Not allowed to install Activesync at work

[PatrickD]

The company I work for has recently started a new initiative to install a common desktop on everyone’s PC. This means everyone across the enterprise will have the same OS, same email client, and same tools. The desktops will also be locked down to prevent the installation of non-approved software. This means I will no longer be able to sync my PPC at work. My company used to issue palms on occasion but have since moved to RIM blackberries. Unfortunately you have to have a very good reason (and it doesn’t hurt to be friends with someone high up) to justify getting one. It is actually much easier to ask for a laptop (I have a company laptop) :frusty: . Being able to sync my schedule at work and take it with me was one of the biggest reasons I got a palm and later a PPC in the first place. I will continue to use my PPC, which I purchased myself because I find it indispensable for personal as well as business use. I just won’t be able to sync at work. In the past I have read that a significant number of PDAs are brought into corporations through the “back door” i.e. employees purchase them out of their own pocket and sync them at work. If companies start closing the “back door” will it impact sales of PDAs? Corporate security in my company never liked the devices in the first place because they were afraid some employee would lose one with sensitive company info on it. I was just wondering what is happening at other companies. Does your company allow you to install software on your PC? Does your company have a policy towards PDAs?

[iant54]

While my company doesn't issue PDAs to its staff, the synchronising software for both Palms and PocketPCs is on the approved software list, although you have to prove that you have the software legally.

[ironguy]

We also have 'locked' PCs with 'standard' OS, Office, etc. However, all I had to do was call the IT folks and they gave me temporary Admin access so I could load AS. It's not my fault they forgot to remove my Admin privileges when I was done!

[The Yaz]

I don't know if it will help, but I ran into the same problem with the Desktop locked down. I was able to circumvent the problem by synching my PDA through the company laptop.

Hopefully your company laptop has not been restricted like the desktop.

Good luck,

Steve 8)

[JvanEkris]

Well,

The company i work for had everything locked down. But when the IT-guys saw what the possibilities where with PocketPC's they agreed to install ActiveSync at my risk. If my system hung itself, my backup would be put back, and ActiveSync would therefor be removed. Since then, the IT guys got convinced that Activesync wasn't causing any problems at all. So it is tolorated to be installed (actively supported is another matter though). I noticed that at first they did not get the concept of one Sync application for all PocketPC's. Telling them that it is build by Microsoft especially for these machines to integrate into outlook, usually helps.....

If you are really naughty, you use Pollkill. It kills all policies :devilboy: on a NT-based system.

Jaap

[PatrickD]

Unfortunately the laptop is locked down as well :( . I am not too worried, I should be able to find a creative way around the problem. I just wonder what sort of impact these corporate policies will have on PDA sales. The average user might be turned off if the device is not supported by their company. I also wouldn't mind getting a smartphone or PPCPE but getting someone to help me set up my corportate email to work with the device would be a much tougher challenge.

[JackTheTripper]

my company (about 150 employees) supports Palm and HP only. I have a Toshiba. It helps to know someone in IS. They gave me admin rights on my machine when all others are locked down. :D

[Eitel]

We also have 'locked' PCs with 'standard' OS, Office, etc. However, all I had to do was call the IT folks and they gave me temporary Admin access so I could load AS. It's not my fault they forgot to remove my Admin privileges when I was done!

Are you sure you don't work at my company? It sounds just like one of our Help Desk guys "helped you". :)

Were I work, normal users are not admins on their machine(or I should say "shouldn't"), so they don't have access to install programs. However, we would install ActiveSync or HotSync if you have a PDA, but we would not support it if you can't sync, and we will not let you install software to your PDA from the computer. You need to install any software from your own computer at home.

[TopDog]

I am MIS at our office, and we (as any serious IT-company) have a very strict policy on what people are allowed to install on theire PC's because of two things:

- Unstability
- License issues

... but since I'm a gadget-freak, I allow ActiveSync and HotSync if my users ask me and I install it for them when I have some spare time.

