Mformation Preps for LTE Device OnslaughtMformation Preps for LTE Device Onslaught

Company starts supporting all forms of mobile broadband devices, an undertaking that will become more massive once LTE is widespread

Sarah Thomas, Director, Women in Comms

February 1, 2011

2 Min Read
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Mobile device management (MDM) vendor Mformation Technologies Inc. announced Tuesday it will support any and all mobile broadband devices that traverse wireless networks. That's a tall order given the number of devices riding on 3G networks today, but it'll get even more formidable as Long Term Evolution (LTE) begins to take off.

Mformation has been managing over 5,000 different smart-phone and feature-phone models for enterprises and operators like Sprint Corp. (NYSE: S), AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) and Telefónica SA (NYSE: TEF), as well as a WiMax-specific solution for Clearwire LLC (Nasdaq: CLWR). However, Tuesday's announcement extends its potential device base to form factors such as tablets, notebooks, USB and MiFis.

The updated Mformation platform adds in security layers for devices and their data, and support for Wi-Fi offload, as well as traditional features like remote disablement, policy enforcement, inventory tracking, service assurance, performance monitoring and the ability to update firmware and software remotely.

It works across operating systems with a number of clients that come preloaded in the devices, including Mformation's own standards-based OpenDM client, Apple Inc. (Nasdaq: AAPL)'s native client for iOS4 on the iPad and any other standardized device-management clients.

Why this matters
Mformation isn't the only one targeting MDM-over-LTE. That's because the need is quite enormous and the stakes are high for the nascent network. LTE has more than 40 RF bands in addition to bands for Wi-Fi, GPS and 2G/3G fallback, so not only are the device options more plentiful, so are the device innards. And, with data-only devices, wireless operators can't identify each user with a phone number, making tracking the devices trickier. (See LTE Devices: Where's the Lust? and G&D Intros LTE Device Management.)

"For MDM providers like us, there is a whole bunch of additional lifting to do to support a full service set as more and more devices and services roll out over LTE," says Rowan Scranage, SVP of global business development and corporate strategy at Mformation. But, he adds, it's also a good opportunity for the MDM vendors, because wireless operators need their support more than ever.

For more
For more on managing mobile devices across 3G and 4G networks, check out the following stories:

  • AT&T Secures Smart Phones With McAfee

  • HP Takes MDM Into the Cloud

  • Vodafone Hungary Picks FancyFon

  • Mformation, Amdocs Team Up

  • Interop Teams Wtih Red Bend

  • Mobile Operators Woo Multinationals

  • Orange, Sybase Team for Enterprise

  • Mobilkom Austria Uses SmartTrust

  • Amdocs Adds Telco 2.0 Smarts to Its CES



— Sarah Reedy, Senior Reporter, Light Reading Mobile

About the Author

Sarah Thomas

Director, Women in Comms

Sarah Thomas's love affair with communications began in 2003 when she bought her first cellphone, a pink RAZR, which she duly "bedazzled" with the help of superglue and her dad.

She joined the editorial staff at Light Reading in 2010 and has been covering mobile technologies ever since. Sarah got her start covering telecom in 2007 at Telephony, later Connected Planet, may it rest in peace. Her non-telecom work experience includes a brief foray into public relations at Fleishman-Hillard (her cussin' upset the clients) and a hodge-podge of internships, including spells at Ingram's (Kansas City's business magazine), American Spa magazine (where she was Chief Hot-Tub Correspondent), and the tweens' quiz bible, QuizFest, in NYC.

As Editorial Operations Director, a role she took on in January 2015, Sarah is responsible for the day-to-day management of the non-news content elements on Light Reading.

Sarah received her Bachelor's in Journalism from the University of Missouri-Columbia. She lives in Chicago with her 3DTV, her iPad and a drawer full of smartphone cords.

Away from the world of telecom journalism, Sarah likes to dabble in monster truck racing, becoming part of Team Bigfoot in 2009.

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