Think of the last time you accessed a work email or a message on your phone. A Marketo study states that 58% of people check their email as soon as they wake up. [1] In fact, Microsoft says that almost 80% of the workload in a typical office is now handled by mobile devices [2].  However, corporate mobile devices access business-critical data, which can pose a security threat if hacked, stolen, or lost. As a result, mobile device management (MDM) has evolved to the point where IT and security leaders are now tasked with configuring, managing, and securing mobile devices in their corporate environments. With an MDM program in place, IT and security teams can manage all devices in an organization, regardless of device type or operating system. An effective MDM program keeps all devices secure while maintaining employee flexibility and productivity.

How MDM Works?

The purpose of mobile device management (MDM) is to configure mobile devices while protecting the company's assets, such as its data. In addition to managing device inventory and settings, MDM solutions can protect device apps, data, and content. Organizations prefer to use MDM by implementing and targeting mobile security software, processes, and policies.

In the MDM program, employees can receive dedicated work devices, such as laptops or smartphones, or enroll personal devices remotely. For optimal data security, personal devices receive role-based access to corporate data and email, a secure VPN, GPS tracking, password-protected apps, and other MDM software. The MDM software can then monitor business-critical and behavioral data on enrolled devices. More complex MDM solutions can be analyzed using machine learning and artificial intelligence. These tools protect devices from malware and other cyber threats. For example, companies can assign laptops or smartphones to employees or consultants, pre-programmed with data profiles, VPNs, and other necessary apps and software. In this case, MDM gives the employer the most control. With MDM tools, companies can track and monitor device data, troubleshoot issues, and even delete it when it's stolen or lost, or a security vulnerability is discovered.

Benefits of MDM

Regardless of the size of your company, MDM offers undeniable benefits such as lower support costs, increased employee productivity, and data security. As a result, many organizations rely on MDM tools that provide flexibility for IT and end users. With MDM, IT administrators can securely manage all devices from a single portal. At the same time, employees can choose which devices they prefer to use.

Here are some reasons to invest in MDM:

Manage all mobile devices - When multiple devices and operating systems are used, keeping track of them and creating a consistent device management process can be difficult. With MDM, organizations can better understand their devices as software can extract valuable data from managed devices. IT teams know what hardware is used and how secure it is, making it easier for organizations to manage security risks. MDM also provides complete control over equipment usage and the entire lifecycle. IT administrators can configure devices remotely and manage device upgrades and replacements on time.

Data and Device Protection - Unmanaged mobile devices pose various cybersecurity risks. While PCs and laptops often have malware protection installed, tablets and mobile phones are susceptible to cyberattacks. MDM provides an effective way to protect devices and data and maintain compliance with existing data protection regulations.

Data security can be ensured on devices with many configurations, restriction options, and enforcing the use of strong passwords. Organizations can use encryptions to ensure that sensitive data is not disclosed to third parties.

Positive impact on productivity and costs - With MDM, companies can efficiently manage every step of device management from a single platform and automate device registration and configuration, saving time and subsequent costs. Especially if you manage multiple devices, automation can offer valuable benefits. There is a reduction in human error and faster device setup. Secondly, MDM is a great way to secure hardware for small and medium-sized businesses without investing heavily or hiring in-house IT experts.

Besides, MDM helps improve employee productivity as users don't have to waste time configuring hardware or accessing IT themselves. Instead, they get preconfigured hardware and access to the data and apps they need from day one.

MDM features

MDM features and supported operating systems differ significantly between  MDM tools. Typically, you can view hardware inventory, secure devices, and data, manage applications and settings, apply unified hardware policies, and update software remotely. Some solutions even offer identity, access, and cost management. When choosing an MDM program, it's best to compare the different options to ensure you find the one that best fits your organization's needs.

Here are some popular MDM features:

Inventory

MDM software collects hardware and software information to help businesses control and track organization-owned and personal devices. You can, for example, view data such as ownership information, settings, installed apps, warranty, security status, and current location.

Configuration

MDM allows you to install all necessary settings on the devices and set device usage restrictions. One of the main advantages of the MDM is the ability to configure the device remotely. Data security and compliance become easy with various configuration and restriction options.

Policy

Unified device policy helps organizations streamline device management, increase efficiency, and maintain compliance. With different policies, companies can decide the configuration, restrictions, and applications that will be applied to the device and deploy these policies on the same device.

Automation

Automation is useful when a company operates multiple devices. By connecting native software to mobile device management software, organizations can use MDM to automatically deploy all the required settings and applications to devices with enterprise policies. Most MDM solutions support automatic device enrollment using Apple Business Manager, Android Zero-Touch Enrollment, or Samsung Knox Mobile Enrollment.

Maintenance

With MDM, the device can be updated and maintained remotely. Businesses can save much time because all software updates, configuration, diagnostics, and troubleshooting can be done wirelessly.

Conclusion

Whether it's a cloud-based model or an on-premises model, an MDM solution should allow organizations to see devices, users, and everything in between. A good MDM solution will result in the following:

  • Reduced time
  • Increased efficiency
  • Increased productivity
  • Improved security
  • Suitability of an aggregated mobility management system

Besides the benefits of easy access that cloud MDM provides, ensure there is no hardware to buy, install or maintain – and no costs are associated with it. When choosing an MDM solution, ensure that reports and applications integrate all registered devices and related information in easy-to-follow reports. Daily updates should be updated automatically without intervention. The platform should be automatically updated with the latest features available to businesses. The ability to search for anything is key to cloud-based solutions. As an organization, you will need easy and secure access to your devices, reports, applications, and documents. At QueryPie, we have chosen Kandji as our choice for Mobile Device Management. Kandji is a Device and Vulnerability management platform that also provides Endpoint detection and response. Get in touch with us to get started with your MDM through QueryPie and Kandji today!