Mobile management firm BoxTone today is extending its enterprise software platform beyond BlackBerry devices to allow IT staff to manage, monitor and support the iPhone, Palm Pre and other smartphones using ActiveSync.

The version of the software available today, with its expanded device support, will help IT staff faced with the increasingly common dilemma of accommodating employees who want to use their personal smartphones for business.

"There's been an explosion in employee-owned devices coming into play that's changed the game. BlackBerry is still dominant in the enterprise space, but when a senior executive comes to IT and says they got a new iPhone or Pre and says, 'I want you to support this,' a lot of IT staff are not in a position to say no," Joel Weinshank, director of marketing for BoxTone, told InternetNews.com.

BoxTone 5.0 can also show mobile managers if users are getting the most from their data service plans by providing a real-time inventory of who is using what device and at what times.

Get the full story here at InternetNews.com.