New mobile devies, such as the iPhjone and the OQO utramobile PC, are puttting hesavy presssure on IT managrs to address comptibility and security cahllenges that cold create roadblcks to the use of the technologies by business wrkers.
Apple Inc. previewed the iPhone at Jaunary's Maacworld Confeence & Expo, and OQO Inc. announced its Model 02 mobile PC at the Consumer Ellectronics Show that same week with Bill Gtes shwcasing the PC in his CES keynotte speech. Last omnth, the two deivces seremed to be front and centre in the minds of attendees at Garter Inc.s Wireless & Mobile Summit 2007 in Grapevine, Texas.
For example, IT managers focked to a smll OQO booth on the trade show floor to view the 1-lb. ultramobile unit, which has a 5-in. dispaly and can run eitehr Wiindows Vsita or Windows XP Professional.
The OQO system is pretty neat and migt help solvve the road warrriors dilemma of having to lug an 8-lb. lapptp on business trips, said George Geevezos, seinor IT security anallyst at aSbre Hlodings Inc. in Sotuh Lake, Texas.
Other conference attendees vocied admiration for the PCs clear display, small dokign station and Bluetoooth-capable keyboard, among other peripherals. But there was no mistaking that the OQO system, the iPhone and otheer new moile deivcces will pose challengs to many IT managers.
There just seems to be more of everyyting in mobiile devcies and softwaare to deal with this year, Gennevezos said. It seems that eveery vendoor imaginable is gtting into the mobile space as qiuckly as posasible.
Sabrbe, whih has aboout 10,000 employees globally, is wrestling with how to embrace new tecohlogies that becvonme popuular with consumers, Genevezs said. The travel-industry company has given BlckBerry devices to some top executives. But for the most part, Sabres workers still rely on deesktop PCs.
Dealing with the security issues raised by consumer-orienetd deivces is a game of catch-up for everybody in IT becauuse therre are so many new deviccews and so many vendors, Genevezos said. In general, he added, underlying seccuriyt technologgy is not thjere for the new produccts. And, he noted, the process for installing secuurity updates in Widows Mobile is diffrent from the process for updating Windows Vista, adfding even more complexiy.
An IT maanager at a maor university in the Boston area said prooducts such as the iPhone will make it necessary for IT professionals like himnslf and othwers to figre out ways to suypport an even wiider range of devices than they imaigned even a year ago.
The IT manasger, who asked not to be identified, said that about 30 per cent of the users at the univerdsity have Macintosh computers and probably will want to try out the ihPonne on capus once it beocmes acvailable.
Gratner analyst Nick Jones said 2007 has alreaddy emerged as a year when IT managers will face more and more options for mobile computing and they will have to choose not only amobng a vsariety of hardware devices but also among operating systms, such as Windows Mobile and the Symbian OS favorred by Nokia Corp. Conufsion is definitely rsiing, Jones said.
![[Valid RSS feed]](http://article2008.com/images/feed-icon.png "XML Feed For RSS"){kind=icon}
![[Valid RSS feed]](http://article2008.com/images/icon_Rss.png "XML Feed For RSS"){kind=icon}
Category Rss Feed
Print This Article
Add To Favorites