MDM - A cautionary tale

31 March 2015

Many Australian businesses are paying for a broad MDM service but only using a fraction of its capability.

mobile-management

Much more to MDM than device wipe

"We all know that MDM can remotely wipe a device which has been compromised, but for some Australian companies this security feature is the start and end of their MDM use.

"This can be due to a lack of awareness of the functionality of MDM or there may not be the technical skills in-house to configure or manage the MDM platform."

This has been the observation of VoicePlus ICT Solution manager, Phill McSherry.

There are three main capabilities of an MDM platform which can be grouped as

security
app deployment
email management

Security - automated compliance

For many businesses the driver to become involved with an MDM solution is security concerns and this is the cornerstone of most MDM products. However the functionality is far more advanced than remote wiping a device.

Some other security features include:

Secure enterprise network tunnelling and access
Containerisation and delivery of corporate content
Automated compliance and enforced device restrictions

App Deployment Over The Air

Increasingly business has a requirement for employees to use specific customised Applications, particularly if they have employees in the field such as sales or service teams.

In the past, using the Apple configurator tool or similar, companies have physically retrieved devices from employees, bringing them back in-house to configure and reinstall apps.

The next stage saw business moving the onus to employees to download an App and install it themselves. This often resulted in an inconsistent approach or even to the App not being used at all. Workers who hit complications or are unsure how to proceed ignored the directive.

"Now with 'Over The Air' management, the MDM platform can deploy an App to all the devices in the mobile fleet, or to a select segment. Firmware updates, alerts, even corporate videos and training instructions - can be pushed out remotely without the end user needing to be involved. This provides a consistent result and mitigates any risk."

Email Management without end user intervention

In the recent past, employees wanting to receive company emails have had to install their email client themselves. This can be problematic for non-technical employees or if they lack the information they require such as the email credentials.

"MDM allows for email account configuration without end user intervention. It can also enforce other protocols around email management such as ensuring an email signature is in place, and applying security protocols around emails received.

VoicePlus accredited for AirWatch and Intune

VoicePlus works exclusively with VMWare AirWatch and Microsoft Intune EMM/MDM environments.

We provide design, implementation and ongoing management of AirWatch and Intune solutions.

CASE STUDIES: VoicePlus has provided AirWatch solutions for the Office of Environment and Heritage, Electrolux, and Specialty Fashion Group.

CASE STUDY: In the M2M (machine to machine) space, VoicePlus works exclusively with Jasper Wireless. More than 2,500 global enterprises connect their devices through the Jasper Control Platform. VoicePlus manages Coca-Cola Amatil's Jasper Control Centre which is linked to their 17,000+ vending machines across Australia.