All the products we tested require client software on each handheld. To simplify deployment, admins can send a Web link to the installation software, over SMS (Short Message Service) or e-mail, to distribute clients remotely. For the most part, the base functionality was the same with each system: A client establishes a connection to an enterprise server at a specified polling interval to determine if there are any updates or new software to install.
The one exception to this model is Nokia's--its system can pull or push updates; the push connection is the same one Nokia employs for mobile e-mail (which is also supported in the Intellisync platform). Given that most updates aren't time-critical, it's not crucial to maintain an always-on connection for updates, especially since the server can notify handhelds (using SMS) that they need to initiate synchronization to the server. However, for enterprises that consider software updates, data backup and/or security enforcement (issuing a device-lockdown message, for instance) critical, a push architecture is more efficient than pull.
Most of the products we tested run behind the enterprise firewall, requiring that ports be opened for communication between devices and the back-end server (see "Getting Behind the Firewall" in the gallery). Again, Nokia's network architecture is different: While the others rely by default on direct connections to the device-management server through the enterprise firewall, Nokia's setup lets you deploy a second server in the DMZ to relay traffic securely to the Intellisync server. However, the same functionality can be achieved on the other systems through the use of a reverse proxy (Sybase iAnywhere ships Apache with its Afaria device-management server to provide reverse-proxy services).
All the products we tested relied on hosting a copy of the client installer on a Web site, then informing the user that the client was available for download. This can be accomplished by sending the user an e-mail or sending an SMS message to the user's device. Another option is to deploy the client to handhelds using a desktop cradle and a synchronization program like Microsoft's ActiveSync or Palm's HotSync. We don't believe this option scales as well: It relies too much on end users; an OTA (over the air) deployment is better.
Plugging The Holes
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