Countless industries use mobile devices in their daily operations to improve efficiency and productivity. From mobile checkout devices at retail stores and restaurants, hand-held devices to check vital signs in medical patients, and smartphones and tablets for corporate executives, mobile devices are used across a variety of businesses.
Because these devices are necessary to accomplish both basic and complex business tasks and also house sensitive information, these devices need to be managed and kept secure. From procurement to updating software and firmware at the device level, as well as application management, data security and more, IT teams are responsible for handling critical tasks to keep employee devices secure and functioning properly.
Managed mobility services (MMS) is a comprehensive and in-depth software solution to the cumbersome task of keeping mobile devices running smoothly for the people and organizations that use them.
What Are Managed Mobility Services (MMS)?
Managed mobility services (MMS) is a comprehensive process focused on all aspects of mobile devices within a company. MMS includes procuring devices and setting up all necessary applications and tools, managing and securing those devices, providing technical support and end-user management, and even offers a level of expense management so that your organization’s technology and associated maintenance stays within budget.
MMS significantly alleviates stress on IT staff, helps ensure that your company’s tech is up-to-date and compliant, and is a convenient way to manage remote or hybrid workers that use a diverse inventory of devices from various locations around the world. Growing start-ups, large enterprise corporations, and organizations that need to connect various frontline or remote workers often find MMS solutions to be incredibly beneficial in improving their productivity, compliance, and overall connectivity.
Core Components of Managed Mobility Services
Today, one out of every five workers works remotely and 16% of companies worldwide operate within a fully remote business model. Even if employees are not fully remote, some portion of their working hours are completed outside of a traditional office environment, often from mobile devices such as mobile phones, tablets, wearable tech, and more.
Leveraging mobile technology can mean increased productivity and efficiency, but only if those devices are well-managed. Managed mobility services can ensure that your tech works for you and not against you. MMS solutions are comprised of several key components designed to form a robust framework that keeps devices performing optimally and within compliance:
1. Device Procurement and Management
This component involves sourcing, implementing, and managing mobile devices throughout their lifecycle.
2. Mobile Application Management
This process includes deploying, securing, and managing mobile apps, as well as ensuring apps are up-to-date and properly configured across all devices.
3. Expense Management
Monitor, control, and optimize costs associated with mobile devices and services to reduce unnecessary expenses.
4. Security and Compliance
As one of the most important functions of MMS software, this feature ensures mobile devices and data are protected from security threats while sticking to regulations and policies.
5. Technical Support
IT teams provide employees with technical assistance troubleshooting issues with a device or application, routine maintenance to minimize downtime, and other support-related matters.
6. End-User Management
End-user management ensures that all employees who use mobile devices have the appropriate access, apps, and support needed to work efficiently, while still giving admins the ability to ensure device and application compliance best-practices are followed.
Key Benefits of Managed Mobility Services
Managed mobility services are a foundational asset to the well-being of your company, encompassing an arsenal of solutions that benefit productivity and your overall bottom line. Discover the many ways that MMS benefits organizations of all sizes:
Cost Optimization
Managed mobility services can help reduce expenses through a streamlined process that aims to find and eliminate unnecessary costs. MMS can examine usage patterns and leverage that information to surface more cost-effective solutions.
Enhanced Security
Reducing security risks is a main point of concern for all companies, but especially for those that rely on a variety of mobile devices. An expert managed mobility service will make sure all mobile devices - regardless of operating system - are secure and compliant.
Improved Productivity
Employees are more productive when devices and apps are properly maintained, managed, and updated. MMS helps reduce technical issues and problems that stem from outdated software, offering a reliable way to manage critical updates at scale.
Expert Support
Even the most advanced technology requires support to perform its best. MMS solutions can offer expert support in the event that users have questions about how to effectively use their device or apps. Having access to expert, dedicated support ensures that employees will receive prompt, correct answers and reduce employee downtime.
Scalability
As a company grows, so does its need for sophisticated and secure technical solutions. Managed mobility services are flexible and designed to grow with your organization without disrupting productivity and security.
Simplified Management
MMS offers organizations and IT the ability to manage mobile devices from a single platform. Having one platform allows for simplified management of all mobile assets, greater visibility across the entire device ecosystem, and the ability to streamline updates to mobile devices and applications.
