TMCnews Featured Article

January 21, 2013

Why Every Company Needs Mobile Device Management

By Susan J. Campbell, TMCnet Contributing Editor

It was inevitable – employees were going to bring their mobile devices to work whether the boss welcomed the technology intrusion or not. True, many an upper management representative sees the benefit of the connected employee, especially when out in the field. For many others, it’s an intrusion on the network, company time and even the internal culture.

For those who are able to embrace the mobile revolution and make it work to their advantage, there are a few things that need to happen on the backend. First, the decision has to be made whether or not the company will supply all mobile devices or allow for the BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) trend. Second, the company must have clear policies in place that outline the management and monitoring of all mobile devices accessing the network and supported applications.

Finally, the company must have mobile device management in place to not only support those internal strategies, but to also provide guidelines for execution in the event of a device being lost, stolen or breached. Users cannot be left to their own judgment when using a mobile device for business purposes. After all, when 81 percent of mobile device users also access work-related information and processes with the same device, protections need to be in place to protect corporate data.

However, nearly 10 percent of companies report that they are unaware of all the mobile devices that have access to the corporate network, according to this Seacoast Online report. As a result, there are people and devices that are tapping into corporate resources without any knowledge internally. Even if these are approved users, how would the company track inappropriate access or use of company data if they don’t know the users are there in the first place? This lack of knowledge alone is enough to promote the value of mobile device management.

To address a number of challenges that can arise from the use of mobile devices on the corporate network, MobileIron offers a full range of solutions. The company’s Virtual Smartphone Platform combines real-time wireless cost control with data-driven mobile device management. It works on multiple platforms, helps to control the high cost of mobile support and protects the network from the risks involved with unsecured employee-owned phones and tablets.

Further, the company’s mobile device security solution addresses the very real risks involved with employees accessing the corporate network with their personal devices. And, as companies recognize the cost benefits associated with allowing BYOD, mobile device management is needed to ensure the secure use of all devices and applications.

MobileIron’s solution ensures the necessary visibility so IT managers know what is on a user’s smartphone and how it’s being used when accessing corporate assets. Companies can bring employee and corporate-owned phones under centralized IT management; smartphones can connect securely to enterprise resources; security policies are enforced to protect corporate data; and lost, stolen or retired smartphones are expedited through full and selective wipe processes to ensure no protected data is ever released.

In a nutshell, the mobile trend is here to stay. If management wants to keep employees securely and actively engaged regardless of their location, policies and strategies must be governed by mobile device management.

Want to learn more about the latest in communications and technology? Then be sure to attend ITEXPO Miami 2013, Jan 29- Feb. 1 in Miami, Florida. Stay in touch with everything happening at ITEXPO (News - Alert). Follow us on Twitter.

Edited by Jamie Epstein

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