So the moral here is... find a MIS-guy that is a gadget-freak and ask nice, then he will help you out :-)

[maximus]

So the moral here is... find a MIS-guy that is a gadget-freak and ask nice, then he will help you out :-)

And dont get caught .... :wink:

In our company, the admin password is splitted into two, the first section if held by the IT guys, and the user held the second part, so no one can access other's PC (even the IT guys). Just last week, an IT guy was caught when he was giving his section to a friend of mine.

They are both are immediately served warning letters. :devilboy:

Good news is, now I know the first part of my win2K's admin password...

[szamot]

Welcome to the real world kids. Enterprise management and deployment depends on the security of standardized PC image. I am sure if you talk to your IS guys they will be more than happy to help out - they always are.

[racerx]

What you need to do is to get an executive to get a PPC. The they won't have a choice but to allow AS to be installed. There is no way an exec is going accept the answer that he can't use the device because the software is "unapproved". As having been both an executive and an IT person, I speak from experience.

[Thinkingmandavid]

I wonder if that would do the trick. Getting an executive or THE executive a ppc. Of course that is assuming they arent using one 8) Just because they are using one doesnt mean they want everyone else loading software of company computers. It may sound a bit crazy,but then again so is the management at best buy. :roll:
If I was going to get an executive to start using a ppc, I would put a plan in place, so basically use startegy:)

[maximus]

What you need to do is to get an executive to get a PPC. The they won't have a choice but to allow AS to be installed. There is no way an exec is going accept the answer that he can't use the device because the software is "unapproved". As having been both an executive and an IT person, I speak from experience.

Nah, that wont work either. My current supervisor has an axim, and she is one the 3 persons who run the Indonesian Headquarter. Yet she still choose to do A/S at home. Some company (like mine) consider the corporate regulations as the holy bible. In my current company, going against the corporate regulations is like asking for the wrath of god, no matter how high you are in the corporate ladder.

[Thinkingmandavid]

I tell you, companies just dont know when they have gone over board on the rules. PPC's, and pda's in general will help most companies to be more productive. They should encourage their people to use them. I believe there was a study done not too long ago on the money that was saved and time saved for people using pda's a work. Thought I read it on one of the boards.

[PatrickD]

Well it sounds like I am not alone in this situation. I haven’t even told you the really sad part of this story.
:bad-words: I am not a business user. I am actually a computer programmer. I work for a very large company and we have “IT” guys to support the developers. They look after the LAN and set up the PCs and email. They guard the admin rights very closely since it is the only power they hold over us. It is really ridiculous to be a developer and not have admin privileges on your PC. It is like an auto mechanic that is not allowed to open the hood. Fortunately most of my development work is on an IBM mainframe or UNIX server, but I still need to install and configure development tools on my PC. I also need to use my PC as a client for unit testing. Typically I have to submit a request to have something installed or configured. Invariably they will reply back saying I did not provide detailed instructions on how to install and/or configure application X to talk to server Y. But I can’t give them step-by-step instructions because I have never done it before, nor am I allowed to. If I had admin rights I could play around with it and get it working, but that would make too much sense. In the end after having tried and failed, they usually relent and let me do it myself while they sit beside me.
:bad-words:
Sorry to launch into an off topic rant, but these guys drive me CRAZY.
:bangin:

[Thinkingmandavid]

Actually, I think it fit right into the posts. The whole is issue is that IT and makes a big deal of loading the AS software, and that companies are only cheating themselves bynot allowing their employees to have this on thier workcomputers.
They may be thinking if htey do that then they open the doors for other things, but the truth is it increases work productivity. WE arent talking about adding Laura Croft to the system, we are talking about increasing productivity. Of probably management above doesnt care about that.

[PatrickD]

companies are only cheating themselves bynot allowing their employees to have this on thier workcomputers.


Exactly. If I can't reply to business emails on the train then it is their loss.

WE arent talking about adding Laura Croft to the system

I once requested different versions of IE and Netscape be installed on a workstation to test an application. Their response was we only support IE 5.5 . I told them that we have no control over what browser our customers use, therefore we need to test the most popular ones. They replied that this was project related and they don't support projects. If we needed these versions we would have to install and support them ourselves, but you can't have admin rights :frusty: .

[Thinkingmandavid]

Sounds to me it is Homer Simpson running your IT! 8O