IT staffers troubleshoot wired nets from handhelds

Wireless in the Enterprise This newsletter is sponsored by Raritan Computer, Inc. Data Center Build outs Simplified Download this whitepaper, Data Center Transformations, to learn how to make data center build outs, consolidations and acquisitions (BOCA) less complex and time consuming. Discover tools and techniques as well as key questions and topics that should be discussed with the business management side of the house. or more information click here. Network World's Wireless in the Enterprise Newsletter, 09/05/07 IT staffers troubleshoot wired nets from handhelds By Joanie Wexler This newsletter frequently discusses mobile network and device management. But what about the other way around: Managing and troubleshooting wired systems from a mobile device? To date, the big management system makers - BMC, CA, Cisco, HP, IBM/Tivoli, Microsoft - have enabled alerts of system conditions to be sent, usually by page, to network engineering staff carrying handheld communications devices. “But this just means you have to go find a PC [to fix anything],” says Tony Rizzo, research director, mobile technologies at The 451 Group consulting firm. “They don’t actually allow you to do anything from the handheld.” Get Up to Speed on the Latest in WLANs Easily stay on top of the latest developments and issues in WLAN technology, standards, security, telephony, management and more with Network World's latest Executive Guide, "Keeping Up With the Wireless Whirlwind." Click here to download! Adds Larry Burton, senior network analyst in the network management group at Enterprise Management Associates: “The big guys are focused on enhancing the traditional PC-based network management platform; mobility is an afterthought.” So to accelerate troubleshooting, at least a couple 24/7 companies have opted to use mobile network management tools from Idokorro, a company (soon to be renamed “Rove”) that makes client software for RIM BlackBerry, Windows Mobile, Symbian and Palm platforms. The software emulates the menu items and field names of Microsoft Active Directory, Windows and Unix servers and databases, and routers and switches. The idea is to enable remote network operations staff to take some corrective action directly from a handheld using wireless communications. Mark Kolodzej, VP of IT and head of infrastructure services at New York-based global financial services company ING Group, uses the company’s Mobile Admin product to enable on-call network operations personnel with BlackBerries to remotely manage Microsoft Active Directory and Exchange servers. He says the tool “hastens troubleshooting and makes life more flexible for on-call staff.” He recounts, for example, an employee on his boat restarting a print spooler service that had gone into “hang” mode. Another ING staffer in a movie theatre unlocked an account for a user who unknowingly had the CAPS LOCK function turned on and had run out of bad password attempts. Johnson Smith Company, which sells novelties and collectibles through several catalogs, uses a number of Idokorro’s products, including Mobile SSH (Secure Shell) to Telnet from BlackBerries into Cisco equipment. “Plus, I can get to the mainframe,” says Frank Roe, director of IT. Roe says his company easily cost-justified the “couple thousand dollars” invested in Idokorro software by determining the financial impact if one sales channel lost an hour of sales. “That could equate to someone’s one-year salary,” he said.   What do you think? Post a comment on this newsletter

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Contact the author: Joanie Wexler is an independent networking technology writer/editor in California's Silicon Valley who has spent most of her career analyzing trends and news in the computer networking industry. She welcomes your comments on the articles published in this newsletter, as well as your ideas for future article topics. Reach her at joanie@jwexler.com. This newsletter is sponsored by Raritan Computer, Inc. Data Center Build outs Simplified Download this whitepaper, Data Center Transformations, to learn how to make data center build outs, consolidations and acquisitions (BOCA) less complex and time consuming. Discover tools and techniques as well as key questions and topics that should be discussed with the business management side of the house. or more information click here. ARCHIVE Archive of the Wireless in the Enterprise Newsletter. BONUS FEATURE IT PRODUCT RESEARCH AT YOUR FINGERTIPS Get detailed information on thousands of products, conduct side-by-side comparisons and read product test and review results with Network World’s IT Buyer’s Guides. Find the best solution faster than ever with over 100 distinct categories across the security, storage, management, wireless, infrastructure and convergence markets. Click here for details. PRINT SUBSCRIPTIONS AVAILABLE You've got the technology snapshot of your choice delivered to your inbox each day. Extend your knowledge with a print subscription to the Network World newsweekly, Apply here today. International subscribers, click here. SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES To subscribe or unsubscribe to any Network World newsletter, change your e-mail address or contact us, click here. This message was sent to: networking.world@gmail.com. Please use this address when modifying your subscription. Advertising information: Write to Associate Publisher Online Susan Cardoza Network World, Inc., 118 Turnpike Road, Southborough, MA 01772 Copyright Network World, Inc., 2007