On-demand data center services provider SoftLayer Technologies has released a mobile client application for the iPhone OS, which brings SoftLayer customers robust server and account management tools for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad.

According to SoftLayer's Thursday announcement, the new app brings mobile management tools to the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. SoftLayer has always been quick to provide mobile-accessible versions of its customer portal for various cellular phone web browsers, however, the new mobile client app goes farther, leveraging recent advances in smart phone hardware and software paradigms to deliver a native application with new capabilities.

The mobile client app for iPhone OS lets users create and viewing tickets for support questions or requests. It also provides customers a window into their dedicated servers, virtual servers, and CloudLayer computing instance details and bandwidth usage information, as well as the ability to manage system startup, shutdown, pinging, and reboot.

SoftLayer Mobile Client for iPhone OS is available for free download through the iTunes Store. The company said that native mobile client applications will be available for additional mobile devices soon, presumably starting with Google's Android operating system, and the Blackberry OS.

SoftLayer, however, is not the only hosting provider to launch an iPhone control panel app. Many, such as Rackspace, have developed iPhone apps that let customers manage their services. Not only does this increase the value proposition of these company's services by making them more accessible remotely, but they also, to a certain extent, draw upon a user's aspirational goals of spending less time in front of a computer screen, and being able to stay connected with their IT infrastructure both casually and constantly.

"We're excited to take the ease of use and control that our Customer Portal has provided and pair it with the convenience of a native mobile application," SoftLayer chief technology officer Nathan Day said in a statement. "At SoftLayer, we try to put our customers first; this new application allows customers to access the management portal from any location, any time at all."