ZENworks Mobile Management from Novell allows for full control of a mobile device from both a security and policy perspective. With this product deployed, administrators can easily mange a device's security settings, such as requiring a PIN or password on the device, as well as device encryption and file-sharing requirements. Along with security settings, administrators can also pass down policy for specific or groups of devices that include browser access or use of device functions, such as the camera or Bluetooth connection.
We found this product to consist of two parts. The first ingredient we had to install was the server component. We found installation of the server to be quite straightforward and we were guided by an intuitive setup wizard. This wizard walked us through all the necessary steps to get the complete server, including the SQL backend, up and running. After all the installation steps were completed, we were able to access the web-based management and administration console for further configuration, including setting up policy and enrolling devices. The second part of the setup had to be done on the devices themselves. To enroll the device with the Mobile Management server using the app installed on the device, we had to simply download the app onto the device and input the server settings to connect and allow the server to manage our device. The whole setup process on the device took just a few minutes, and we ran into no problems getting everything up and running.
As for the policy side of the product, we found ZENworks Mobile Management to contain a lot of granular policy controls that can be configured for the needs of almost any organization. Most settings were a simple toggle on or off to set, which made for quick and easy configuration. Furthermore, policy can be pushed out on a user or group level from users and groups that already exist in Active Directory or lightweight directory access protocol (LDAP).
Documentation included several installation and administrator guides that were available online in PDF format. User guides for all the various supported platforms were also available. These guides provided detailed instructions for users to enroll their device with the Mobile Management server. We found all guides to be well-organized and easy to follow.
Novell offers both standard and priority product support to customers as part of an additional per-license fee. Customers can purchase access to 24/7 phone- and email-based technical assistance, as well as get no-cost access to a large online support area. Resources available on the here include a knowledge base, product downloads, product documentation, user forums and many other technical resources.
At a price starting at around $58 per seat, this tool can become quite expensive for some environments. However, we do find Novell ZENworks Mobile Management to overall be a solid value for the money. This product is feature rich and can provide an excellent amount of security and control over both corporate mobile devices, as well as employee-owned devices.