How Managed Mobility Services Work
Managed mobility services offer a comprehensive, end-to-end solution for managing mobile devices throughout their lifecycle, as well as optimizing expense management, and providing a platform for specialized technical support. MMS provides IT with a centralized hub to quickly deploy updates and maintain devices. This helps eliminate manual processes for IT and helps automate timely, critical updates to mobile devices across a company with minimal disruption to service.
MMS solutions also increase efficiency by ensuring that employees have secure access to necessary applications, software, and tools. Additionally, MMS helps organizations stay compliant and protect sensitive data accessed via mobile devices.
Where to Implement MMS Into Your Business
MMS solutions can benefit a wide variety of businesses. Highly-regulated industries, such as healthcare and finance, can benefit significantly from mobile management solutions. From safeguarding sensitive data to ensuring that employees have stable connectivity and access to apps, MMS allows employees in heavily-regulated industries to maintain peak efficiency without sacrificing the rigorous security required to comply with legal regulations and stringent requirements set forth by regulatory bodies.
For instance, MMS solutions can encrypt data in-transit and at rest, protecting confidential patient data in compliance with HIPAA laws and protecting financial data and other personally identifiable information (PII).
Industries that don’t have rigid governing requirements can also benefit from MMS solutions. For instance, those in the retail and hospitality sectors rely heavily on mobile devices. Retail and food industry businesses often leverage mobile point-of-sale (POS) systems. An MMS solution ensures these devices are securely configured to protect against data breaches when conducting transactions.
MMS can also ensure devices stay secure and are working with the most recent software updates to remain fully functional, preventing disruptions to operations and even helping with inventory and supply chain management. When mobile devices are properly maintained, employees can focus more on the customer experience and building relationships essential to growing a business.
Managed Mobility Services vs. Mobile Device Management
While managed mobility services (MMS) and mobile device management (MDM) solutions are related and have some overlap, they are distinctly different solutions.
MDM manages and secures a company’s physical mobile device inventory and ensures applications on those devices are secure and updated. The core focus of MDM is device configuration, security, and compliance. Procurement, expense management, and comprehensive employee device management are not included in MDM solutions.
MMS takes a wider, end-to-end approach that encompasses all of the same pillars as MDM solutions, including security and updating devices and their applications. However, MMS also involves components that touch various points across the mobile device lifecycle. This includes device and software procurement, optimizing costs, managing deployment, and technical support.
Who Needs Managed Mobility Services?
Organizations of all sizes can benefit from managed mobility services, helping them fulfill their goals, maintain productivity, and serve customers while keeping data safe and secure.
Large Enterprises
Large companies that employ a global workforce of thousands can leverage MMS solutions to ensure security and collaboration across teams, regardless of geographic location. Managed Mobility Services allows enterprise-level organizations to remain productive, efficient, and compliant across locations and device types, whether those devices are BYOD or company-owned.
Small to Medium-Sized Businesses
Small to medium-sized companies often have limited IT staff and resources, but also have more complex needs with regard to mobile devices. MMS solutions can help companies grow and adapt without sacrificing productivity or security.
MMS can also come with cost-savings benefits, helping small and medium-sized businesses identify more cost-effective solutions at both the procurement stage and throughout the device lifecycle. Because MMS includes tech support, solution providers can serve as an extension of their team without incurring the added cost of hiring additional personnel.
Industries with Heavy Mobile Use
At first glance, industries such as healthcare, logistics, construction, and retail may not have much in common. However, each of these industries rely heavily on mobile devices to conduct tasks essential to keeping business operations running smoothly. MMS ensures that employees have reliable, secure access to devices and that they are equipped with up-to-date applications and security patches, if required. The addition of available tech support can help these industries quickly address and resolve problems to avoid disruption to service.
Maximize Business Efficiency with Managed Mobility Services
Organizations that use mobile devices in their daily operations require a comprehensive solution to manage and maintain these devices. Managed mobility services can streamline the entire experience of procuring and managing mobile devices. In addition to helping bolster your organization’s bottom line, MMS can enhance security and productivity for employees who rely on devices to conduct many of the important tasks and transactions essential to your business.
Contact us to help evaluate your business needs and discover how implementing MMS can transform your company’s efficiency.