Questions Surround Smartphone Security

Computerworld reports that many of today's smartphones are still not up to snuff to support many corporate security and remote management policies. Companies are struggling to offer the same levels of protection to smartphones and PDAs as afforded to laptops and PCs.

IDC analyst Kevin Burden said Windows Mobile 5.0 was designed to integrate easier with Exchange Server 2003. Microsoft "want to be able to compete with RIM with full management controls, including security policy." Burden expressed skepticism that Windows Mobile 5.0 would "allow businesses to forgo using specialized wireless synchronization middleware, such as the Intellisync Afaria Server."

Burden noted that in many instances "individuals bought most wireless handheld devices, which might have been used for business reasons but weren't necessarily managed by the IT department." However, carriers and smartphone manuacturers are going after the enterprise market because, "this is where the next growth market is," he remarked.

From this article, it seems the mobile industry still has a ways to go to ensure smartphones and mobile devices are secure and manageable enough for corporate consumption...