Mobile Device Management (MDM) Explained

Published: 11/15/18

What is Mobile Device Management?

Mobile Device Management (MDM) is a form of security software which allows IT professionals to manage, monitor, and secure your employees’ personal or company mobile devices (smartphones, tablets, laptops, wearables etc.). MDM programs are generally a segment of Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM) programs.

Whether your company provides devices or has adopted a BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) policy, it has become more important than ever to put an MDM solution in place. Enterprise MDM solutions let you enforce various policies, force applications, and track devices to guard sensitive data.

Common MDM/EMM Features

• Mobile device inventory and tracking

• Remote wipes and locking

• Password and encryption enforcement

• Wifi, Bluetooth and update control

• Web control and usage policies

• Malware scanning

• App whitelisting/blacklisting

• App distribution or volume purchasing

• App passwords, and custom application containers

These features and capabilities are illustrated in the graphic below. Beginning with enrolling corporate or BYOD devices, configuring devices, collecting data, enforcing security policies, and monitoring all devices.

Enterprise MDM Solutions

Enterprise MDM solutions are quickly becoming commonplace. It’s hard to go a day without hearing about a data breach in the news. Because of this, there are a variety of third-party software options to select from, each with its own set of potential pros and cons.

Prior to diving into your options, I’d recommend first determining your companies unique set of needs, goals, and budget. This will best help you best determine the ideal enterprise MDM solutions for your specific business or organization.

MDM Pricing

Most platforms charge annually per device, but some provide per-user options. These tend to be a bit costlier but provide the use of unlimited users. Larger companies or companies that allow for Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) programs may find this to be a better solution.

You’ll also find that some vendors charge additional fees for maintenance, support, or updates that are separate from the monthly pricing. So make sure you factor in any additional fees that may occur.

Most software solutions don’t list pricing on their website so you will need to obtain a quote when looking into price comparisons.

MDM Software

Listed below are four the more commonly used MDM software solutions. Each with a different set of pros and cons depending on your organization’s individual needs. Keep in mind that not all solutions are compatible with all devices.

How perk-it Can Help

Whether it's remotely monitoring and troubleshooting devices, managing applications, configuring profiles for Wi-Fi, VPNs and data access, or tracking locations and control access, at perk-it we can help you find a solution that meets your business’s specific needs. We want your business to be successful. By making your enterprise MDM solutions efficient and effective, we will support you on your road to success. Feel free to give us a call at (801) 910-9838 or if you prefer, by completing our contact form.

Terms & Abbreviations

• EMM - Enterprise Mobility Management is the distribution, organization, and control of mobile devices, wireless networks, and other mobile computing services in an organization.

• MDM - Mobile Device Management is third-party security software that lets an IT department monitor, manage and secure employees' mobile devices.

• MAM - Mobile Application Management software lets an IT department deploy and enforce corporate policies on mobile apps, and to limit data sharing between apps.

• BYOD - Bring Your Own Device

• UEM - Unified Endpoint Management is a solution to securing and controlling devices from one console. UEM commonly relies on MDM and API’s.

MDM Statistics

• Around 75% of companies have implemented or plan to implement a BYOD policy, according to insight.com.

• The BYOD and EMM market size is estimated to grow from $35.10 billion in 2016 to $73.30 billion by 2021, as reported by clearbridgemobile.com.

• According to gartner.com, by the end of 2017, demand for mobile app development services will grow at least 5x faster than internal IT organizations' capacity to deliver them.

more Resources

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