This is another post for my readers who are entrepreneurs.
In this digital world, everyone has a personal device. Be it a mobile phone, a laptop or a tablet, something that you can carry easily and is convenient for you. People are most comfortable with their own devices, no matter what you provide them.
Which brings us to the matter of a modern office. In an office, such as this, one is expected to use some form of computing devices for all their work. Usually, the workplace used to offer the gears for this purpose. But this is no more the case .
As we have mentioned before, people are getting more and more comfortable with their own mobile devices, they like to use their personal gadgets while working at their workspace too. Which is not bad at all for the company either, considering the money they will be saving.
But this situation may give rise to some management problems such as maintaining- security, privacy and connectivity among the workers. Here, some digital framework has come to rise that can help solve these problems. They are called mobile device management systems or MDMs. MDMs are a specific type of security software, used to manage the mobile devices at work. Today we are going to talk about these softwares and essential details you need to know about them.
Important Terminologies
BYOD means bring your own device. It’s a policy tool in workplaces, that let’s workers bring their own devices to work in their professional spaces using the office network.
Content access is a protocol for workers that determine their access to company contents in the office network. This policy also determines downloading, access to back-end repository and audits by management to see who can access the company data.
Enterprise mobility management or EMMs are a set of tools that govern policies, securities, processes, technologies in an office environment. It is a mobile device management system. In that sense MDMs are a part of the whole EMM system. EMMs are a lot similar to computer maintenance management systems or CMMS. Whereas EMMs are used only for mobile devices, CMMS are designed to be a system for all the devices. Sometimes EMMs are a part of the CMMS. CMMS by Axxerion is such a CMMS that is very reliable with good reviews.
Mobile application management systems are a part of the MDMs. This system is required, when the installed OS is not providing enough facilities for the device to be functional in MDM. Two types of mobile application management are in effect- pre Configured applications: apps that have to be installed and work as a security barrier; application extensions: these are extensions to existing apps, like browsers.
Remote monitoring and management or RMMs are a management tool that allows service providers to remotely maintain and monitor the MDM systems.
Why MDM is Necessary
With the progression of the global trend, more and more people are using mobile devices. Studies showed five billion people worldwide are using mobile phones, and more than half of these are smartphones and tablets. Which indicates an upsurge in the use of devices in this category. In the upcoming days the numbers will only grow. On the other hand, the marketplace for computers would shrink. In 2015, it was projected that 87% of the devices to be marketed would be a smartphone or a tablet.
With a rise in use of mobile devices, especially smartphones and tablets, it’s inevitable that they will be used more and more in offices. The demand for EMMs would prove to be a good indicator of the necessity of MDMs. Market research showed that the business for EMMs would double every three year and it was expected to hit 9.8 billion dollar. . Small and medium businesses or SMBs are more likely to adopt this system.
But the practicality of MDM systems speaks for itself. With the increased level of global threat against cybersecurity, any business is now vulnerable to cyber threat. Bringing personal devices to work, arises a special problem. When the personal device is attacked, the whole company may fall under the threat of cyber criminals. Moreover, a disgruntled employee may choose to release sensitive company information. The business can be protected from all these threats using a simple MDM solution. Which makes this system a very important part of the modern work system.
Important Things to Look For in a MDM
While selecting a MDM system for your office space, you have to look for some specific options installed in it. Such as-
- A specific monitoring system that is functional 24/7.
- RMM function enabled
- security measures, such as- Passwords, blacklists are enforced properly
- Passcode enforcement/remote data wiping, to prevent unauthorized access to the phone
- Geofencing, to restrict access to certain data and applications based on location
- Proper backup and restore system for important corporate data
- An automated reporting system for irregularities
- Bypass detection system, jailbreak and rooting alerts for intruders
- Scalable, so new users and increasingly sophisticated devices can be accommodated easily
But the MDM solutions are effective only at the point of their use. If the user or some employee has bad intentions, there’s a good chance they will be able to penetrate the system.
There are some factors that needs to be worth considered before or while using the system:
Architecture is an important part of MDM. How the infrastructure is built or framework created is as important as the software itself. Most modern MDM systems are cloud-based. But old school or secretive companies may prefer built-in systems. In most systems globally, we see either these two architectures or a blend of these two types.
Direction is another important factor. Companies are constantly changing. Theirs as well as the needs of the employees are changing. The security threats itself are changing. It is imperative to know which way the company is going and type of threats it may face to provide a proper MDM system.
Integration means the converging of company resources with the MDM solution. Company’s security policy, it’s privacy framework and other measures will need to fall in line with the MDM system.
Lastly, the 21st century is evolving fast and with it the companies need to evolve too. If you stay behind you may not survive the competition. Not having a MDM means compromising the cyber security system of the company, which could lead to some irreparable damage. Without further delay every company should have MDM protocols in place.
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