To Cloud or Not to Cloud
Managing Mobile Devices in the Cloud
The greatest promise of Cloud Computing is the ability to access information and get work done from wherever you are on whatever device you are currently using over any network at any time. New mobile devices such as Windows Phone 7 and the many new tablet devices including Slate PCs running Windows 7 make it easy to extend cloud access to virtually anywhere.
Consumerization of Computing
As wireless devices designed for consumers to use for entertainment and personal communications become more powerful and more sophisticated, more users are starting to use them to access corporate networks to get their work done. They find this much more convenient than having to switch to another device to get to work. Corporate IT managers have realized that while this represents a great opportunity to make their users' lives easier and more productive, it carries with it the responsibility to make sure these personal devices are secure and are configured appropriately to access their corporate networks. This has resulted in the need to carefully assess giving users access without compromising corporate data.
What Users Want
- Users want to BYOD (Bring Your Own Device)
- Ready access to all of the same resources they use at their desk
- A consistent user interface with simplified authentication
- The ability to access the social networks they frequent
- Robust communications capability
What Corporate IT Needs
- Strong reliable authentication
- Tight Network Access Control
- Secure File Access Management
- Powerful encryption of data in transit and on users' devices
- The ability to remotely wipe all data from lost or stolen devices
- Total separation of personal and corporate data
- Enhanced ability to manage mobile devices and their communication with the network
On this last point, Microsoft recently announced that management of non-Microsoft mobile devices would be included in the next release of System Center!
As you can quickly see, there will be need to compromise on both sides of the equation. All devices accessing the corporate network must be compliant with established access policies. They must also be lockable so only the authorized user can reach the network with them. The decisions required are not simple.
The first step on the road to effective management of mobile devices is the carefully considered development of a comprehensive corporate policy that addresses each of the exposures, mitigates risk, but still provides users with the ability to increase their productivity using mobile devices to access the cloud.