Access Management

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What Is Mobile Device Management System: A Complete Overview

Sharavanan

21st November, 2023

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Due to the increase in work decentralization, mobile devices have become integral to most organizations. But, because these devices access critical data, they become prime targets for hackers. That's why it's crucial to manage these devices effectively and securely. However, doing this can be complex and time-intensive for IT teams. 

This is where a mobile device management (MDM) system comes in. It effectively manages all the company's devices, regardless of their type or operating system. However, there is a lot more to explore about MDM systems. This article will provide a complete overview of the mobile device management system.

Let's begin our journey by understanding the basics of mobile device management systems. This way, you'll have a clear grasp of this critical concept. 

What is a Mobile Device Management System?

A mobile device management system allows your IT team to streamline and simplify the mobile device management process. It seamlessly addresses the challenges of handling many devices, which can be intricate and time-consuming. But how does it do that?

This system offers your IT team a centralized platform to enforce enterprise policies on multiple devices effectively. Further, it enables them to grant mobile devices access to business resources remotely and thoroughly monitors the allocation of access permissions to individual devices, ensuring compliance is met. 

This system also automates various mobile device management tasks, reducing your team's workload. For example, MDM systems help your IT teams manage various device types remotely without the need for manual configuration.

Additionally, it's important to note that there are two types of MDM solutions available in the market: cloud-based MDM solutions and on-premises solutions. 

However, considering the dynamic nature of today's work environment, where mobile device adoption increases, businesses commonly opt for cloud-based MDM solutions. Although, various vendors offer on-premise options as well. Therefore, you can choose the solution that best aligns with your organization's needs. 

Now, let's explore the mobile device's key components. 

Key Components Of Mobile Device Management System

Listed below are the key components of mobile device management systems:

1. Device Tracking

Device tracking is one of the key components of an MDM system. With this feature, your IT team can install GPS tracking and other programs on every device registered or provided by your organization. This allows your team to monitor the location of the device. Also, it enables your team to upgrade and resolve issues on the mobile device instantly. 

Furthermore, it identifies and notifies about devices at high risk or non-compliant and can even remotely lock or erase a device if it is lost or stolen.

2. Mobile Management

Your IT teams can set up and oversee mobile devices by utilizing mobile device management systems' mobile management features. It also supports employees who encounter issues or have questions about using their mobile devices, such as addressing device functionality issues. 

Additionally, these system features ensure that every device is equipped with the required operating systems and applications. Furthermore, this feature enhances productivity, safeguards data, and provides data backup and recovery mechanisms. The goal is to meet the specific requirements and demands of the employees using these devices for their work-related tasks.

3. Application Security

The MDM system's application security involves a process known as app wrapping, where an IT admin adds security or management features to an application. 

These security features are crucial in defining various aspects, such as whether user authentication is necessary to open the app. Also,  if data from the app can be copied, pasted, or stored on the device, and whether the user has the capability to share files. 

4. Identity And Access Management 

IAM is a critical component within the MDM system that provides robust security for mobile management. This feature allows your IT team to effectively manage user identities linked with a device. 

It enables precise control over each user's access within the organization through features like single sign-on (SSO), multi-factor authentication, and role-based access. By implementing IAM, the MDM system ensures a secure and well-regulated environment for user interactions and device access.

5. Endpoint Security

The last crucial component of the MDM system is endpoint security, which covers all devices connecting to a corporate network, including wearables, Internet of Things (IoT) sensors, and non-traditional mobile devices. 

This security feature involves a range of standard network security tools like antivirus software, network access control, incident response, URL filtering, and cloud security. By safeguarding each endpoint, the MDM system ensures a fortified defense against potential threats, contributing to the overall security of the corporate network.

Why Is a Mobile Device Management System Important?

In today's work environment, employees now perform many, if not most, of their tasks on their mobile devices. Due to this, the IT teams require an effective system to manage these devices. Furthermore, employees often store and transfer substantial amounts of data on their mobile devices, making them a prime target for hackers. 

