Palm last Thursday released another update to the Pre’s mobile operating system, webOS v1.1.0, and it includes a variety of valuable features meant for corporate IT departments supporting Pres in the enterprise. The Palm Pre'”Pre” and “business” just got a lot friendlier!,’ reads Palm’s official blog.
Enterprise-oriented features within webOS v1.1.0 include:
Bolstered Exchange ActiveSync (EAS) support for Microsoft Exchange environments
Remote wipe functionality, including the ability to have a device wipe itself after a certain number of bad password attempts
PIN/Password mandate policies
Enhanced certificate handling
Wider time-zone support for travelers
HTML formatting fixes for enterprise mail accounts
And updating webOS on a Pre really couldn’t be simpler. Users are prompted whenever a new version is available and they need only accept the update. Pre users can also manually check for updates themselves and wirelessly download and install the software if available. And the entire update process takes less than 10 minutes–at least it did when I upgraded my review unit Pre to webOS v1.0.3. (webOS has been officially updated a total of three times since its release in early June.)
The Pre’s update process is so simple, other handset maker’s like Research In Motion (RIM) could really learn a thing or two from Palm. Updating a BlackBerry OS is currently a tedious task that not only requires a PC–there’s no Mac-compatible BlackBerry desktop software…yet–it can take the better part of an hour to complete.
Additional features added in webOS v1.1.0 include emoticon-support in the Pre messaging app; reminders that pop up whenever specifics contacts call or message you; and the return of iTunes sync for the Pre, which had previously been blocked by Apple.
