Virtual mailbox
View Patent ↗A request to provide mail to a mobile device is received at a proxy server associated with an email server. The proxy server generates a virtual mailbox for the mobile device based at least in part on the request. The virtual mailbox is stored in a location separate from the email server. The mobile device is provided access to the virtual mailbox. The virtual mailbox as presented on the mobile device includes attributes that are substantially similar to attributes of a mailbox associated with the email server.
1. A method, comprising:
receiving, at a proxy server associated with an email server, a request to provide mail to a mobile device;
receiving, at the proxy server, security posture data associated with the mobile device, wherein the security posture data indicates whether the mobile device is compliant with one or more policies associated with a group of mobile devices;
in the event the security posture data indicates that the mobile device is not compliant with one or more policies associated with a group of mobile devices:
generating, by the proxy server based at least in part on the received security posture data, a virtual mailbox for the mobile device, wherein the virtual mailbox is stored in a location separate from the email server; and
providing the mobile device access to the virtual mailbox, wherein the virtual mailbox as presented on the mobile device includes one or more functions that are available for a mailbox associated with the email server; and
in the event the security posture data indicates that the mobile device is compliant with one or more policies associated with a group of mobile devices:
providing the mobile device with access to the mailbox associated with the email server; and
removing the virtual mailbox for the mobile device in the event the security posture data of the mobile device changed from being not compliant to compliant.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving from a device management server a request to block access to the email server.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the request to block access is generated based on a security posture associated with the mobile device.
4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
blocking the mobile device access to the mailbox associated with the email server.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the request to provide mail includes a request from a mobile device management server to generate the virtual mailbox.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein generating the virtual mailbox further includes:
generating a folder in the virtual mailbox; and
providing information to the folder in the virtual mailbox.
7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
merging the virtual mailbox with the mailbox associated with the email server.
8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
communicating, based at least in part on the request to provide mail, with a device management server to validate the mobile device to access the email server.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the device management server is configured to perform the steps of:
determining a security posture of the mobile device;
determining that the security posture of the mobile device is not compliant with a policy applicable to the mobile device; and
sending to the proxy server a request to generate the virtual mailbox based at least in part on the determination that the security posture is not compliant.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein:
generating the virtual mailbox comprises generating the virtual mailbox based at least in part on the request to generate the virtual mailbox received from the device management server.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the request to provide mail includes a request to access an enterprise email server, and further comprising:
determining, based at least in part on the request to access the enterprise email server, that the mobile device is not registered to access the enterprise mail server.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein generating the virtual mailbox includes generating the virtual mailbox based at least in part on the determination that the mobile device is not registered to access the enterprise mail server.
13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
providing registration information to the virtual mailbox.
14. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
receiving an indication that the mobile device is registered to access the enterprise mail server;
removing the virtual mailbox based at least in part on the indication that the mobile device is registered; and
providing the mobile device access to the mailbox associated with the email server.
15. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, from a second mobile device associated with a same user as the mobile device, a second request to provide mail to the second mobile device; and
providing the second mobile device access to the mailbox associated with the email server based at least in part on a determination that the second mobile device satisfies at least one policy applicable to the second mobile device.
16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mobile device is configured to perform the steps of:
sending a request for mail;
receiving access to the virtual mailbox; and
providing access to the virtual mailbox at the mobile device.
17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the security posture data includes one or more of a command to generate a virtual mailbox, a command to block the mobile device from access the email server, or security state information associated with the mobile device.
18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the security state information is sent from the mobile device to the device management server and includes one or more of a device state, application inventory information, policy enforcement state information, and device state-related information.
19. A system, comprising:
a processor; and
a memory coupled with the processor, wherein the memory is configured to provide the processor with instructions which when executed cause the processor to:
receive, at a proxy server associated with an email server, a request to provide mail to a mobile device;
receive, at the proxy server, security posture data associated with the mobile device, wherein the security posture data indicates whether the mobile device is compliant with one or more policies associated with a group of mobile devices;
in the event the security posture data indicates that the mobile device is not compliant with one or more policies associated with a group of mobile devices:
generate, by the proxy server based at least in part on the received security posture data, a virtual mailbox for the mobile device, wherein the virtual mailbox is stored in a location separate from the email server; and
provide the mobile device access to the virtual mailbox, wherein the virtual mailbox as presented on the mobile device includes one or more functions that are available for the email server; and
in the event the security posture data indicates that the mobile device is compliant with one or more policies associated with a group of mobile devices:
provide the mobile device with access to the mailbox associated with the email server; and
remove the virtual mailbox for the mobile device in the event the security posture data of the mobile device changed from being not compliant to compliant.
20. The system recited in claim 19 , wherein the request to provide mail includes a request from a device management server to generate the virtual mailbox.
21. A computer program product, the computer program product being embodied in a non-transitory computer readable storage medium and comprising computer instructions for:
receiving, at a proxy server associated with an email server, a request to provide mail to a mobile device;
receiving, at the proxy server, security posture data associated with the mobile device, wherein the security posture data indicates whether the mobile device is compliant with one or more policies associated with a group of mobile devices;
in the event the security posture data indicates that the mobile device is not compliant with one or more policies associated with a group of mobile devices:
generating, by the proxy server based at least in part on the received security posture data, a virtual mailbox for the mobile device, wherein the virtual mailbox is stored in a location separate from the email server; and
providing the mobile device access to the virtual mailbox, wherein the virtual mailbox as presented on the mobile device includes one or more functions that are available for the email server; and
in the event the security posture data indicates that the mobile device is compliant with one or more policies associated with a group of mobile devices;
providing the mobile device with access to the mailbox associated with the email server and removing the virtual mailbox for the mobile device in the event the security posture data of the mobile device changed from being not compliant to compliant.
22. The computer program product recited in claim 21 , wherein the request to provide mail includes a request from a device management server to generate the virtual mailbox.