Azaleos Bolsters Managed Services for iPhone 3G
The iPhone 3G goes on sale July 11, but Azaleos — a top managed service provider focused on Exchange Server — is already promoting a strategy for the new Apple device. Smart move. I wonder: Why aren’t more MSPs copying the Azaleos iPhone strategy?
From where I sit, the press has spent far too much time describing why the iPhone isn’t ready for business. Corporate IT may not want the iPhone, but users and executives certainly do.
Azaleos was smart to embrace the iPhone — rather than fight it or ignore it. The iPhone 1.0 had its share of weaknesses, including poor email support and no real development tools for corporate IT shops or managed service providers. Apple has addressed some — but certainly not all — of the iPhone’s shortcomings with the 3G release.
Regardless, the iPhone 3G will be a huge hit in businesses of all sizes, because employees will buy it with our without corporate IT’s help.
With that scenario in mind, Azaleos has wisely launched a OneStop Managed Services initiative that supports iPhone 3G. The goal, predictably, is to integrate the new iPhone with Microsoft Exchange servers. Azaleos says the service will allow customers to synchronize and centrally control 3G and firmware-upgraded first generation iPhones using their Microsoft Exchange infrastructure.
But this isn’t a pure-iPhone move. Azaleos manages Windows and non-Windows mobile devices, including the Blackberry.
Seems like desktop trends — where Mac OS and Linux are popping up more and more in the Windows world — are occurring again in the mobile MSP world. Many businesses will need to support a mix of mobile devices (Windows, BlackBerry, iPhone).
Azaleos is among the few MSPs marketing its ability to support all of those customers.
