Mobile computing for the midmarket

Thanks to mobile computing, gone are the days of desktop computers, land line phones and the daily commute to the office. Today's businesses, regardless of size, rely on highly productive employees who are equipped to do the job anywhere, anytime. For midmarket companies, that means spending IT dollars wisely on wireless LANs, laptops, cell phones and other mobile devices. The IT Management guide to mobile computing offers resources and advice for successfully investing, implementing and maintaining mobile computing devices in your midmarket company.

For free advice and resources on more IT and business topics, visit our main IT Management Guide section.

Table of contents

Experts say encryption is the best way to protect sensitive data on laptops and other mobile devices. Most IT organizations say they know this. So why do so few companies actually do it?

"I'm concerned that a great number of companies are still not protecting their data," said John Girard, vice president and distinguished analyst at Stamford, Conn.-based Gartner Inc. "The sales of [encryption] products over the last number of years are still a small fraction of the laptops and mobile devices out there."

Credant Technologies Inc., an Addison, Texas-based vendor of mobile encryption technology, recently surveyed 426 IT professionals worldwide. Eight-eight percent said they know large amounts of sensitive data are sitting on their employees' mobile devices. Seventy-two percent said the best way to protect that data is through encryption. But only 20% said they have actually deployed encryption on those devices.

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• Definition: Wireless
  (Source: SearchMobileComputing.com, powered by WhatIs.com)
• Definition: Wireless LAN (WLAN)
  (Source: Search.com, powered by WhatIs.com)
• Definition: 802.11
  (Source: SearchMobileComputing.com, powered by WhatIs.com)
• Definition: Wi-Fi
  (Source: SearchMobileComputing.com, powered by WhatIs.com)
• Definition: Bluetooth
  (Source: SearchMobileComputing.com, powered by WhatIs.com)

• Tip: Managing mobile operators: Giving a passing grade
  (Source: SearchMobileComputing.com, Nov. 3, 2006)
• Column: Wireless options: Opportunity knocks
  (Source: SearchSMB.com, Nov. 2, 2006)
• Tip: Cellular bill management: Getting policies under control
  (Source: SearchMobileComputing.com, July 19, 2006)
• Article: SMS or mobile email: Which is the 'killer app'?
  (Source: SearchMobileComputing.com, June 12, 2006)
• Article: SMBs: It's a buyer's market for wireless service
  (Source: SearchSMB.com, May 17, 2006)
• Tip: Mobile device management: Part I -- Decisions, decisions, decisions
  (Source: SearchMobileComputing.com, April 20, 2006)
• Tip: Mobile device management: Part 2 -- Implementation options
  (Source: SearchMobileComputing.com, May 15, 2006)

• Article: Encrypting mobile devices: A best practice no one uses
  (Source: SearchSMB.com, Nov. 1, 2006)
• Article: Wireless cards make notebooks easy targets
  (Source: SearchSecurity.com, Aug. 2, 2006)
• Article: Mobile security begins with policy
  (Source: SearchSecurity.com, Aug. 2, 2006)
• Tip: Security for mobile devices: Simple steps for SMBs
  (Source: SearchSMB.com, July 13, 2006)
• Article: Portable storage devices invite big problems
  (Source: SearchSMB.com, April 10, 2006)
• Article: Fidelity laptop snafu spotlights need for security policies
  (Source: SearchCIO.com, March 28, 2006)

• Tip: Understanding the wireless landscape, part 1
  (Source: SearchNetworking.com, Jan. 6, 2004)
• Tip: Understanding the wireless landscape, part 2
  (Source: SearchCIO.com, Jan. 6, 2004)
• Tip: Bluetooth Learning Guide
  (Source: SearchCIO.com, Jan. 7, 2004)
• Learning Guide: 802.11
  (Source: SearchCIO.com, March 25, 2003)

• Resource Center: Mobile technology for the midmarket (SearchCIO-Midmarket.com)
• Website: SearchMobileComputing.com
• Website: SearchNetworking.com
• Website: MobileIN.com
• Website: O'Reilly Network Wireless DevCenter
• Website: JiWire.com