Mobile Device Management (MDM) had emerged as a hot topic for business mobility. A range of macro factors are converging, driving increased momentum for a mobilized enterprise. This, in turn, is driving an increased focus on mobile initiatives within the enterprise that have productivity, flexibility or cost impacts on the business. Some of the factors include:

 

 

MDM and securityare the two key enablers to mobilizing data applications effectively and securely. They provide IT managers with the management capabilities that enable them to keep control of the mobile devices being used by their employees, and the security capabilities necessary to protect the mobile devices, the sensitive corporate data stored on them, and the remote wireless access to the corporate network they provide.

 

Mobile security is driving interest in more robust device management solutions. CIOs are worried about mobile security. Security of mobile devices and the data stored on them is a critical enterprise requirement for a number of important mobility initiatives – remote visibility and control of mobile devices, seamless mobilization of enterprise data and applications, remote provisioning and management of new data applications and services on mobile devices, etc.

 

Research indicates that enterprises are beginning to address the need for mobile security with capabilities like improved authentication and password policy management, though there is clearly much more to do.

 

The important goals of mobile security cannot be achieved without the appropriate security tools and capabilities. This implies that the security of mobile devices is now something the enterprise needs to address with some urgency.

 

In a typical enterprise, there are many different mobile devices being used, many of which have probably not been provided by the company's IT department. Therefore enterprises need security capabilities that enable them to manage and secure all device types irrespective of the operating system, manufacturer, mobile network used, or data applications and services supported.