November 16, 2016
Mobile devices such as smartphones, tablets have become an integral part of the business world. They have liberated today’s workforce from desktop computers so that business tasks can be done remotely and efficiently.
However, at the same time, they can pose numerous challenges to enterprises. The lack of visibility and control over these devices, can cause major security risks and productivity leakages. Therefore, it has become crucial for enterprises to leverage a mobile device management solution.
What is mobile device management?
A mobile device management solution helps to manage, monitor and secure devices such as laptops, smartphones, tablets, rugged devices, mPOS devices and more that are used in the enterprise. It helps organizations to gain a bird eye view of the entire device inventory across different locations from a single platform.
What are the benefits of MDM solution?
Remote Management
MDM solution enables remote management of all the enrolled devices. Organizations can gain real time visibility of the entire device fleet as the software extracts valuable data from all the managed devices. It helps to provide over the air distribution of software applications, content and configuration settings.
With the help of mobile device management solution, the admin can monitor device health, view device screen, take screenshots, push app updates, upload or delete files, and troubleshoot device issues remotely. The devices can be configured remotely. If an employee leaves the organization, all the business critical data can be wiped remotely from the device and it can be assigned to a new employee.
BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) Support
BYOD adoption coupled with mobile device management solution can help organizations to easily manage and secure employee-owned devices. The software enables admin to create a work container on BYO devices to keep enterprise apps as well as other business related content separate from personal data.
The admin can only manage work container leaving personal data untouched. This helps to increase corporate data security and ensure employee privacy. Also, when the employee wants to leave the organization, corporate data can be deleted from the device using partial data wipe feature.
Cost Saving
By enforcing lockdown mode, enterprises can prevent the unnecessary use of devices. Non business websites as well as applications such as video or music apps, data hungry games, social media apps and more can be blacklisted. This helps to reduce data usage and minimizes cellular expenses.
The solution helps enterprises to track the location distance covered in a day by field employees. This provides them the flexibility to manage travel expenses.
With the help of a mobile device management solution, organizations can also manage BYO devices. It helps businesses to save a huge amount of money since they don’t have to provide devices to each and every employee.
Monitor SOP Compliance
The enterprises can keep a constant check on IT assets and monitor compliance pertaining to protocols. The admin can conduct compliance checks regularly to detect violations and increase security of data.
A notification policy can be set up to get real time alerts regarding unauthorized use of devices, rooting or jailbreaking attempts, location based alerts, data usage, battery level, etc. The admin can get instant alerts and make informed decisions to secure corporate data.
Threat Management
Not updating the device regularly can result in security loopholes and pose threat to the data stored in it. And, employees who are too relaxed about updates can pose security risks to the confidential data present in their devices. Thus, with the help of MDM solution, enterprises can remotely push updates on all the managed devices.
The admin can uninstall malicious applications from managed devices remotely. Also, unknown sources option can be disbaled to prevent employees from installing third party applications. MDM solution enables admin to configure Wi-Fi and VPN settings remotely on devices to prevent connections to malicious networks.
Improve End User Productivity
With MDM software, enterprises can automate device enrolment and configuration. This helps to save time and empowers employees to be productive right away. The solution helps to track real time location of field agents and keep a constant check on delivery items, IT assets, and more. This helps to increase workforce productivity.
Moreover, enforcing lockdown mode enables admin to block social media apps, games, music as well as video apps and other non work applications and websites. This helps to prevent distractions and increase employee productivity.
Data and Device Security
Mobile device management solution helps enterprises to enforce robust security measures to protect the corporate data present in the devices. It allows to encrypt content and disable file sharing access, USB, screenshot functionality and more. This prevents confidential enterprise data from falling into wrong hands.
Organizations can set strong passcodes on devices to prevent someone else from using the device. Secure containers can be created on employee-owned devices to keep corporate data separate from personal data.
Remote Troubleshooting and Repair
All the managed devices can be updated as well as serviced remotely with the help of mobile device management solution. This means that the employees don’t need to visit the IT department everytime they need technical assistance.
The IT admin can remotely view the device screen and resolve issues in real time over the air. This helps to minimize device downtime and reduce the need for agent involvement as well as support costs.
MDM also helps admin to monitor device health and retrieve details such as signal strength, memory storage information, battery level, app updates, APN, data limit and more.
Final Thoughts
Leveraging mobile device management solution provides numerous benefits to organizations. It helps to make their internal processes run smoother and more efficiently. Providing a unified console to manage all the devices, it empowers enterprises to strengthen security, enhance employee productivity and increase overall business performance.