It seems like new technology is always popping up and it can be challenging to keep up. If you’re wondering what this new-fangled mobile device management (MDM) is and whether your business needs it, there is no need to feel silly–you aren’t alone. Our quick and dirty mobile device management for dummies guide will give you the lowdown without the highbrow. Oh, that was impressive phrasing. Well done us.
How MDM Works: Mobile Device Management for Dummies
Mobile device management is the centralized monitoring and administration of remote devices (or ‘endpoints’) such as laptops, smartphones, and tablets. It means you can sit on your sofa in front of your MDM management console in San Diego and do stuff to your team’s iPads in Wichita Falls, Texas.
There are two parts to MDM that make the magic happen. First, there’s the MDM server, which is the brains of the operation. It sends out commands “over the air” to the second component – the agent (sometimes it’s called the ‘client’) – which is a cutesy piece of software that sits on each device. It receives and carries out the MDM server’s commands.
But there are also humans involved because computers are not our overlords. Yet. The human will use an MDM console to instruct the MDM server about which commands to send and when to send them. But the human doesn’t have to sit there and press buttons 24/7 like some sedentary orchestra conductor. The beauty of MDM is that you set your MDM to do stuff automatically, so you can get on with your real job.
MDM Is an Asset to Your Business
MDM is a versatile business asset and here’s why:
- It speeds things up. Once you’ve set up your rules and policies, MDM will take it from there. It automates a ton of different functions and this frees up staff time, improves productivity, and closes up major time/effort sinks such as onboarding and offboarding.
- It’s global: MDM looks after your fleet of devices wherever they are in the world.
- It keeps your data more secure. We bang on about this a lot.
- It reduces human error. People are great and we love them. But, on the downside, people can make mistakes that are costly in terms of security and productivity. MDM’s automation and functionality can keep humans out of it entirely or encourage them to make the right decisions.
- It’s scalable: It doesn’t matter if you have a couple of crappy old tablets and a smartphone or a gazillion i-thingies. MDM works with the size of the device fleet you have. Simply enroll and de-enroll devices to your MDM platform as you buy or offload them.
- It’s cross-platform: MDM works for the real world and that means working with all kinds of operating systems and endpoints: MacOS, iOS, Windows, Android, and even Linux, if you like that sort of thing. And, it can work with Bring Your Own Device, too, which is only going to get bigger.
The Specifics of MDM
MDM can do a lot. It’s multi-functional, but it’s also flexible, so you can pick and choose what you want it to do. Here’s how lots of organizations use MDM:
Data and Device Security
MDM doubles down on data security in a whole heap of ways. Here are just some of them:
- Automated disk encryption: Encryption is a finger in a hacker’s eye. It converts data into total nonsense that’s unreadable to anyone who doesn’t have the secret code that converts it back into data. MDM gives you automated file and disk encryption, which means your data is safe when it travels between devices.
- Remote lock and wipe: Lost your device? Or maybe it was stolen. Don’t worry, your data is safe. MDM will lock down the device so it can’t be used and wipe the data so it can’t be accessed.
- Enforced passcodes and updates: Here’s where MDM encourages your people to be better at security. MDM will check for out-of-date operating systems (OS) and flag them up. You’ll have the power to enforce OS updates so that each device has the latest – and most secure – OS. You can also make your people use and change their device passcodes more frequently than they would without the prodding.
- Web filtering: Web filtering is something you can deploy using MDM. It protects people who click before they think by blocking access to risky websites and dangerous pop-ups.
Compliance
If you’re looking to work with big corporates, government departments, or in particular sectors like healthcare, you’ll usually need some kind of compliance accreditation – such as SOC 2, HIPAA, or ISO 27001 – to prove you’re serious about keeping data safe. Many of these frameworks expect you to have an IT asset register, which is a database or list of your IT assets, such as mobile devices. The MDM’s control panel acts as a de facto asset register because it gives you comprehensive details of your fleet of devices as well as an audit trail.
Recruitment
One of MDM’s shiniest features is its ability to streamline the onboarding process, making it faster, more effective, and more impressive to new hires than traditional onboarding. Through MDM, you can deploy zero-touch onboarding and conditional access, which are two ways to give new hires access to all the online tools, resources, and corporate data they’ll need to feel welcome and productive. Heck, zero-touch onboarding can take all of 20 minutes, depending on how fast the new hire is at opening up the box their sparkly new Macbook came in.
Is MDM Right for Your Business?
Hmm, let’s see. If you’d like a user-friendly business asset that’s easy to deploy, that keeps your business more secure and more productive, that gives your people the facility to work securely and well from anywhere, and doesn’t cost a kidney, then yes, MDM is right for your business. If you don’t, then no.
If you’ve enjoyed/endured this mobile device management for dummies guide and are still a bit curious about what else MDM can do for your business, we’re happy to show you.
Ignition is Silicon Valley’s best (and friendliest) IT security, compliance, and support team. Call us now–chatting about IT support and cybersecurity is our favorite thing to do!