With an increasing number of employees operating outside the office and with companies relying more on smartphones, tablets, and laptops, the importance of sound mobile security has never been higher.
Mobile device management providers have become critical in safeguarding sensitive information, compliance, and secure business operations today. Mobile devices, when uncontrolled, are the gateways of cyber threats that have the potential to bring whole organizations to their knees.
The Role of Mobile Device Management Providers
BYOD (Bring Your Device) policies and increased remote working have led to the need for businesses to control and monitor devices used by employees. Here, the mobile device management companies come to the rescue. These vendors provide products that allow the IT department to manage, monitor, update, and secure company-wide mobile devices owned by the company or individuals.
Controlling all the devices centrally allows a business to institute security measures, prevent illegal applications, and delete data remotely in case of loss or theft of a device. These aspects are essential in reducing risks and ensuring that workflows are not disrupted.
Understanding Mobile Device Management Software
Mobile device management software not only provides tracking. It provides the tools that allow businesses to keep complete control over the device settings, usage policies, app installations, and the level of access to the users. This enables IT teams to:
- Install passcode requirements and encryption
- Apply push updates and patches to devices
- Limit access to company resources by role or location
- Monitor and act on anomalous activity in real-time
The capabilities make the control high yet non-interfering with the productivity of the employees. When selecting the mobile device management software, the companies are supposed to take into consideration the integration with the current systems, usability, and scalability. It will also be ideal to provide an easy means of handling thousands of devices in the same fashion as handling five.
Security: The Foremost Concern
Mobile devices are a popular target of cyberattacks because of their ability to connect, portability, and frequency of use. An insecure phone or tablet may trigger data leaks, phishing, and malware. Cybercrime is on the increase, and therefore, businesses require a proactive defense.
Mobile device management solutions are used to find out the threats before they spread or cause an attack on your network. They also include compliance with such regulations as GDPR, HIPAA, and SOC 2, allowing them to conduct detailed audits, grant access based on roles, and have data storage policies.
In sensitive industries such as health, finance, and legal, where sensitive information is being retrieved regularly using mobile devices, MDM becomes a risk management factor that cannot be negotiated.
Benefits Beyond Security
Strong MDM system implementation is not only about risk reduction but also about efficiency in the operation. The major advantages are:
- Fewer downtimes due to automation of updates and problem-solving
- Better accounting of employees and monitoring the use of the devices
- The savings on costs due to distance troubleshooting and the lifecycle of devices.
- Smooth hiring and firing of workers
These benefits also enable your IT department to work more productively and provide your employees with the tools they require, but safely.
How Mobile Device Management will be useful in Remote Teams
The dilemma of a distributed device in a hybrid or remote-first work environment is that, without the right infrastructure, this process can be chaotic. The providers of mobile device management enable companies to:
- Remote delivery of new devices
- Regulate entry to company data that is cloud-based
- Limit some capabilities at odd or unsafe hours or areas
- Check the state of devices and connectivity
Such centralized visibility enables businesses to grow their scale without sacrificing control or performance.
The Right Mobile Device Management Solution
There is no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to mobile device management solutions. Businesses must assess their specific needs based on team size, device types, operational requirements, and security priorities. Look for solutions that:
- Provide good encryption and a zero-trust architecture
- Are interoperable with Android, iOS, Windows, and macOS
- Provide the possibility of flexible policy customizing
- Combine with your current productivity and IT environments
Most importantly, make sure that your MDM platform is user-friendly among your team. In case it is too complicated, they will not be adopted, and your ROI will be poor.
Use Cases of Mobile Device Management
Some of the real-life situations where MDM becomes crucial are:
- A misplaced smartphone with contracts between the company and its clients is erased remotely to avoid the leak of information.
- The newest teleworker gets a completely pre-configured device that includes approved applications pre-installed
- A policy that restricts access to company emails during some time of the day is put in place to avert misuse of data.
- The ability to track locations enables the delivery teams to remain on their course without infringing on the privacy of individuals.
These are examples showing the managerial convenience of MDM integrated with security.
Conclusion
Given that in the current era, businesses are more dependent on mobile technology, the importance of trusted mobile device management providers cannot be ignored. Be it protection of sensitive information, remote working, or efficiency, mobile device management software provides full protection and control.
At New Frontier Communications, we offer customized mobile device management services to help you ensure that your business is safe and mobile at any location where your employees work.
