The simple way for IT to support iPads and iPhones

It's a refrain I've heard more and more from IT managers in my travels in recent months: Yes, we can secure devices using Exchange or mobile device management tools, but what we really worry about is the support burden that iPads and iPhones will put on us. I'm happy to say that the IT support burden should not increase meaningfully -- or at all -- as employees bring in iOS devices.

But first, a caveat: Android is a different story due to all the permutations in the OS from vendor to vendor and the uncertainty over which apps are legitimate, though some principles I describe here for supporting iOS devices such as the iPad and iPhone should apply as well. And unlike with iOS, you'll get calls from employees who can't connect to your secured wireless network due to the lack of support in Android 2.x and 3.x for PEAP-secured Wi-Fi networks. Ditto for those Android 2.x smartphone users whose devices can't support many of your Exchange ActiveSync policies such as on-device encryption and complex passwords. I can't help you there.