Columbus Mobile The Integrator

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1 Columbus Mobile The Integrator «IT-Administrator» article in the column «Test Center» In the light of the increased utilization of mobile devices in the company, the management and security of these devices has attracted more and more attention over the past few years. Mobile Device Management (MDM) is therefore a hot topic for most companies. With Columbus Mobile, Brainware integrates the MDM functionality into existing solutions for the traditional client lifecycle management as well as asset, inventory and contract management. IT-Administrator has taken a closer look to find out whether this integration has been successful and how the core functions of the tool are affected. No. 05 May 2013 Written by Martin Kuppinger Here you can find the original German article. In the MDM market, there are two categories of providers nowadays: On the one side, there are the MDM specialists which, in most cases, have been founded as start-up company and mainly address the new requirements made on the management of mobile devices as a challenge the companies have to rise to. On the other side, we find more and more providers which extend their solutions for the classical client lifecycle management, as e.g. the software distribution to PCs and their management, by MDM functionality. The Swiss manufacturer Brainware with its product Columbus Mobile Enterprise ranks among this second category. The tool is the extension of the existing product pallet for the client lifecycle management. It may be used in combination with existing Columnbus products or as stand-alone solution. The actual MDM functionality is based on a technology licenced by Capricode. The cooperation with a specialist for the MDM sector offers Brainware the advantage that it allows for a relatively quick entry into this topic and in excess of this provides a wide platform support. For instance, Columbus Mobile meanwhile supports Windows 8 next to ios and Android systems, but also Symbian systems. Furthermore, also special integration interfaces are supported for Android, like e.g. the Samsung Management API using which functions, like the installation of Apps, may be realized without user confirmation - a highly important function for the use in companies. Moreover, an extended functionality in excess of the basic functions is also offered for Android devices by HTC. System requirements The virtual machine running in a VMware environment requires at least 8 GByte RAM and 30 GByte free hard disk space. Depending on the scope of functions, port forwardings and officially valid SSL certificates may be necessary. Also, what one needs is a subscription from a text message provider supported by the manufacturer.

2 Successful interleaving Brainware has intensely worked on opening its product pallet over the last years. The basis for this is the Change API via which both the Brainware products and also solutions by third-party manufacturers may be combined with Columbus Mobile. This includes e.g. inventory and asset management products of third-party suppliers or existing service desk solutions. Figure 1: The device list in Columbus Mobile provides a quick overview of all managed devices within an organization. offered. By means of the adjustable workflows and with the help of the APIs, these functions can be expanded. In the extended Enterprise Version, the adjusted versions of Brainware Spider Asset, Spider License, Spider Contract and Spider Incident are added, i.e. the complete license and contract management as well as service desk functions which have been optimized for mobile devices. Such adjustments are e.g. necessary for the device types, the contract types and in other sectors. For instance it is important to correctly assign mobile devices to cost centers or to realize an integration with SAP systems and other solutions. In excess of this direct integration, there is a close cooperation with Brainware Columbus, i.e. the existing module for the client lifecycle management. The management both of classical PC systems and also of mobile devices may be realized via an integrated interface. Functions which are identical to both device types - which holds true for many parts of Windows 8 - may be managed in a standardized way. The basic version of Columbus Mobile itself comprises a combination of the core functionality of the MDM and the Change Management of Brainware. This includes among others a workflow-based management of devices with easily adjustable workflows and a number of basic functions. Among the basic functions - which may be used via the web interface like the workflows - count the adding and locking of devices, but also simple inventory services, to name just a few. The Change Management of Brainware supports also incident management functions for a structured and well documented processing of change requests. In addition, basic inven- Figure 2: In the detailed view, you will find comprehensive data about the individual devices tory services are included in the basic scope of the functionality Furthermore, a uniform interface also offers the advantage that administrators must not retrain if asked to manage additional mobile devices or switch between these two administration sectors. All in all, the different management interfaces are convincing. They have been solved well and permit an optimized and efficient access for the related target group. 2

3 Large selection of management interfaces Due to the wide functionality and the various tasks covered, there are also several management interfaces. For administrators who exclusively care about mobile devices, there is a web-based interface with the core functions for the management of such devices. For many customers, however, the issue will rather be a simple task-oriented handling of administrative jobs. They can use the workflow-based, task-oriented web interface of the change management module offering more or less comprehensive service desk functions depending on the Columbus Mobile version selected. When using both Columbus Brainware for the traditional client lifecycle management and Columbus Mobile, the Columbus Management Console, addressing IT administrators and operators, may be used in addition. This console is mainly designed for the common management of a heterogeneous world of IT end devices from smartphones up to the desktop PCs and also server systems. In contrast, users the tasks of which mainly focus on business aspects with controlling and compliance functions will primarily use the also web-based interfaces of Columbus Spider. These especially support the functions for the asset management, the license management etc. The integration between the different modules were found to be good on the whole. Although a bit of homework remains to be done, as e.g. a fully integrated management of packages for mobile devices, as it is offered by the classical software management. Furthermore, the policy structures for Columbus Mobile are not yet hierarchical as opposed to Brainware Columbus itself. The further integration, however, is on the roadmap. Additionally, the manufacturer has already demonstrated preliminary versions of these functions in the frame of the test. Figure 3: The detailed view for a device in the asset management application Spider Asset allows for storing specific information like series number and cost center. Convincing core functions Despite the importance of integration functions for a convincing MDM: Without a strong basic functionality in the management of mobile devices, even the best integration is of little use. In this area, Columbus Mobile, based on the Capricode functionality, offers the already mentioned broad support of end device platforms including the full support of Windows 8 or the special Samsung Management API for Android-based devices by Samsung. Simple device registration What is more... the product also fared well with respect to the basic functions for the registration of devices and their integration in the management. Users may e.g. receive a text message containing a link which they simply have to confirm. Alternatively, a registration can also be done via the service desk or by downloading a client from an app store. There are comprehensive analysis functions for administrators available which can i.e. recognize what software is installed on devices and whether there is a license for its use both on the desktop or a mobile device - a topic which will gain more and more importance in view of the increasing mingling of mobile and stationary systems. 3

