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Mobile Device Management, or MDM, has become a business necessity nowadays. With so many mobile devices in the workplace, the IT department has to work hard to keep inventory current while managing and securing all mobile devices. Market researchers for mobile and handheld devices report that smartphone and tablet use is fast evolving, which makes it difficult for IT operations to keep up. This is where MDM software is useful.
MDM Software Features
The main feature of MDM software is its ability to integrate mobile devices into corporate structure via automation. Done by hand, this can be a tedious process that is riddled with errors. With an automated process, remote access makes it easy to secure, update, and manage multiple devices. MDM software includes modules for inventory, security, and software management, as well as policy enforcement and distribution. Policy enforcement is crucial in protecting valuable business information assets. This requires that all of the necessary policies are set and defined, including acceptable usage, encryption and data management policies, and access controls.
MDM software also provides companies with an added level of security because many come with virus scanning elements and filtering. It also tracks the acquisition of different software licenses and monitors which employees are using the licenses. This prevents overspending on additional, unnecessary software licenses, and it also keeps employees from downloading potentially harmful unlicensed software to both company and personal devices.
Employees can make things very difficult for the IT staff if they lose their mobile devices – especially if their personal devices contain sensitive company information. In these instances, the IT staff has a tough decision to make about whether or not to reset a personal device to factory default, thereby erasing all personal data as well. In the event of a device being stolen or lost, a standard MDM can reset the device to factory settings, thereby deleting any data on the device. A more complex and advanced remote-delete feature can take that a step further by targeting only business data and remotely erasing any sensitive business information without negatively impacting the employee’s personal data.
Speaking of the IT department, another huge benefit of an MDM system is that it is able to carry out some of the more time-consuming tasks, such as software updates, so the IT department is free to complete other, more complex tasks. This can greatly ease the load of IT personnel and save money by reducing the number of people needed to complete these tasks.
Importance of MDM Solutions
With the influx of mobile devices and the sudden growth of mobile technology, more and more businesses are allowing employees to utilize their own devices to access corporate intranet, email, SharePoint, and more. Although this practice affords flexibility for the employee, it also poses significant security risks to the business. If any crucial business data gets into the hands of unauthorized individuals, there can be serious repercussions for any business. With a lot of confidential business data exposed to risk, a high degree of security is required to prevent the worst-case scenario. This means that a robust MDM software program is more essential than ever in upholding the security and safety of any business.
Does your organization need support for MDM and mobile expense management? Let’s talk!