Apparatus, and associated method, for providing enterprise-controlled voice services to wireless devices

• US 8,798,586 B2
• Filed: 10/26/2009
• Issued: 08/05/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Heit, David Lloyd, Panezic, Alan Tom, Metcalf, Douglas Dean, Misasi, James, McDonald, Ian J.
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAM, TIMOTHY X
• Application Number:
  US12/605,474
• Publication Number:
  US 20100151841A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,744 Days
• Field of Search: 455/414.1
• US Class Current: 455/414.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42178 by downloading data to substation equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/205 Transfer to or from user equipment or user record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/245 from a network towards a terminal

Abstract

An apparatus, and an associated methodology, provides control over operation of a voice-only, cellular mobile phone by an enterprise. An enterprise server provides selection of the operating capabilities of the voice-only wireless device. Once selected, the wireless device is caused to be provisioned to operate in conformity with the selected policy. Rather than sole control of the operational capability of the wireless device by a network operator, i.e., carrier, control of some operational capabilities of the device is carried out directly by enterprise personnel.

Claims

1. An enterprise managed server for voice services for facilitating enterprise management of wireless devices obtaining wireless service by way of a cellular telecommunications system network operator, said enterprise managed server comprising:

an enterprise provisioning selector configured to select when to provision a wireless device of a group of wireless devices to operate pursuant to a voice-only service tier permitting voice-only services in conformity with an enterprise policy; and

a provisioning controller configured, responsive to selection by said enterprise provisioning selector, to cause transmission of an enterprise-originated provisioning message to the wireless device that identifies the enterprise policy that permits the voice-only services, thereby provisioning the wireless device with the enterprise policy for restricting the wireless device to the voice-only services.

2. The enterprise managed server of claim 1 further comprising a mailbox identified by a mailbox identity and wherein the wireless devices of the group of wireless devices are all associated with the mailbox.

3. The enterprise managed server of claim 2 wherein said enterprise provisioning selector is configured to monitor the mailbox for an activation request.

4. The enterprise managed server of claim 3 wherein said activation request is in the form of an email from the wireless device.

5. The enterprise managed server of claim 1 wherein said provisioning controller is further configured to utilize data service capabilities of the wireless device to cause said provisioning.

6. The enterprise managed server of claim 5 wherein data service capabilities of the wireless device, which are incidental to said provisioning, are substantially unavailable to a user of the wireless device.

7. The enterprise managed server of claim 1 wherein said provisioning controller is further configured to cause wireless-device call logging.

8. The enterprise managed server of claim 1 wherein said provisioning controller is further configured to cause wireless-device activation.

9. A method for managing wireless devices, which obtain wireless service by way of a cellular telecommunications system network operator, using an enterprise managed server for voice services, said method comprising:

associating wireless devices to a service tier, wherein the service tier is a voice-only service tier that permits voice-only services in conformity with an enterprise policy;

causing transmission of an enterprise-originated provisioning message to the wireless device that identifies an enterprise policy that permits the voice-only services, thereby provisioning the wireless devices associated with the service tier to operate in conformity with the enterprise policy for restricting the wireless devices to said voice-only services.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said associating further comprises detecting delivery of a wireless-device request for provisioning.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the enterprise policy is controlled by personnel of an enterprise.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein said voice-only services further comprises a character-limited message capability.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein said detecting comprises detecting an activation request in the form of an email from the wireless device and sending a provisioning message to the wireless device to restrict the wireless device to said voice-only services.

14. A wireless device managed by an enterprise and obtaining wireless service by way of a cellular telecommunications system network operator, said wireless device comprising:

a provisioning message detector configured to detect an enterprise-originated provisioning message sent by the enterprise that identifies an enterprise policy that permits voice-only services in conformity with the enterprise policy; and

a provisioner configured to provision the wireless device to operate in conformity with the voice-only services.

15. A method for facilitating operation of a wireless device managed by an enterprise and obtaining wireless service by way of a cellular telecommunications system network operator, said method comprising:

detecting an enterprise-originated provisioning message sent by the enterprise to the wireless device that identifies an enterprise policy that permits voice-only services in conformity with the enterprise policy; and

provisioning the wireless device to operate in conformity with the enterprise policy that permits the voice-only services identified in the provisioning message.