Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Mobile Admin Pack Announced

[Jason Dunn]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.sonicmobility.com/mobileadminpack.asp' target='_blank'>http://www.sonicmobility.com/mobileadminpack.asp</a><br /><br /></div>"Sonic Mobility today announced that sonicadmin software has been selected by Microsoft to power its new Windows Server 2003 Mobile Admin Pack. Microsoft’s new Windows Server 2003 Mobile Admin Pack is designed to give administrators everything they need to access and manage their server(s) in one complete remote access solution. The Mobile Admin Pack offers an administrator secure access to Windows Server 2003 by simply using a Pocket PC handheld (with sonicadmin) to remotely perform critical server management tasks anytime, from virtually anywhere. The Mobile Admin Pack is a Windows Server 2003 promotional bundle will be available beginning in June to qualified Microsoft customers in the US and will include a Dell (NASDAQ : DELL) Axim X5 300 Mhz Pocket PC, a D-Link Wireless 2.4 GHz Compact Flash Adapter for PDAs, and the Sonic Mobility 2.8 Microsoft Mobile Admin Pack.<br /><br />...The Microsoft Mobile Admin Pack will be available beginning in June at a special Windows Server 2003 launch promotional price of just $159 (a $962 value) for qualified Microsoft US Medium Business customers that have acquired Windows Server 2003 on a Microsoft Volume License. It will be limited to the first 1,000 participants."<br /><br />Those of you who have been waiting for a good opportunity to implement Sonic Mobility's mobile server admin solution have your chance - that's a lot of value for only $159!

[Jonathan1]

$159 + Plus the price of Windows Server 2003. :|

[Jason Dunn]

$159 + Plus the price of Windows Server 2003. :|

Yup. This is for Big-E Enterprise companies though, not hobbyists who want to save $100 on an Axim. :lol:

[sobk]

SonicAdmin is great, SonicAdmin with PocketPC with GPRS access is great, with PocketPC with integrated GPRS access is better, with PocketPC with integrated GPRS and effective message alerting (rather than just a few beeps that you could easily miss) would be ideal.

[ctmagnus]

The Mobile Admin Pack... will include a Dell (NASDAQ : DELL) Axim X5 300 Mhz Pocket PC...

The Herald's blurb on Tuesday showed a 5400. :(

[wirelessgeek]

I rather would have seem MS bundling THE enterprise product available called XTNDConnect Server. Beats everybody in the business imho. Our corporate works with it and the technical support is impressive as well.

PCMagazine has awarded Extended Systems' XTNDConnect Server five stars and the publication's prestigious Editor's Choice award. In addition to receiving five stars, the highest ranking possible, XTNDConnect Server was selected as the "Editor's Choice," outperforming Infowave Symmetry Pro and Microsoft Mobile Information Server 2002—Enterprise Edition.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?C2D321BA4

jmho

[sobk]

Microsoft's forthcoming Exchange 2003 has some of the features of XTND built in and looks like one of their major selling points, wouldn't have had anything to do with them not recommending a competitors product :wink:

(MMIS + Exchange 2000 seem to have merged into Exchange 2003).

There seems to be quite a few solutions for this now, over in the UK O2 and Orange have went for a solution from http://www.seven.com/.

It will also be interesting to see what (if anything) HTC come up with after that announcement they are linking with Blackberry (and Good), and Dell with Good.

XTND looks quite good though - how does it alert that you've got a message?

[shilmover]

I tend to agree that Microsoft did not bundle XTNDConnect Server because Exchange 2003 has those features built in. Also, when they approached us, they already had an Admin Pack in mind.

[wirelessgeek]

Microsoft and Extended Systems formed a strategic relationship to deliver Windows CE-Based Enterprise Solutions back in 1999. The companies did deliver leading Server Synchronization and Management Solutions for Windows CE-Based Palm-Size and Handheld PCs to Enterprise Customers. But it's possible that after Palm tried to acquire Extended Microsoft put them in the backseat. They went Synchrologic which is involved with Microsoft Mobile Workplace Initiative. In 2002 Microsoft invited Extended Systems to participate with Microsoft Mobility Partner Advisory Council as they did with some others.