Malicious actors often exploit these devices to gain unauthorized access to an organization's sensitive data. 

Mobile device management system emerges as the optimal solution to address these pressing concerns.

A mobile device management system enables your IT team to efficiently oversee and control mobile devices. Additionally, it provides the means for employees to work remotely and securely access data stored in the cloud.

However, it's not only restricted to that; the emphasis on mobile device management has evolved towards a more comprehensive approach. It also covers the management of desktops and laptops rather than being focused solely on mobile devices. 

Now that you understand the importance of the MDM software, you might be curious about how this mobile device management system operates. Let's delve into how it works.

How Does the Mobile Device Management Work? 

Mobile Device Management systems generally run either on-premises or in the cloud. This system provides a management console that your IT teams can utilize to remotely set up and control devices. 

But first, devices must be enrolled/registered in the MDM software, or in other words the MDM server. This can be done through enrollment programs from Apple, Google, Samsung, and Microsoft or using tokens, QR codes, NFC, or email/SMS manually.

IT admins can wirelessly (over the air (OTA)) through the management console to push configurations and applications to mobile devices. Furthermore, the MDM server sends out commands to devices using application programming interfaces (APIs) in the operating system.

Additionally, once the device is enrolled, your IT teams can use the MDM dashboard to easily apply pre-set device settings to multiple devices. This helps keep a close eye on company-owned and personal devices. 

Your IT admins can check where devices are, how they're used, and if they follow the rules, all from one place. Whether it's regular devices like laptops and smartphones or special ones like cash registers, digital signs, or kiosks with different operating systems like Android, iOS, macOS, or Windows, IT admins can handle them all from a single spot.

But where to get these systems? Well, some MDM providers offer both on-premises models and cloud-based SaaS. However, SaaS solutions are often quicker and more cost-effective since they don't need extra hardware. On the other hand, on-premise solutions require additional management, monitoring, maintenance, and updates.

Now, let's move further and look at some of the benefits of mobile device management systems.

Benefits Of Having A Mobile Device Management System

Listed below are some of the most common advantages offered by mobile device management systems:

1. Simplifies Remote Management Of Devices

MDM software allows IT admins to manage company-owned and BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) scenarios effortlessly. The flexibility to create various policies ensures smooth control over devices. Additionally, it simplifies onboarding by providing employees with pre-configured company-owned devices, delivering an instant, hassle-free experience right out of the box. This benefit enhances overall device management efficiency and user experience. 

2. Enhanced Mobile Security

MDM system enables your IT admins to establish and deploy a range of security configurations covering networks, devices, and data, all from a centralized dashboard. This proactive approach protects against potential threats, such as malware, providing a secure digital environment. 

In the unfortunate event of a device being lost or stolen, the mobile device management system offers an additional layer of security. It enables your IT team to quickly lock down the devices and erase stored data, safeguarding sensitive corporate data from unauthorized access. This capability strengthens the overall security posture of the organization.

3. Automate Routine IT Tasks 

This system enhances your IT team's efficiency by automating repetitive yet vital tasks that consume a significant amount of time when done manually. MDM tools seamlessly handle tasks like patch management and timely operating system updates. This not only frees up valuable IT resources but also ensures the protection of data and applications. The MDM system is crucial in proactively addressing security concerns and keeping potential threats at bay by automating these routine tasks.

4. Assist Your IT Team in Remote Troubleshooting 

The MDM system enables your IT team to rapidly respond to issues faced by remote employees. Utilizing the MDM agent, IT support can swiftly connect with remote devices, providing immediate assistance. This quick and effective remote troubleshooting capability ensures speedy issue resolution, minimizes downtime and enhances overall productivity. The MDM system acts as a valuable tool for maintaining seamless operations, even in geographically dispersed work environments.

5. Streamlines OTA App & Content Management

This system simplifies the management of mobile devices by allowing the secret installation of apps and seamless configuration and updates. Also, it provides your IT team the ability to monitor app data usage effectively. Additionally, through remote functionality, your teams can effortlessly distribute files in various formats, including documents, images, presentations, and videos, to many devices. 