4 Systematic conversion of directives The settings for devices and standard components are also highly comprehensive and allow for an accurate control via policies. This functionality has recently been extended so that it may affect existing devices or devices to be registered. When contacting the server, each device checks whether the policies are converted correctly and adjusts the configuration as necessary. The policies may include both configuration settings and information about software packages as well as other settings. This allows for selectively determining which apps are available to which users. Depending on the target system, these can directly be distributed and installed or made available locally. Furthermore, the support of intra-company app stores are being prepared using which apps available for a fee may be provided in a controlled way while being fully integrated in the buying processes of companies. Further functions in this context are application catalogs and icons for smartphones via which users may simply install the most important apps. Useful Exchange Module Like other MDM solutions, Columbus Mobile also tries to standardize the management of mobile devices as far as possible. However, due to the technical differences and proprietary administration interfaces, there are specific functions of the various platforms which lead to device-specific areas in the Columbus Mobile management environment. Another interesting add-on especially for a companies is the Exchange Module using which the related mail clients may be configured automatically. This function, as well, is fully integrated in the other management functions. Altogether, Columbus Mobile with its MDM functions has proved to be excellent, particularly also thanks to the wide platform support. Also the management functionality is state-of-the-art, e.g. offering Device Lock and Remote Wipe functions or the obligatory use of passwords for the access to devices and functions. On-premise and ouf of Cloud Since June, the entire package of the Columbus Enterprise version is also available as Cloud service. This solution is multi-client compatible and permits small and mediumsized companies a quick entry in the mobile device management sector and bigger companies the provision of a solution where different clients in the group - as e.g. in subsidiaries in other countries - execute the end device management separately taking into consideration the varying regulatory framework. Figure 4: Functionality restrictions may be set for each device in detail 4

5 IT-Administrator's score evaluation (max. 10 p.) Management functions for mobile devices 6 Conclusion On the whole, Columbus Mobile presents itself as a very powerful and elaborate solution. The integration of the various components and the embedding of the actual MDM functionality in the Enterprise IT Management have succeeded. However, a couple of functions on the roadmap remain. Over the years, Brainware has proven, however, that such issues on roadmaps will be put into practice consistently and reliably. In addition, the functionality available today is already on a high level. The overall package consisting of MDM, an integration into the client lifecycle management for traditional end devices, the link to asset, license and contract management and the service desk functions plus the open interfaces make Columbus Mobile Enterprise a solution at which companies should take a closer look when selecting MDM systems. Even if one or the other specialized MDM solution offers a slightly higher functionality here and there, much speaks in favor of looking for an overall package. Again, Brainware is an alternative which should be taken seriously when being compared with other providers who have also gotten into the MDM topic from the classical management. Support of different platforms 7 Management interfaces 7 Integration with other components 9 Enterprise MDM functionality 9 Product Program for the integrated management of mobile devices Price Hosting from CHF 4.50 per month and device incl. Spider Change Management; starting from 5,000 devices, the price is reduced to CHF 2.60 per month and device. Inhouse on proper server, costs from CHF per device incl. Spider Change Management must be reckoned with. Starting from 5,000 devices, the price will drop to CHF 24 per device. Specifications Smart solutions with clear focus on IT- and contract management The brainwaregroup has been a provider of industry-independent software solutions for IT and business concerns for over 20 years. Our passion for people and technology reflects in our comprehensive solutions, helping to simplify your technical and business-related requirements. brainwaregroup owns an international, highly qualified team supporting the sales, consulting/integration, training and support phases of our solutions. This product is perfectly suited for the management and administration of heterogeneous end devices - from smartphones to PCs - in a standardized and consistent way with full support of asset management, license management, contract management and service desk functions. conditionally suited for the management and administration of mobile devices either as stand-alone solution or integrated in existing products for the client lifecycle management and other IT management services like service desks, if the integration is realized via the existing API. not suited for companies in which only few mobile devices are used. Switzerland/Headquarter Brainware Solutions AG Sumpfstrasse 15 CH-6300 Zug Tel [email protected] Germany/Austria Spider LCM GmbH Paul-Dessau-Strasse 8 DE Hamburg Tel [email protected] Asia Brainware Japan Inc. Anzen Building Residence Motoakasaka Minato-ku, Tokyo , Japan Tel [email protected] Africa Columbus Technologies (PTY) LTD. Corporate Corner, Block 8 5 Marco Polo street, Highveld 0169, Centurion, Gauteng, South Africa Tel [email protected] brainwaregroup All rights reserved