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Oct. 21, 2009

A few months ago, BoxTone began by offering its device management services for the BlackBerry platform only.

Now the company has extended its solution to cover the iPhone, the Palm Pre, Windows Mobile and other Active Sync-based smartphones.

But now BoxTone is patiently waiting for more enterprises to adopt Android phones before it adds support for the open source platform.

Overall, BoxTone's enterprise software is used by more than 230 companies, including government agencies, to manage, monitor and support mobile users.

Additionally, with more employees bringing their own preferred smartphones into the enterprise, companies are looking for better ways to manage the devices, according to Brian Reed, chief marketing officer at BoxTone.

BoxTone clients have been asking for support for the iPhone and the Palm Pre, and the company has also signed up Windows Mobile.

However, the company said it will wait for a greater number of devices to work their way into the enterprise before adding more support for Android.

Reed added that its v 5.0 enterprise solutions to automatically discover and inventory all enterprise-connected smartphones, track their usage, identify threats and eliminate wasted spend is a popular feature and one that tips the scale over in BoxTone's advantage when compared with similar competing solutions.

BoxTone sells directly to wireless carriers, including some Tier 1 mobile service operators in the U.S.

Wireless carriers bring BoxTone into accounts when clients are looking to reduce costs, such as for roaming or to drop expenses related to under-used MIDs (mobile internet devices).

Thanks to the Blackberry, the iPhone and the Palm Pre, the mobile enterprise segment is one that is growing rapidly. Wireless industry analysts also are predicting more growth in that segment as well, extending out to 2012 at the least.

It will be interesting to see if new market participants will try to cover that market as well in the next few months.

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Source: BoxTone.