6. Thoroughly Monitors & Conducts Compliance Checks

The mobile device management system gives your IT team detailed insights into dispersed devices. This includes tracking locations, monitoring policy compliance, monitoring device usage, and vital statistics. With the help of this granular visibility, your team can have better control over mobile devices.

7. Improves Employee Productivity

The MDM system lets your team lock your employees' devices into single or multiple selective apps. It also enables your team to allow or block specific websites. This means it enables your team to control which apps and websites employees can access on their devices, making it easier to focus on work. This further helps in improving employee productivity. Additionally, MDM systems can also be used to create purpose-specific devices, like kiosks for commercial use.

Your team can avail the mentioned benefits by implementing the MDM system effectively. However, before proceeding with the mobile device management system implementation, it's essential to consider a checklist. 

Points To Consider Before Implementing Mobile Device Management System

Listed below are 6 points that you need to thoroughly look into before implementing a mobile device management system:

1. Discover The Devices Used By The Employees

To effectively implement MDM solutions, it's crucial to have a clear understanding of your entire employee device inventory and their work requirements. Your team can gain this visibility by creating a comprehensive list of devices that need to be managed. Further, categorize these devices based on operating systems, location, or ownership status (corporate-owned or BYOD).

2. Establish Well-Defined Policies To Govern Device Usage

Mobile device management systems function properly when your IT teams have well-defined device management policies in place. This helps avoid confusion or deviations (like which devices need to be managed or which devices should have permission to access certain data). Also, your IT team needs to establish policies to meet specific security requirements without disrupting your employees' work. 

3. Don't Ignore UI/UX

Make sure your employees actually enjoy using the MDM software you've chosen. While emphasizing security and other necessities, don't compromise on the user interface and experience. Choose an MDM vendor that allows you to customize the MDM software to suit your needs. Also, consider how well the software integrates with apps.

4. Opt for Flexibility and Cross-Platform Consistency

A rigid MDM solution can cause issues as your workplace introduces diverse devices. Choose a solution that offers the same functions and user experience across all platforms—Windows, Android, iOS, Mac, and Linux. The device enrollment process should be secure and quick. Additionally, look for flexible deployment options, whether it's on the cloud or on-premises.

5. Look For Scalability Options

When choosing a mobile device management solution, thinking about scalability is crucial. This means the system should easily handle adding new devices without causing a lot of complications. Likewise, when devices are no longer in use or employees change, the process of removing and reassigning devices should be smooth and trouble-free.

6. Provide Adequate Training & Support To Your IT Team 

Even top-notch MDM solutions can be confusing without the right training and support. It's important to pick an MDM provider with thorough training and support services. This ensures that IT admins have the knowledge they need to manage devices effectively. The best MDM providers should be available to assist you anytime, anywhere, especially in today's era of remote work.

Now that you've completely understood mobile device management systems let's explore ways to get more out of MDM tools. While there are various ways to achieve this, one expert-recommended option is to integrate these tools with Zluri. This integration with Zluri will unlock the full potential of these tools. 

Get More Out Of Mobile Device Management System By Integrating With Zluri

Many organizations tend to invest considerable amounts in mobile management tools, and why won't they? After all, these tools play a crucial role in managing mobile devices effectively and efficiently. 

But, when you're already investing substantial resources and funds into such tools, exploring ways to get the most out of them is prudent. Now, you must be wondering how that can be done. You can consider integrating your MDM tools with Zluri's SMP to get more out of your mobile device management system investments. 

Let's take Jamf, a widely recognized mobile device management tool, as an example. 

Zluri's SMP seamlessly integrates with Jamf, enabling your IT team to centrally control and automate a spectrum of hardware and software management tasks. Let's explore the range of tasks this integration facilitates.

