A mobile device management system is a must for working on the go, especially against the background of the GDPR. All you need are just 10 MDM features and you are on your way to success.
Manage Mobile Devices Like a Pro With Just 10 MDM Features
Whether you’re rolling out mobility via your company’s devices (COPE) or private-owned employee devices (BYOD), you’ll soon have a significantly-sized pool of devices – from new iPhones, iPads or MacBooks to one of the dozens of Android devices.
An MDM solution must be able to support all platforms (1). Ideally, it should uses the existing, integrated features of the respective device manufacturers. For Apple, for example, this means the container principle, the separation of business and private contacts. The same principles are implemented on Android devices via Android Enterprise with Work Profiles. Another advantage of this native approach is that new operating system versions can be used immediately without having to adapt the MDM system.
Strictly speaking, the second MDM feature is not actually a feature but neither should it be underestimated – simplicity (2). An additional, complex system to manage costs not just your time, but also money. Make sure that during a test phase the system is easy to set up and run with a minimum of effort. Some solutions for example integrate seamlessly into your current infrastructure and Active Directory. Existing roles and rights can then be easily adopted, keeping workloads low. One useful tip is that a cloud-based MDM saves even more effort, both in terms of hardware costs and time.
The third MDM feature concerns setup and configuration of the devices (3). The fastest way to get this done is to configure policies and certificates centrally in a console and then roll them out to the appropriate devices with just a few clicks. For example, if the system also supports the Apple Business Manager, the rest mostly takes care of itself. Users don’t even have to hand over their devices to IT and can set them up themselves.
This MDM feature is particularly useful if you centrally manage multiple locations. And this is where another must-have feature comes into play, namely remote maintenance (4). This enables you to centrally roll out and deliver updates, data, apps and configurations.
These MDM Features Focus on Security
Security concerns were among the most frequently mentioned reasons when it came to denying mobile devices access within companies. When these efforts finally failed, MDM was created and stepped in to ensure mobile work was secure. Two basic MDM features protect corporate data: password requirements for data access (5) and data encryption (6).
Additional security is offered by MDM solutions if they allow individual device features to be blocked (7), for example cameras, Wi-Fi or file downloads. Sounds good? It’s also very efficient.
But what if a device’s location is unknown? Small devices tend to be lost or stolen more easily. With an MDM solution, the damage can be minimized to the device value. First, you need to be able to lock the device (8). Then a locating feature (9) can be turned on to provide information about the whereabouts of the device. If relocating the device is impossible, deleting either all or just the corporate data on the device (10) is your last resort. Make sure your vendor provides all three of these MDM features.
Recap: All 10 MDM Features at a Glance:
- Supports all platforms
- Simplicity
- Setup and configuration of the devices
- Remote maintenance
- Password requirements for data access
- Data encryption
- Individual device features to be blocked
- Lock the device
- Locating feature
- Deleting either all or just the corporate data on the device
With these MDM features, which are included with Cortado MDM, you are fully equipped to manage mobile devices like a pro.
Mobile Device Management for Beginners
This free white paper provides a beginner’s overview to MDM and explains how to improve mobile security.
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