In addition to telephony, all employees’ smartphones are to perform regular and automatic synchronization with EGroupware. Apart from emails, address books and calendars, this also affects the InfoLog. Thanks to EGroupware’s “Swiss army knife”, employees can define simple to-do lists as well as complex tasks, determine due dates and delegate tasks to other users. The InfoLog keeps all employees up-to-date, because it also informs them about changes.
When syncing address books, it’s crucial to keep in mind that personal data of others is involved. Especially on smartphones, apps from various manufacturers try to access the address books. To prevent this, EGroupware provides a smart solution: apart from the necessary contact information, nothing should be stored in the standard fields of the groupware. Instead, there are user-defined fields which are not synchronized.
Access to files in EGroupware is also possible via the WebDAV protocol thanks to Managed DAVx⁵. This allows city employees to upload files to the groupware, download them, edit them or delete them. Collaboration on files with multiple users simultaneously is also possible.
Security first!
The IT department of Jena’s City Council decides which apps can be installed on the devices. The smartphones can be locked down so that employees are not allowed to install anything themselves. With the MDM/EMM system used in Jena, it’s possible to configure apps accordingly and restrict them if necessary. Disabling location services, i.e., disabling GPS, is also important for some departments. “In general, we try to limit the apps’ permissions to the bare minimum so that they don’t give away personal data to other apps,” says Florian Zeps.
If necessary, it would be possible to wipe lost or stolen smartphones with Remote Wipe. Once a device is turned back on and has Internet access, the EMM/MDM allows the default restrictions to be removed so administrators can take further action.
EGroupware and Managed DAVx⁵: a great Team!
In Jena, both the employees of the city council and the users are happy. “I have rarely seen anything as straightforward as Managed DAVx⁵. Everything works flawlessly,” says Florian Zeps. “The teamwork with EGroupware is great. And if there was ever a hitch somewhere during our migration, the manufacturer’s support departments were there for us and offered help.”
Combining Managed DAVx⁵ and EGroupware in Jena has brought benefits for the IT service providers and for the employees. The IT service providers can manage licenses in a central location, while the city’s employees benefit from synchronization of their appointments and address books as well as additional features. The new solution is flexible and future-oriented and offers secure and efficient management of mobile devices.
Do you have questions about EGroupware or how our groupware works with Managed DAVx⁵? Feel free to contact us to talk about implementing this solution for your company or organization.
