IT departments in some small and mediums-sized business have enough to do keeping the lights on without worrying about managing mobile devices with multiple platforms.
For them Hewlett-Packard has created TouchPoint Manager, a cloud-based mobile management service for smart phones, tablets, laptops and desktops running Windows, iOS and Android. It includes a Web-based dashboard that allows IT to monitor the inventory and health of devices, automatically apply security and policy settings, remotely lock and wipe devices and reset passwords. It can even give alerts for potential hard drive failures, security holes or battery failure.
There’s additional capabilities for HP-made devices including device warranty information, and special features on some models including out-of-band find. But the service doesn’t cover BlackBerrys or Mac laptops. See the HP video below.
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“By giving SMBs an easy-to-use IT management tool that works across most operating systems (iOS, Android and Windows), devices and form factors, these businesses can not only increase the productivity of their staff who manage IT, but also realize potential cost savings,” Michael Park, HP [NYSE: HPQ] vice president and general manager of commercial mobility and software, wrote in a blog.
As an incentive to sign up customers, the Basic version of Touchpoint Manager is free for the next six months. The Pro version with additional functionality costs $5 a user for the first six months.
The service is available now in Canada and eight other countries.