i-mate Suite Announced

[Darius Wey]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.clubimate.com/press_releases/PR_CDL0061_-_i-mate_launches_new_enterprise_software_solution_at_3GSM_-_130206.pdf' target='_blank'>http://www.clubimate.com/press_rele...SM_-_130206.pdf</a><br /><br /></div><i>"i-mate, the specialists in Microsoft Windows Mobile devices and applications today announces the launch of the i-mate Suite, a complete enterprise solution that meets demand for greater device mobility, security and backup capabilities. The new i-mate Suite enables enterprises of all sizes to equip their staff with easy-to-use Windows Mobile devices, secure in the knowledge that they can safely extend their corporate network beyond the office."</i><br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/wey-20060224-imateSuite.jpg" /><br /><br />i-mate has announced a three-in-one package for business users of their devices. i-mate Suite consists of i-mate 1-View (a corporate-level file sharing service), i-mate Control (a remote security and configuration tool), and i-mate Backup (a remote wireless backup service). The cost of the package is still unknown.

[Menneisyys]

"i-mate Control (a remote security and configuration tool)"

Strange Microsoft hasn't already implemented this in the operating system itself.

This has already occurred to me while writing a new article on the PPC remote controller changes in the last half a year ( http://www.pocketpcmag.com/blogs/index.php?blog=3&amp;p=514&amp;more=1 ). It wasn't hard to realize that even the fastest one, the comparatively expensive SOTi Pocket Controller is far slower than Remote Desktop on the desktop Windows operating systems. I know quite a lot about Terminal Services/Remote Desktop, Citrix and the alternatives/architecture (I've taken part in several projects using/evaluating/comparing this stuff and read quite a bit about them, even at the kernel level); this is why I think there's much more potential in Windows Mobile than probably Microsoft realizes.

As the kernel of all new(er) Windows OS'es (Win2k Server, XP, 2003) all contain at least support for the one-user Remote Desktop (and, of course, Win2k Server/2003 also support for a fully-fledged TS server) in their kernel (which may be not much different from that of Windows Mobile, multiuser, virtual memory etc. support aside), it may not be that hard to implement the entire stuff (naturally, Remote Desktop only - after all, noone would want to offer an entire, unique desktop and virtual CPU for several connected users on a PDA :) ) for Windows Mobile too.

That'd be great for many reasons for both Microsoft and others:

- Microsoft would gain a lot of advantage over all competing OS'es (Symbian, Palm OS, Linux)

- think of the enterprise customers wanting remote administration

- hardware manufacturer support would gain a lot - they would only need to say to their customers to make their PDA's available on a non-firewalled connection (including even EDGE or 3G connections, assuming they are directly connected to the net) so that the support professionals can connect to their PDA. This would make the life of everyone much easier - both customers and the support staff

- end users would gain a lot because:

1. they wouldn't end up having to pay big bucks for the SOTi (and similar) products - they would get them for free

2. the bandwidth advantage would be enormous over even the SOTi application, let alone the others.

Your thoughts? Did anyone think about this before?