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If a mobile device gets lost, you should have a standard procedure in place to make sure it can be remotely erased -- or at the very least locked out from your organization.
In the past, there really wasn't any centralized way to manage this through Exchange Server; a lost PDA had to be locked out or wiped "by hand."
Fortunately, Microsoft created the Exchange Server ActiveSync Web Administration Tool to deal with the issue.
When ActiveSync is used with PDAs, in conjunction with Exchange Server 2003 Service Pack 2, it's now possible to perform a whole host of remote administration functions from a Web interface.
With the ActiveSync Web Administration Tool, you can:
- View a list of all mobile devices currently being used by a given user. If you have suspicions that a given device has fallen into the wrong hands, this can be a quick way to determine that.
- Remotely erase one or more mobile devices.
- See the results of pending device erasure commands.
- Examine a transaction log that lists all pending or previous erasures, which administrators issued the erase commands, and what devices are being erased.
The ActiveSync Web Administration Tool has to be installed on the same domain as the accounts for the devices being managed. Also, it will only work with mobile devices compatible with ActiveSync and Microsoft Exchange.
About the author: Serdar Yegulalp is editor of the Windows Power Users Newsletter.
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"Push" and certain other features of Exchange Server 2003 SP2 (such as the security properties) will not be available until the carriers implement Microsoft's Messaging and Security Feature Pack. Cingular currently has two smartphones available with Mobile5, the 2125 and the 8125 (both HTC phones). Cingular says that both of these phones support "upgrade" to the Messaging and Security Feature Pack.
I use a Cingular 2125 along with Exchange Server 2003 SP2.
—James P.
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Related information from SearchExchange.com:
Exchange Admin 101: Configuring Outlook Mobile Access and ActiveSync
Tip: What Exchange 2003 SP2 means for mobile messaging
Learning Center: Toolbox for Exchange administrators
Reference Center: Exchange administration tools
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