Odyssey Software, a provider of enterprise-class mobile device management (MDM) products, announced the availability of Athena for Configuration Manager v5.0. The company says this new version delivers comprehensive remote mobile device management for Apple iOS and Android platforms along with other popular mobile devices already supported.
Odyssey has always supported Windows Mobile and CE devices for customers in the transportation market. Its Athena for the Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager enables remote management of rugged devices, but the new 5.0 version includes device management features for the iOS and Android platforms that are already widely used inside most organizations to connect to corporate e-mail servers.
Athena enables broad management of iOS (iPhone/iPad/iTouch) and Android devices, as well as BlackBerry, Windows Mobile, HP webOS and Nokia smartphones. Athena’s architectural design uses the existing Configuration Manager console to provide management and security in diverse device deployments.
“The popularity of iOS and Android devices is being carried into the enterprise, and many companies are allowing employee liable devices to connect to corporate networks and information,” said Mark Gentile, CEO of Odyssey Software. “Securing corporate data on these devices is a critical challenge for IT administrators. Athena now provides expanded capabilities for managing and securing iOS and Android along with today’s most popular device platforms. With Athena, organizations are assured that all their mobile device management needs are addressed by one solution.”
“Apple iOS and the Android platforms are expected to be the fastest growing wireless operating systems from now until 2013 and by then, IDC forecasts that worldwide shipments of smartphones will surpass 700 million units,” said Stephen Drake, mobility and telecom program vice president at IDC. “With this increase in usage of these devices in the enterprise comes the growing demand to remotely manage these devices to enforce policies, enhance productivity and drive efficient operations for workers. Solutions such as Odyssey Software’s Athena addresses the need for enterprise to manage iOS and Android along with other leading mobile devices from a unified platform.”
Athena does not require additional server-side components or consoles, unlike all other device management products, which require their own proprietary server, console or database infrastructure.
Athena says that seamless integration into the Configuration Manager platform provides unique benefits such as:
• All device management functions are performed from the native Configuration Manager console as a “single pane of glass” for all enterprise and mobile resources
• All mobile and enterprise asset information is contained in the native Configuration Manager database
• Platform facilities are leveraged, such as the Configuration Manager Dashboard and SQL Reporting Services
• The Configuration Manager platform’s inherent scalability, reliability and security are leveraged.