Nov. 15, 1999 - "We chose Extended Systems because of the breadth and flexibility of its solutions; the server-based synchronization in XTNDConnect Server complements our ActiveSync® 3.0 desktop synchronization, giving us the broadest and most flexible offering available to sync a PDA to critical data," said Rogers Weed, director, Productivity Appliances Division, Microsoft. "Enterprise IT managers need to have one solution for all devices - both the Windows CE platform and competitive organizers - so, after review, we selected Extended Systems for its best-of-breed solution."
http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/1999/Nov99/XtendMSpr.asp
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/dnppc2k/html/ppc_connect.asp
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/dnppc2k/html/ppc_oratextnd.asp
Pocket PC Systems Management
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/treeview/default.asp?url=/technet/itsolutions/mobile/evaluate/pctpcmgt.asp

Microsoft Mobility Partner Advisory Council
http://www.microsoft.com/mobile/enterprise/solutionproviders/

"I tend to agree that Microsoft did not bundle XTNDConnect Server because Exchange 2003 has those features built in."!?

XTNDConnect Server enables users to synchronize Palm, Pocket PC, SyncML, Symbian and RIM mobile devices with corporate servers including Microsoft Exchange, Lotus Domino and any OLE DB or ODBC database.

[wirelessgeek]

Microsoft's forthcoming Exchange 2003 has some of the features of XTND built in and looks like one of their major selling points, wouldn't have had anything to do with them not recommending a competitors product :wink:

(MMIS + Exchange 2000 seem to have merged into Exchange 2003).

There seems to be quite a few solutions for this now, over in the UK O2 and Orange have went for a solution from http://www.seven.com/.

It will also be interesting to see what (if anything) HTC come up with after that announcement they are linking with Blackberry (and Good), and Dell with Good.

XTND looks quite good though - how does it alert that you've got a message?

Maybe SOME of the features. But the XTNDConnect Server also supports OS like Palm, Symbian, RIM and SyncML. O2 and Orange are also customers of XTND and they have teamed with Palm, Compaq, Handspring, RIM and some others as well. There partner and customer list is impressive imho.
http://www.extendedsystems.co.uk/ESI/Company+Info/Customers/default.htm

O2 and Extended Systems have announced an agreement offering the xda together with Extended Systems' XTNDConnect Server as part of an end-to-end mobile communications solution for the enterprise.
http://www.commstrade.com/editorial/ItemDetail.asp?ItemID=4543

Telecommunications Company Deploys XTNDConnect®Server to Align With Their Mobile Vision: “We felt that XTNDConnect Server was the solution that would deliver true roamingcapabilities for users who want to access information with their PDAs from whereverthey were.” Peter Townsend, Office Infrastructure Design Manager, Orange
http://makeashorterlink.com/?N37421FA4

:wink:

[sobk]

Only need it for a few people initially, if they have pricing to match that size of install then I'll be installing the trial :)

[sobk]

I installed the trial but didn't really see the benefit's over what Exchange 2003 would offer for our environment (Exchange with pocket pc's).

I just watched a webcast on Exchange 2003 and it has support for instant email in the way of sending the device an SMS message which then makes the device synchronise, XTND doesn't seem to offer that (at present) other non XTND/Microsoft solutions might do.

Not that I'm pro Microsoft or anything, but for companies who have already paid for Exchange 2003 in the way of software assurance / free upgrades it's quite attractive if all you have to support is pocketpc / wap devices.

Perhaps extended systems, the makers of XTND, need a page on why XTNDConnect is better than Exchange 2003 Mobile access.

What i'd really like to see is pocket pc's come close to blackberry, i.e. so that a 2 year old could use it and it would very rarely not work.

1. Option to configure device such that GPRS connection stays on forever until you switch it off (never need to switch connection on unless you manually switched it off) - One less thing for people to have to do.

2. Instant / quick notification that you have a new mail.

3. Full synchronisation of email (read on PPC, appears read on server mailbox, same for delete etc)

4. Full synchronisation of calendar (instant / quick notification of meeting requests).

5. Effective notifications - not just a beep - repeating alerts for all notifications - customisable.