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Mobile Console Update 1.3
Here's what the scream function sounds like, if you want to check it out:

https://soundcloud.com/nicholas-tolstoshev/webroot-for-business-iphone-scream-function
I'm glad to see development of the mobile protection solution, and whilst the new iOS app shows some promise, it is currently borderline useless.

 

The app must be running on the iOS device for any lost device functionality to work. i.e. locate or scream.

Close the app and nothing works at all. Furthermore the app must be in the foreground for locate and scream to work, completely defeating the purpose.

 

While the app is running in the foreground it uses location services the entire time, draining battery life.

 

This new iOS app approach also means I must have iTunes/Apps enabled on every iPhone in my fleet to even enroll them on mobile protection. We use numerous iPhones with no app priviliges at all, but I can no longer install the webroot profiles without the app. Part of the reason we went with webroot mobile protection was the ability to operate/enroll without iTunes!

 

At least I have a method of enrolling iOS devices again, the first time it has worked in a couple months.
Thanks for the feedback Adam.  I'll make sure to pass that along to the dev team working on that.

 

I was able to replicate the foreground issue, so I'll make sure that one gets attention.  You're right that it doesn't do you much good if the app has to be running.

 

I'll check on the deployment issue - what do you use now for app deployment outside of iTunes?  I'll check and see if that is supported.
Update - they're aware of the foreground issue and working on it now.  I'll let you know what I find out about the deployment stuff.
Hi Nic,

 

Thanks for following up.

 

Further to my previous post, if the app is not running then the mobile console reports that device as needing attention, with the alert summary stating "Webroot iOS agent is not running". The device fails to check in. Prior to the release of this app, devices would check in automatically without user intervention or an app running. At present it's a huge step backwards.

 

This sort of notification was useful before as it indicated a device had not been turned on or within network coverage for a while.

 

Regarding app deployment without iTunes - we quite simply do not use apps on those phones. They are purely used for calls, email and web browsing with the default applications shipped on the iPhone. This is the case for over 75% of our employee iPhones. In part this is because to Apple iTunes corporate accounts are not available in our country, Australia. Managing 100+ individual iTunes accounts for employees is far from practical.

 

Cheers,

Adam
Yeah I had the same experience - any command I sent to the device would fail unless the app is in the foreground.  Definitely a bug and we'll get that fixed.

 

Hm, that's tough if corporate accounts aren't available over there.  Let me look into what other app deployment options there are.  

 

Btw, what part of Australia are you in?  I'm originally from Adelaide, but have moved around a lot during my life.  I just visited all my family in November, since they're all over the place (stopped in Coolangatta, Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide.)

 
Ah cool, I wasn't expecting an Aussie to be at that end! I'm in Sydney. Where abouts are you based now?

 

You've actually prompted me to revisit the corporate iTunes issue in Australia as it may be available now. It certainly wasn't when we rolled out iPhones 2 years ago. That being said, a blank slate iPhone without additional apps has been perfect for the far majority of our employees so far.

 

Cheers,

Adam
I'm in Colorado, although much of my teen years were spend in the Washington DC area.  I spent three years in Sydney from Year 8 through Year 10, and it's one of my favorite places I've lived.  I was in North Turramurra, right near the Kuringai park.  What part of Sydney are you in?

 

I was poking around on there site and it did seem to include Australia for some of the developer stuff, so maybe they've finally gotten to including Australia for corporate accounts.  I'll ask about our app working with corporate deployment.  I've not used that process before, so I don't know if we have to get our app listed in some special way or not.
Another doc around mobile for iOS:

 

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