Deployment Scenarios
As each customer CRM system is unique, MobileAccess can be deployed in almost as many ways and configurations as what there are unique customer environments. Sometimes there is a single server; sometimes there are hundreds of machines participating in servicing tens of thousands of users. No matter how simple or complex your Dynamics CRM environment, MobileAccess is the perfect fit and good corporate citizen.
As an example, the following diagrams highlight a typical on-premise CRM configuration with a few participating servers.
Before MobileAccess is deployed, there some number of Active Directory, SQL database, CRM application servers as well as some amount of enterprise smartphones with corresponding gateway servers.
Managed devices are those which are connected to some form of mobile device management platform. This includes BES-connected BlackBerry smartphones and Windows Mobile devices enrolled by the Microsoft System Center Mobile Device Manager (SCMDM) into the organization although some 3rd party solutions may server this function as well. (BIS-connected BlackBerry handhelds are currently not supported by MobileAccess.)
Unmanaged devices, including the Apple iPhone (currently in development), may use secure access to internal applications via SSL – but they are not controlled by the business or organization to ensure corporate compliance. Some of the features provided by mobile devices management solutions may include policies for: password enforcement, remote device wiping, data encryption, use of external memory, access to internal resources, etc and without these capabilities – they present considerable risk to an organization. It is for this reason we strongly advocate managed devices and the use of a mobile device management platform.
With MobileAccess deployed, we can see where the MobileAccess software components are installed (red circles) on the enterprise smartphones and server. The server is typically installed directly to the Dynamics CRM server unless there are several hundred or thousands of MobileAccess users. Your deployment may look different that this diagram, but all Dynamics CRM environments will contain some form of these foundation servers and services.
We can also see the TCP/IP connections that are made to the various server participants including BES and SCMDM gateways. In the case that Windows Mobile devices are unmanaged (not connected via SCMDM) MobileAccess offers a secure enrollment process for these devices with a TLS connection (a newer specification of SSL) for secure communications between CRM and the smartphone. Although communication is open and secure, MobileAccess does not provide any other mobile device management capabilities.
For clarity, MobileAccess does not interface with Microsoft Exchange, IBM Lotus Notes, or other messaging server. Any and all email functions provided by MobileAccess use the internal MS-SMTP services native to the server where deployed.