Division of Information Technology

Mobile Device Guidelines

Mobile devices are prevalent on the K-State campus. The following is a brief guide to mobile devices and some factors to consider before purchasing or using with K-State IT services. These are designed for their portability and should not be considered a computer replacement.

Types of Mobile Devices

Tablet (Apple iPad, Motorola Xoom, Samsung Galaxy Tab)
A mobile device that provides access to web, email, video, and photos through a wireless connection. These devices are sometimes also capable of using a 3G connection, which requires a data plan from a cellphone provider like AT&T, Verizon, or Sprint.
Smartphones (BlackBerry, Android, iPhone)
A mobile device that provides advanced capabilities beyond a typical cellphone and uses its own system software, such as RIM (BlackBerry), Windows Mobile, or Apple iOS. Unlike traditional phones, smart phones typically provide connection to the Internet over a cellular infrastructure. Many offer extended capabilities through applications designed for them. BlackBerry devices require a Blackberry Enterprise Server (BES) license to gain "push" synchronization of email, calendars, and contacts with the Exchange Server.
Cell Phones (LG, Motorola)
A mobile phone that is not a smart phone. Typically, cellphones are used for their calling features and not for retrieval of data. They are considered feature phones with proprietary operating system (OS) firmware. If they support third-party software, it is only via a limited interface.
eBook Readers (Kindle, Nook)
An ebook reader is a digital reader that allows for the reading of books in a digital format. These readers are typically designed to do one thing, reading books, and have limited capabilities beyond that.

Integration with K-State Systems (e-mail, calendar)

When purchasing a mobile device to access K-State systems, consider the following:

  • If you want to access K-State email from the device, ask the sales associate if the mobile device supports these email protocols:
    • IMAP – a type of protocol that is commonly supported on mobile devices that integrates with email.
    • POP - a type of protocol that is commonly supported on mobile devices that integrates with email.
  • If you want to use the K-State calendaring system and/or the Office 365 address book on your mobile device, make sure it supports Active Sync technology. This can be called different things on different devices. The following are some of the known terminologies for Active Sync being used on current mobile devices:
    • On iPhone, iPod Touch, and the iPad it is called "Microsoft Exchange".
    • On Android or Droid devices it can be called any of the following (and possibly more): Exchange ActiveSync, Corporate, Corporate Sync, etc…
  • If you intend to use a mobile device in your area of study, check with your advisor for any specific recommendations for the major.

General Use Recomendations

It is always best to password protect your mobile device in case of theft or loss. Today a lot of important personal information is being stored on mobile devices and it is best to protect it like you would your computer.

Please be cautious about "jailbreaking" or "rooting" your mobile device. Doing so could cause stability issues or cause a security breach that could compromise your personal information like text messages, emails, phone records, etc…