Finnish mobility firm Capricode is bringing its SyncShield management suite – that promises to give IT departments the same level of control over company smartphones that they already have over PCs on their LAN – to the UK.

SyncShield enables administrators to remotely configure and deploy software to smartphones. It supports a wide range of handsets running either Windows Mobile or Symbian OS platforms. The recently updated version 3.2 has been limited to Scandinavian markets to date.

“Smartphones should be compared with laptops – you get your email and have company information on them, and this needs protecting, so why should handsets be left out?” said Erkko Vainio, business development director at Capricode.

Many other device management tools are aimed at carriers, according to Vainio, whereas SyncShield enables organisations to take control of their smartphone fleet themselves.

Unlike a PC, phones cannot be provisioned by deploying a software image containing everything the user needs. Instead, SyncShield provides the ability to deliver applications and settings over the air, and even update documents stored on the handset.

Vainio said that SyncShield attempts to make management as easy as possible for administrators. The software client can be deployed by sending users an SMS message that links to the download, while the web-based management console allows administrators to see a list of every handset under their control, what model it is, and what applications are installed.

“Some rival tools can take three weeks to learn to use – ours can be mastered in about three hours,” said Vainio.

SyncShield can also be used to backup everything on a user’s handset. If a phone is lost, it can be remotely erased by the administrator, but the user will find their applications and data are automatically restored once they install the SyncShield client onto a new handset, according to Vainio.

For small to medium firms, the suite is designed to be hosted by an application service provider and will cost about €8 (£6) per device per month. Larger customers can licence and operate their own server for about €3,000 (£2,294), plus a fee of about €96 (£74) per device per year. Capricode said it expects UK-based providers will be offering SyncShield within a few months, while an evaluation can be obtained from the company’s site.