Client Management Suite

Is there a mobile device management solution for Symantec Client Management Suite?

If so, is it native? Or do you partner with a specific MDM provider?

At one point there was a Mobile Device Management application suite built into CMS. It was however, very difficult to use. It was end of lifed shortly after implementation. As I know, there is no current CMS integration with any Symantec MDM. 

Symantec released Mobility Suite [https://www.symantec.com/en/uk/mobility/] which has a set of APIs

• Symantec Mobility Manager 5.4 API Reference Guide
  • https://support.symantec.com/en_US/article.DOC9124.html

I wrote a number of articles explaining how to use them in WF.

• Using the REST Generator (GET) in Workflow 7.6 with Mobility Suite
  • https://www-secure.symantec.com/connect/articles/using-rest-generator-get-workflow-76-mobility-suite
• Using the REST Generator (POST) in Workflow 7.6 with Mobility Suite
  • https://www-secure.symantec.com/connect/articles/using-rest-generator-post-workflow-76-mobility-suite
• etc

With these you could integrate it into the SMP and call the APIs however you needed.

Hi djones014,

A few days ago a Connect User posted a similar question on the Mobility Community..

Here is the Link and the answer: https://www-secure.symantec.com/connect/forums/patching-andriod-jellybean-41-devices-using-altiris-75

Symantec made a really bad decision to put the Mobile Management Product on the SMP Platform EOL.
Symantec recommends you to use Mobility Suite which is available as On-Premise and also as a SaaS Service. Keep in mind that Mobility Suite On-Premise requires CentOS 6.5 or RHEL 6 and a MySQL or Oracle DB! (You cannot use your existing MSSQL-DB of your SMP Installation…)

Therefore I advise you to not use (install) this product on top of your SMP 7.5 Installation.
 

There are some pros and cons to install Mobile Management on top of your SMP 7.5 Server

Pros:

• single pane of glass for PCs, Notebooks, Desktop and Mobile Devices. uses the same Operating System as your SMP Server does.
• Use the already existing Microsoft SQL Server and SMP Server
• No need to install an additional CentOS Server and MySQL DB
• No additional knowledge for using a Linux based OS needed
• Use of Mobile Security which is also available for Android

Cons:

• Product EOL
• Unsure if you are ever able to get support for installing Mobile Management on a higher Version of your SMP Server. Currently you can install Mobile Management 7.2 SP3 MR4 on SMP 7.6, but not on SMP 8.0 (which is the latest Version)
• End of Support Life on 1th March 2017 (less than a year..) http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH228912
• No feature enhancement for Mobile Management (unsure if you ever get Support for Android Version X.X. or iOS X.X or Windows Mobile X.X)

From my point of view Symantec should really think about bringing back the Mobility Product (whatever will be the name) on the SMP Platform. Most other competitive Vendors already deliver a single plane of glass product and are not dependent of 2 completely different operating systems and 2 completely different Database Systems… In addition not every IT-Admin is able to support Windows and Linux OSs.

Network23