Successful companies have been using systems to manage computers and user accounts for decades now. These days IT Managers are doing exactly the same thing with mobile devices, which are after all computers, too – just more complex in many ways. In fact, Gartner predicted way back in 2012 that by 2017, two-thirds of companies will be using Mobile Device Management (MDM). To help understand why they’re doing it (and why you should, too), we’ve listed six simple reasons why today’s bright sparks make the most of MDM.
1. They like to keep inventory
Knowing your assets is a good thing. That’s why great managers through the ages have always understood the value of keeping a systematic inventory of not only products but whatever tools are in place, too. With mobile device management, you always have an up to date view of all of your devices, from anywhere.
2. They need to be safe from the challenges of mobility
A study by British mobile network operators EE estimated that in 2014 over 10 million mobile devices were lost or stolen in the UK alone. Mobile devices are unpredictable: they’re easily lost and they connect to dozens of new networks all over the place while housing your confidential data.
Mobile device management is clearly the tool to tackle these challenges. You need a fresh strategy rather than pretending that no data will be accessed or stored on the most convenient devices around. With mobile device management, this could include anything from passcode policies and remote lock or wipe of data to protected email and device encryption. How’s that for a safety net?
3. Mobile device management frees up time and mindshare
With unmanaged devices of any kind, the end-user has to pretend to be their own IT administrator. That means your workers may at least try to take responsibility for stuff that’s probably outside their expertise. In these days of increased connectivity and uncertainty about security, this is also an increased business risk. According to a survey conducted by research company Nielsen, an incredible 80% of Americans get stressed out at work. When you start thinking about this, anything you can do to lessen that burden will add to employees' well-being at work, and free up time for them to focus on things that matter.
4. Mobile device management increases productivity
Once you have mobile device management with good policies in place, your organization no longer needs to spend time discussing whether your use of mobile platforms is legitimate. You can easily comply with any regulations within your industry while acting responsibly with your data in new and exciting ways.
This means you can start to look for modern and convenient ways to make mobile platforms an established part of how your organization works. Even if you work with complicated software and workflows, there might be ways to make some data available from anywhere. Companies are increasingly investing in custom mobile apps and the infrastructure (APIs) for accessing data, and MDM allows all of this to be securely distributed over the air. Think about it for a minute. What could your organization do?
5. Their employees become happier
Enabling your employees to do their work with modern tools, you’ll make them happier and help them balance work and life. With the right tools in place on mobile devices, mobile employees may be able to do tasks such as saving receipts and filling in reports without opening a laptop and their office suite. E-mail shouldn’t be the only way to access information on any device.
6. They’re ready for the future
According to recent data compiled by Swiss serviced office provider IWG, 70 percent of professionals work remotely (“telecommuting”) at least one day a week, while 53 percent work remotely for at least half of the week. The future is clearly mobile, and with a fully sanctioned and responsible mobile device policy in place, employees are less likely to be stressed by instant access to everything via mobile phones.
Instead of discussing whether something should be allowed to work on a mobile device, you can move on to best practices in a world packed with notifications and little red inbox counters. By understanding the flow of information and attention, your organization will be a little more prepared for a time when computers may be embedded in everything, all around us.
So there you have it, six simple, yet compelling reasons, why successful companies are making mobile device management, part of their everyday.