System and method for managing wireless devices in an enterprise

1. A method for managing a wireless device in a network, the method comprising:

identifying a plurality of authorized logical wireless access points within a network;

detecting a plurality of physical wireless access points within the network;

determining, by a computer, for each of the plurality of physical wireless access points, whether the physical wireless access point is associated with one of the plurality of authorized logical wireless access points; and

reporting each physical wireless access point that is not associated with an authorized logical wireless access points.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

detecting a plurality of wireless devices, including determining the associated physical wireless access point; and

creating a topological map of the network reflecting the relationship between each of the plurality wireless devices and the respectively associated physical wireless access point.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

defining a preferred metric value associated with a wireless device;

detecting the wireless devices, including determining an actual metric value; and

comparing the determined metric value to the preferred metric value to determine whether the wireless device is operating improperly; and

reporting whether the wireless device is operating improperly.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the preferred metric is a measurement of transmission power.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein the preferred metric is a measurement of acceptable interference.

6. The method of claim 3 , wherein the preferred metric is a fragmentation count.

7. The method of claim 3 , wherein the preferred metric is a transmission speed.

8. The method of claim 3 , wherein the preferred metric is a failure count.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

defining a security policy associated with a wireless device;

detecting the wireless device, including obtaining security information associated with the device;

determining that the security information violates the security policy; and

reporting a security violation.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the security policy defines an authorized user ID/password combination, and wherein the security information is an unauthorized user ID/password combination.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the security policy defines an authorized wireless device identifier, and the security information is an unauthorized wireless device identifier.

12. A method for managing a wireless device in a network, the method comprising:

defining a set of authorized assets associated with a wireless device on a network;

detecting the wireless device on the network;

determining the actual assets associated with the wireless device;

analyzing, by a computer, the set of authorized assets and the actual assets to identify at least one flagged asset; and

reporting the at least one flagged asset.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein analyzing includes determining whether each actual asset is part of the set of authorized assets; and

wherein each flagged asset is an actual asset that is not part of the set of authorized assets.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein analyzing includes determining whether each authorized asset is an actual asset; and

wherein each flagged asset is an authorized asset that is not an actual asset.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein an authorized asset is a software application having a version identifier.

16. The method of claim 12 , wherein an authorized asset is a hardware device having an identifier.

17. The method of claim 12 , wherein the flagged asset is a software application, and the method further includes:

delivering the software application to the wireless device.