Basically, Zluri + Jamf helps your IT team perform these 4 major tasks:

• Register devices and enroll users

• Auto-lock users and delete users from the device

• Run install/update scripts on devices

• Monitor installed software usage and licenses

Register devices and enroll users

The integration of Jamf with Zluri's SMP streamlines the process of registering devices and enrolling users. 

When a new employee joins the company, your IT team can leverage this integration to register and assign specific devices to them automatically. To help you understand better, let's assume you hired a new employee to join the finance department. Now, your IT team has to assign them registered devices that are used by the finance teams. So, through this integration, the IT system predicts the devices your employees will need for their role, such as laptops or consoles. Accordingly, these devices are then automatically assigned or enrolled for the new user.

The benefit of this automated process is that it takes place prior to the user's actual start date. This proactive approach ensures that the necessary devices are ready and configured, minimizing any potential delays or hiccups during the onboarding process. 

As a result, the new employee experiences a smooth and efficient transition into their designated device ecosystem, allowing them to quickly start with their work. 

Auto-lock and delete users from the device

When an employee's tenure comes to an end and they serve their notice period with the company, your IT team can initiate a predefined offboarding user/device workflow. This workflow is designed to automatically lock the device assigned to the departing employee.

By implementing this automated locking mechanism, the departing employee's access to the device can be promptly revoked. This is a crucial security measure, as it prevents the individual from accessing company devices and sensitive information stored in them after their departure. 

For example, an employee is serving his last date in the company. With this integration, your IT team can run the offboarding user/device workflow for that employee. Once the workflow is run, the user automatically gets deleted from the IDP, and further, it auto-triggers to lock the device. Also, the user will be auto-deprovisioned from all the applications.  

Run install/update scripts on devices

In certain organizations, there is a requirement to either install a set of applications on users' devices or manually update them at regular intervals. Instructing IT teams to perform these installations or updates can be a time-intensive process and may introduce potential errors.

So, by integrating Jamf with Zluri's SMP, your team can automate the installation and update procedures for applications through the use of scripts. A script is a collection of commands in a file that are to run in sequential order, which are used to automate processes that are often executed manually.

Furthermore, your team can create, update, and delete scripts via Zluri's SMP, which can then be executed on users' devices via Jamf. This automation not only saves significant time and effort but also mitigates the risk of errors in configurations and installations that may arise through manual intervention.

Monitor installed software usage and licenses

How can your IT team keep tabs on the applications installed on local devices and assess their usage? Without effective software tracking and license management capabilities, understanding the extent of application usage becomes challenging. 

But by integrating Jamf with Zluri's SMP, your IT team can silently deploy agents into the user's device. Once deployed, your team can auto-authenticate without any manual intervention from the user. By doing so, Zluri's SMP enables your IT team to measure individual license utilization using software metering. This functionality helps track and monitor the usage of software on users' devices.

Now you know how Zluri's SMP can help you get the most out of your mobile device management system investment. So why don't you book a demo now and explore Zluri's other exquisite capabilities? 

Also Read: GitHub Integration

FAQs

What Is Mobile Device Management?

Mobile Device Management (MDM) is a subset of Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM) and involves overseeing a multitude of devices and endpoints. Basically, MDM is the process of managing the complete lifecycle of these devices that are used in the workplace (from the time the device is enrolled until its retirement). The ultimate aim of MDM is to create a perfect balance between device management, user productivity, and policy compliance.

Who Are MDM Providers?

An MDM provider is an external mobile device management vendor. They offer device management solutions to businesses, managed service providers, OEMs, and resellers through a subscription-based model. Depending on your organization's needs, MDM providers offer various licensing plans to help your IT teams manage your device lifecycles effectively.

What Does BYOD Mean?

Bring your own device (BYOD) means that employees use their own personal mobile devices for work instead of using devices provided by the company. Securing a personal device for work is trickier than securing company devices. However, BYOD is a widely used method, especially by younger workers. Companies choose this approach to increase employee satisfaction and make them more productive. It also helps cut costs for a mobile workforce since there's no need to buy extra devices.    

About the author

Sharavanan

Content Marketing Specialist