Mobile Device Management | Jason Palmer, CPA, CITP

Verizon VZ Access Manager

If you are a Verizon Wireless Cellular Data customer, you most likely use the Verizon VZ Manager program to manage your connection to the Internet. VZ Manager is available for both the Mac and PC Operating Systems. You need to run the correct version of VZ Manager based on the specific Verizon Wireless Cellular Data Device you are using. In some cases, newer versions of the Verizon VZ Manager Software that support 4G devices may not support older Verizon 3G Cellular Data Devices.

To find the correct version and download the VZ Manager Software for your specific Verizon Cellular Data device, visit:

http://www.vzam.net/download/supported.aspx

Once you load the VZ Manager Software on either a Mac or PC and connect your Verizon Cellular Data Device, the first thing you need to do is to activate the device. This is accomplished from the OPTIONS menu by clicking on “Activation.”

If everything works properly, the VZ Manager Software will make an initial connection to the Verizon Wireless Cellular Data Network and link your new device to your account enabling you to connect to the Internet. During the initial connection, you may be prompted to allow the VZ Manager Software to either update itself or download Firmware updates to your device.

You may be prompted to reconnect multiple times during this update process. The last update is usually a roaming list that includes specialized network information to allow you to connect to both the Verizon Cellular Network and other Cellular Carries where Verizon has Cellular Data Network Sharing agreements.

There is a special caveat for Mac users: The Mac version of the Verizon VZ Manager Software is unable to update the Firmware of the Cellular Data Cards. This must be done using the Microsoft Windows version of the Verizon VZ Manager Software. (Firmware is a specialized kind of software that manages the autonomic functions of the device. The best analogy is that you do not have to think for your heart to beat, your lungs to breath, or your eyes to see. Your body just takes care of these things.)

There are few options to accomplish this task. If you are fortunate enough to have a Windows notebook that is also compatible with your Verizon Cellular Data card, just follow the instructions above to install the updates and prepare your card for Mac use.

If you are running a Microsoft Windows Virtual Machine in either VMWare Fusion or Parallels for Mac, you can assign your device to the Windows Virtual Machine; Download the Microsoft Windows version of the Verizon VZ Manager Software for your particular Cellular Device, perform the activation again, and apply the updates. Upon completion, you simply disconnect from your Windows Virtual Machine and re-launch your Mac version of the Verizon VZ Manager Software. At least once every three months, and preferably monthly, you should repeat this process so that your Verizon Cellular Device is always up-to-date.

NOTE: If the previous paragraph made no sense to you then you are not running a Microsoft Virtual Machine, so move on to the next option.

If you do not have a Windows Virtual Machine on your Mac, and you do not own a Windows Notebook that is compatible with your specific Verizon Cellular Data Card, then find a friend who does. Hopefully, they will let you download and install the Verizon VZ Manager Software for Windows and update your Verizon Cellular Data Card. Not to worry, activation and updating of your Verizon Cellular Data Card is Air Time Free and does not dip in to your Data Plan.

For AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile customers, the procedure is pretty much the same. One company, Smith Micro, pretty much writes the software and rebrands it for each Cellular Data Carrier. And, only a few companies, such as Novatel, Pantech, LG, and Kyocera manufacture the majority of PCMCIA, Express, and USB Stick Cellular Data Devices.

Mobile Devices

When Dorothy in the “Wizard of Oz” was walking through the Forrest, she exclaimed, “Lions and Tigers and Bears – Oh my.” Trust me when I say that most Information Technology Staff have the very same sentiment, “Cell Phones, Tablets, and Notebooks – Oh My” when walking through the office and seeing the extreme variety, feel every bit as much in peril as Dorothy.

Why? Because every one of those devices is a potentially unsecured entry point in to the corporate network and might be able to access sensitive data.

What is an Information Technology Manager to do? Ban all mobile devices from accessing the Network? Demand that only mobile devices issued by the Company and properly secured may connect to the Network? Tell the CEO that she cannot use her iPad to read her mail? Tell the CFO that he cannot access or look at the latest corporate financials on his iPhone because Apple does not understand “enterprise security?” Make everyone use a Blackberry curve?

There must be a better answer and there is.

It is called Mobile Device Management. The technology is available from a number of different vendors. It enables Information Technology Staff to secure and manage most well know brands of Smart Cell Phones, Tablets, and Notebooks from a centralized console.

Each Mobile Device Management vendor implements the solution slightly differently but with the same general result: the Information Technology Staff can apply and enforce usage policies, approve specific apps, determine the location of the device, enforce proper login credentials, and remotely wipe lost or stolen devices.

Another great feature is the standardization of Management Interface (Dashboard) of the various mobile platforms. The Information Technology person does not need to be concerned about if he or she is managing an iPhone or an Android phone. The Mobile Device Management software presents a single, unified view by class of device: All Cell Phones and All Tablets. Of course the granularity is there should one want to take advantage of specific features available in say an IOS device (iPhone, iPod, iPad) vs. and Android phone or tablet.

When performing a review of Mobile Device Management software platforms, there are a number of considerations to review. These include how many devices you have to manage? Are they predominantly Apple devices, Android Devices or something else? Are the mobile devices being used in your corporate environment by your employees supported? Does the Mobile Device Management Platform support all the versions of the mobile device operating systems in-use? And, from an Administrative perspective: Is the software license purchased as a one-time fee or is this a monthly service?

The important take-away from this article is that mobile devices, especially ones that your own Information Technology Department do not official support represent a real threat to your sensitive corporate data and need to be “cleared” prior to being allowed to access data on your network.

Think of it this way: For those of you that work in larger offices, visitors are signed in, logged, and guided. They don’t just wander in the front door and walk aimlessly around office.

Why would you allow a perfect stranger, such as someone’s personal smart phone, access your corporate data network without being escorted in?

The answer: You wouldn’t

Mobile Device Management – Verizon VZ Manager Software

Mobile Device Management – Containing The Mobile Invasion