New technological advances are changing the world as we know it, especially in the case of businesses and how they operate. More and more enterprises rely on IoT devices and mobile endpoints that include mobile devices, ipads, smartphones, tablets, laptops, etc. which enable enhanced flexibility, agility and remote work. With this shift comes a need to control, monitor, manage, and secure all enterprise mobile devices, which is often a complex, costly, and time-consuming process.
The need to simplify this complexity has resulted in the development of Mobile Device Management (MDM) software solution, which enables a business to effectively manage all mobile devices, increase productivity and reduce costs.Â
The Evolution of Enterprise and the need for Mobile Device Management
In recent years businesses have started to rely heavily on mobile devices and their capabilities. Mobile devices provide enterprises with enhanced flexibility and a way to assess and interact with corporate data on the go or remotely, from anywhere and at any time.
An enterprise’s fleet of mobile devices is often made up of “Bring your own device (BYOD)” which are employee’s personal devices, or enterprises-owned devices. With both options, there is a need to manage these devices and ensure that company data and information are kept safe and secure while still allowing employees to fulfill their operations and roles. Mobile Device Management (MDM), which is a core component of Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM), does this and more.Â
Mobile Device Management (MDM) software aims to optimise the functionality and security of an enterprise’s mobile device fleet while ensuring that the corporate network remains safe and secure. The capabilities of this IoT solution include:Â
- IT teams or an authorised MDM administrator can monitor, manage, locate and secure employees mobile devices, ensuring ease of device deploymentÂ
- Can be deployed across different mobile service providers, devices, and operating systems allowing for seamless integration and inclusion. This includes Android, ios devices, Macs, Apple devices, iPhones, Chrome OS, windows phone, Microsoft and the list goes on.Â
- Connecting your organisations mobile devices to your company networkÂ
- Enables device enrollment and endpoint management which allows you to register, provision, wipe, customise, track, distribute and lock devices simply and quicklyÂ
These capabilities are becoming even more essential as many enterprises start to migrate towards more cloud-based services, which require enhanced connectivity, security, and access from mobile devices. Mobile Device Management ensures that your employees can do this safely and securely and have all the corporate information needed to do their jobs effectively. It also ensures that the enterprise itself can control these devices, their data, and how their corporate network is being used. We examine more advantages of utilising this software below. Advantages of using an MDM software solutionÂ
MDM software solutions have many benefits related to facilitating business efficiency, privacy, security, productivity, and cost savings. These benefits include:Â
- Access to corporate data increases collaboration between the enterprise and its roaming employees
- Expenses incurred when employees use company resources for private purposes are greatly reduced due to access to the corporate networkÂ
- The organisation has increased control over the type of content available/allowed on company devices
- Enterprise has significantly more control over the reporting and management of mobile devices which provides valuable and actionable insights on device inventory
- Operators and corporates can query device information related to use, data and securityÂ
- Developers can remotely install apps which saves time, reduces costs, and makes mobile application management more effective
- Enterprise will have increased visibility into mobile device and corporate data use
- This software solution allows for remote configurations, limits the risk of losing data, and can stop unapproved software installation as well as prevent unsupervised access to corporate networks and data, thereby enhancing privacy and security.Â
What to look for when choosing an MDM Solution?Â
Every business is different and requires a vendor solution catered to their specific mobile management needs, but there are several necessities to consider when choosing an MDM solution for your enterprise. This includes a solution that:Â
- Provides fast access to business email, shared calendars, and company contacts
- Provides automatic access to the corporate Wi-Fi and Virtual Private Networks (VPN)Â
- Verifies compliance with corporate security policies and proceduresÂ
- Has the capabilities that allow for the location of lost or stolen phones
- Allows devices to connect to multiple institutions to centralise information about devices used per subscriber
- Allows operators and corporates to gain insight into the mobile device and data usage
- Enables operators and corporates to enforce restriction policies on any registered mobile devices to enhance data securityÂ
- Utilises a fast, simple-to-navigate, effective online self-service dashboard and platform that IT managers or MDM administrators can use effectively and efficiently
The impact MDM Solutions on Telcos
Mobile Device Management software can be used across several different industries including healthcare, transportation, education, retail, and more. But it has a significant impact on the telecommunication industry and Telcos specifically. This software solution enables Telcos to manage their mobile devices so that it enhances employees’ productivity, facilitates remote work, and saves costs.Â
This software solution reduces IT, admin, through automation, and allows you to simply and efficiently configure a large number of mobile devices. It saves on the time needed to get employee’s mobile devices up and running as this process is managed by the software solution in half the time, which impacts productivity. The risk associated with having a large number of different mobile devices is significantly reduced because, as an organisation, you can track and manage access, security risks and be alerted to data leakage or any mismanagement.Â
ConclusionÂ
MDM software solutions are becoming more of a necessity as enterprises move towards a more flexible and agile way of working. Mobile devices are at the centre of business productivity and efficiency and rely on access and connectivity to the organisation’s network. Managing this fleet and access is often time-consuming and expensive for businesses, which is why many organisations are turning to mobile device management solutions. With a software solution like this in place, an enterprise and Telco can ensure that their employees have access to the corporate data they need, safely and securely, to do their jobs effectively and efficiently.
The knock-on effect is enhanced productivity, customer experience, and profitability. We are expecting to see an increased need for this software solution in the coming years. With more organisations moving to the cloud and looking into remote working opportunities, this is definitely a solution to watch.
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Entrepreneurial Technologist with a proven track record in IT, Infrastructure and Service Management.Strong focus on solution design, implementation and integration, specifically within the mobile data and connectivity landscape.
