provisioning and management features of the Kace line of appliances to mobile devices.
Dell also offers custom mobile application development and consulting through its Mobile Strategy Consulting service, helping IT departments ensure that crucial corporate applications are available and optimized for the mobile and BYOD environments.
BYOD is an unstoppable trend, as it is just too easy for employees to leverage their personal devices in the service of being more efficient at their jobs. Instead of waiting for IT, burdened by corporate restrictions and limited to applications they may be less familiar with, many workers now find it easier to just use their own devices.
With big players such as Dell entering the space, corporate BYOD policies are moving from the exception to the norm as major providers deliver solutions that make it easy to coexist with personal devices at work. This announcement from Dell adds to BYOD’s momentum and confirms its relevancy.
Edited by Rachel Ramsey