With the growth of mobile computing and BYOD in the business environment, organizations now face unprecedented security challenges. Mobile device management (MDM) solutions have emerged to help companies manage, secure, and track the ever-increasing number of smartphones and tablets in the workplace.
MDM has become a necessity for enterprises looking to balance employee flexibility and mobility with the need to protect corporate data and systems. Research shows that the MDM market will continue to expand rapidly, indicating this technology’s rising importance for businesses.
This article will discuss the key benefits of MDM, including capabilities to manage security, apps, and policies. It will outline top MDM solutions on the market, focusing on Microsoft Intune and its advantages for enterprises. Insights from industry experts on MDM trends will also be shared. By the end, readers will have a comprehensive understanding of MDM and how leading solutions like Intune enable organizations to embrace mobility while keeping data secure.
Benefits of Mobile Device Management
Mobile device management (MDM) solutions offer various benefits that make them valuable for organizations managing a fleet of devices. Some key benefits include:
- Enhanced security – MDM provides centralized control over device configurations, security policies, and installed apps. This ensures devices comply with security best practices. MDM can remotely lock or wipe lost or stolen devices.
- Greater control and monitoring – Detailed device monitoring provides visibility into hardware and software inventory. Remote actions help ensure devices are up-to-date. Usage analytics identify opportunities to improve workflows.
- Simplified IT management – Centralized oversight of devices from one dashboard reduces IT workload. Automation streamlines time-consuming tasks like onboarding devices or deploying apps.
- Cost reductions – MDM enables organizations to standardize on a few supported devices and maximize their usable lifespans. Bulk device enrollment and configuration save IT time and effort.
- Productivity improvements – Employees can access apps and data seamlessly from anywhere with managed devices. MDM ensures policy compliance so employees can work efficiently.
- Regulatory compliance – MDM provides the device management and security needed to meet data privacy, financial, and industry-specific regulatory requirements.
In summary, MDM delivers enhanced oversight and control over mobile fleets to maximize security and productivity while reducing costs. Implementing MDM best practices is key for any organization embracing mobility.
Key Capabilities of MDM Solutions
Mobile device management (MDM) solutions provide a range of key capabilities that enable organizations to securely manage a fleet of mobile devices. Some of the core capabilities of MDM solutions include:
- Remote configuration – MDM allows administrators to remotely configure device settings and policies across an entire fleet of devices. This includes setting password policies, Wi-Fi and VPN configurations, email settings, and more. The ability to configure devices remotely simplifies management and ensures consistency of device configurations across the organization.
- Software deployment – MDM solutions enable IT administrators to remotely deploy, update, and remove apps on employee devices. This allows organizations to easily distribute necessary apps, business apps, and security updates across all managed devices. Automating software deployment is efficient and ensures devices are kept up to date.
- Security management – MDM provides tools to enforce device-level security and encryption, remote wipe/lock, blacklist unsafe apps, and set access controls. The platform gives organizations the ability to secure corporate data on BYOD or company-owned devices. Advanced security features like conditional access further enable organizations to protect data.
- Support and troubleshooting – MDM platforms provide remote troubleshooting tools to diagnose and resolve device, app, or configuration issues without needing physical access to the device. IT teams can quickly respond to user requests and minimize device downtime through the management console.
- Usage monitoring and analytics – MDM solutions generate valuable usage reports and analytics that give insight into device, user, and app activity across an organization. This allows companies to track metrics like adoption, compliance violations, costly data usage, and identify security risks.
Considerations in Choosing an MDM Provider
When evaluating options for mobile device management, there are several key factors organizations should consider:
Cloud vs. On-Premises
- Cloud-based MDM solutions remove the need to maintain onsite infrastructure. This provides more flexibility, automatic updates, and lower upfront costs.
- On-premises solutions may be preferred if data security regulations require local control of systems. However, cloud solutions can also meet security needs with proper precautions.
Ease of Use
- The MDM console and interfaces should be intuitive and easy for IT administrators to navigate and manage. Look for simplified workflows.
- Self-service portals can enable end users to securely enroll and manage their own devices without IT intervention.
Scalability
- The ability to easily scale up managed devices is critical as business mobility needs grow.
- MDM solutions should have proven capacity to handle large device fleets and provide remote troubleshooting tools.
Platform Support
- Evaluate which mobile operating systems are required – iOS, iPadOS, Android, Windows etc.
- Consider support for managing laptops and PCs in addition to smartphones and tablets.
Management Features
- Key features like app management, configuration settings, security policies, remote actions etc should align with use cases.
- Consider special industry-specific features for healthcare, finance or other regulated sectors.
Pricing and Licensing
- Subscription models that allow mixing and matching licenses are preferable for flexibility.
- Ensure the solution fits within budget constraints and provides clear ROI on investment.
- Some providers offer free or low-cost options for smaller businesses to get started.
Carefully weighing these factors will help identify the ideal MDM platform that meets both functional and business needs.
Overview of Microsoft Intune
Microsoft Intune is a cloud-based mobile device management (MDM) solution that enables organizations to securely manage devices across their workforce. Intune provides the following key capabilities:
- Cloud-based MDM – As a SaaS solution, Intune does not require on-premises infrastructure. IT can manage the mobile fleet remotely from the cloud.
- Integration with Microsoft ecosystem – Intune offers deep integration with Microsoft Endpoint Manager for comprehensive device and app management. It also integrates with Azure Active Directory for identity and access management.
- Broad device support – Intune supports a wide range of device platforms including iOS, Android, Windows and macOS devices. This provides a unified MDM solution across an organization’s entire mobile fleet.
