Device-management platforms focus on the collection of data and the distribution of applications to the devices. Network administrators can use these platforms to support a large number of mobile users -- say, 100 or more -- when the hassle of configuring all those wireless doodads outweighs the expense and training the platforms require. These packages enable simplified, typically automated management of distributed mobile users, and allow distribution of documents and software that help users keep their systems up to date. They provide inventory and device statistics to keep track of which applications are installed and how much memory is available on each device. Backup features let administrators recover data after a disaster.

Last, the platforms offer scripting capabilities, so administrators can create additional custom operations, such as deleting temporary files or running maintenance applications (scan disk, defrag or virus scans). The strengths of these platforms lie in their support for different mobile devices, bandwidth conservation, and features that ensure connection reliability.

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The second category includes products that let mobile devices interact with business applications and offer added-value services to mobile users. PIM sync can download information from your organization's groupware/mail systems or data store, such as a CRM (customer-relationship management) or ERP (enterprise-resource planning) database, then upload changes back to the enterprise servers. It also lets you use your existing Microsoft Exchange or IBM Lotus Notes for mail synchronization rather than using the individual PCs.

PIM sync eliminates the need for companion PCs and provides a mechanism for the handheld to communicate through the PIM sync server to the back-end mail system. PIM sync platforms have four components: the PIM sync server, clients, a logging database (typically Microsoft SQL Server, MSDE or Oracle), and various back-end enterprise servers, which host the groupware applications or data stores. The PIM sync server allows updates to the back-end server to flow to or from either the client or the enterprise server. Such transactions are logged to the database.

Both PIM sync products we tested integrate with Notes and Exchange to let Palm OS and Microsoft Windows CE users reach their companies' mail systems and databases. Organizations with as few as five users have considered PIM sync platforms as a solution.

Rallying the Troops

We originally found three device-management platforms and three PIM sync platforms for our tests. XcelleNet's Afaria 4.51 beat Mobile Automation's Mobile Automation 2000 Enterprise Edition and Callisto Software's Orbiter 4.6 and won our Editor's Choice award in the device-management space. In the PIM sync comparison, Synchrologic iMobile Suite 4.0 edged out Extended Systems XTNDConnect Server 2.6 because of stronger device-management features and a broader range of device support. Aether Systems ScoutIT ScoutSync is another synchronization product, but the company chose not to participate, citing a lack of resources available to support our testing schedule.

We neatly separated both families of mobile-device-management platforms, but the distinctions are starting to blur. Synchrologic, for example, touts PIM sync as iMobile Suite's main selling point, but it also incorporates device-management capabilities. Callisto Orbiter works with XTNDConnect Server to integrate device management and PIM sync. And XcelleNet is about to release code that adds PIM sync to Afaria's feature set.