Intel Corp. (Nasdaq: INTC) has moved into mobile device management by adding technology from XcelleNet Inc. to its LANdesk desktop management package (see XcelleNet Teams With Intel).

The chipmaker's first mobile management software is based on XcelleNet's Afaria product. The product will allow system administrators to do all of the usual management tasks, such as downloading a new version of an application to a device, as well as a number of mobile-focused capabilities, such as bandwidth throttling, restarts, and byte-level, segmented delivery. The software supports the Windows CE, Pocket PC, and Palm operating systems.

Intel is taking on major players like Novell Inc. (Nasdaq: NOVL) in this increasingly active market (see Novell Makes Mobile Market Move). The only big name that is now missing from the mobile management party is Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq: MSFT). As Unstrung reported back in July, Redmond is going to be late, with no mobile product expected before June 2003 (see Wakey Wakey, Microsoft!).

— Dan Jones, Senior Editor, Unstrung
http://www.unstrung.com