- Scalable and flexible – With Intune’s cloud-based infrastructure, organizations can easily scale up or down to match their changing business needs. Role-based access control also provides flexible management capabilities.
- Integrated security tools – Intune incorporates advanced security tools like compliance policies, conditional access, and mobile threat defense integrations to help safeguard corporate data on mobile devices.
By leveraging Microsoft Intune’s cloud-based architecture, extensive device and ecosystem support, and integrated security capabilities, organizations can achieve comprehensive, scalable, and unified management of their modern mobile workforce.
Key Capabilities of Intune
Intune offers a comprehensive set of capabilities for managing mobile devices in an organization:
- Multi-OS support – Intune supports all major operating systems including iOS, iPadOS, Android, Windows and macOS devices. This allows organizations to manage a diverse range of devices from a single management tool.
- App management – Intune allows IT administrators to publish, configure, and update apps across devices. Apps can be made available to specific users/groups and selectively wiped or blocked.
- Device configuration – Administrators can configure device settings and restrictions remotely through Intune. This covers email, VPN, Wi-Fi, authentication, encryption and more.
- Security policies – Robust security policies can be enforced through Intune, including passcode requirements, restricting/allowing device features, and more. These policies safeguard company data.
- Remote actions – Administrators can remotely take actions on managed devices like factory resetting devices, remotely locking devices, resetting passwords, locating lost devices and more.
With these wide-ranging capabilities, Intune provides a powerful unified endpoint management solution for today’s mobile-first work environment. IT teams can secure corporate data while delivering an optimal user experience.
Benefits of Using Intune
Intune provides organizations with numerous benefits that help simplify IT administration, empower employees with productivity tools, reduce costs, improve security compliance, and integrate with Microsoft solutions.
- Simplified administration – Intune’s unified endpoint management platform streamlines the administration and configuration of devices. IT teams can easily enroll devices, deploy apps and policies, and manage devices and apps from a unified console. This reduces the management burden for IT.
- Enhanced productivity – Intune gives employees access to corporate data and apps, while allowing personal app use. Features like conditional access policies help balance productivity and security. Employees can work securely from anywhere while IT maintains control.
- Cost reductions – With Intune, organizations can reduce costs associated with managing and securing devices and apps. Features like multi-identity authentication reduce help desk tickets. The cloud-based platform also eliminates infrastructure costs of on-premises solutions.
- Improved compliance and security – Intune enables organizations to enforce device compliance policies like passcodes, encryptions, and anti-malware protection. It provides visibility into device security postures and protects company data. Features like conditional access further enhance security.
- Integration with Microsoft tools – Intune offers tight integration with Microsoft solutions like Azure AD, Endpoint Manager, Office 365, and Windows. This integration provides a robust and unified UEM platform for Microsoft-centric organizations.
Intune Use Cases
Intune’s capabilities for mobile device management make it an ideal solution for several common enterprise scenarios:
BYOD Environments
With Intune, employees can use their own mobile devices at work while IT maintains control and security. Intune enables BYOD programs by:
- Enforcing policies like passcodes, encryption, and antivirus protection
- Separating personal data from corporate data
- Remotely wiping corporate data without touching personal data
- Blocking access to corporate resources when devices are noncompliant
Managing Remote/Mobile Worker
For organizations with employees working remotely, Intune allows full management and security of devices outside the corporate network. Key features include:
- Enrollment and policy enforcement for mobile devices
- Remote access to corporate resources with conditional access control
- Inventory management and software deployment for remote devices
Scaling IT Support Efficiently
As the mobile workforce grows, Intune automates device management tasks to minimize the IT burden. Benefits include:
- Over-the-air profile and app deployment without hands-on configuration
- Instant visibility into device status and compliance
- Automated policy enforcement without user involvement
- Self-service company portal for employees to install approved apps
Supporting Collaboration and Productivity
Intune integrates with Office 365 and other collaboration tools to optimize the mobile experience. Features that drive productivity:
- Secure access to email, files, calendars, contacts, Office apps
- Policies to configure approved apps and usage restrictions
- Approval workflows for new mobile apps and device requests
- Integration with Azure Active Directory for single sign-on
By addressing these common scenarios, Intune enables organizations to empower their mobile workforce while maintaining security and control.
Expert Opinions on Intune
Intune has received positive reviews from IT leaders and industry analysts for its capabilities and benefits:
The Forrester Wave™: Unified Endpoint Management, Q4 2023 report evaluates product strategy in addition to current features when identifying leaders, and Microsoft received the highest possible score in this area. According to the Forrester report, The Unified Endpoint Management Landscape, Q3 2023, “AI will fundamentally change the job of endpoint administrators, allowing them to query endpoints faster and more granularly, help inform policy decisions, and even replace scripting.”
“Choosing Microsoft Managed Desktop and Endpoint Manager was a strategic move, not a cost-saving exercise. We adopted these products and services early to ensure that our Windows images were as safe and secure as possible.”
Guy Rosvall: General Manager of Infrastructure and Services
Pact Group
“Intune is now fully capable of delivering everything we need in order to have satisfied and productive employees out there and also be a best-in-class unified endpoint management platform. “
Florian Weisenberger: Product Owner, Mobile Workplace iOS
AUDI AG
“Our new work model relies heavily on Microsoft Intune, which has helped safeguard our employees and data since the start of the pandemic without creating security vulnerabilities or compliance issues.”
Alaor Barroso de Carvalho Neto: End User Technology Manager
Petrobras