For many IT managers, mobility is a top priority in 2012, as BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) reaches the mainstream and investing in an MDM (mobile device management) solution becomes even more important. Since choosing the right MDM solution can be a challenge, this post will simplify the process by listing the key questions IT service providers and customers need to ask to make your decision easier.
The questions include…
1. Who… Who’s in charge?
Which internal group at your organization will manage the device ecosystem? Will it be IT? The help desk? Operations? It’s an important consideration, since a solution that needs to address security management, policy management, inventory management, telecommunications service management, and software distribution doesn’t fit neatly into any individual departmental bucket. Aligning organizational silos may likely be your first challenge.
2. Where… On Premise or Cloud-Based?
Should you select an on-premise application or a cloud-based solution? There’s a lot to be said for cloud-based solutions in a world that’s as fast-moving as mobile devices – upgrades can be implemented quickly and rolled out instantly to all users – but carry out a security assessment first to make sure the cloud vendor has solid data security tools in place. Limit your search to vendors that adhere to global privacy and security policies such as TRUSTe, Safe Harbor and ISO 27001, and support international mandates including SOX, HIPAA and European privacy laws.
3. What… What functionality and policy enforcement do you require?
Once you’ve mapped out what you need to manage your current and future situation, and who will manage it and from where, it’s time to consider functionality and policy enforcement. According to a recent survey by Osterman Research, 73% of respondents said they use a combination of policy and trust to keep a handle on mobile devices and social networks; 51% use policy, technology and trust; and 11% rely on “employee good judgment” alone. It’s important to have a clear management framework in place, otherwise the use of mobile devices is wide open to an “I want what he’s got” scenario that goes nowhere fast.
Once your security and policy enforcement procedures are defined, evaluate the solution’s application delivery and troubleshooting capabilities. This will become increasingly important as mobile devices increase their strategic importance in organizations.
4. Why… Why are mobile and MDM still apples to oranges?
Each mobility platform – Windows, Android, iOS, BlackBerry, etc. –requires different functionality from an MDM solution because each one offers different capabilities. Given constant change and upgrades to mobility OS’s, you should know how quickly each vendor is able to react to mobile system upgrades. (Here is a useful market overview by Gartner on this topic.) Also, remember to test vendor time-to-response during your evaluation process. Chances are this will be a good indicator of what you can expect if you sign up.
5. How… How can we integrate MDM in our current infrastructure?
In the help desk and customer service arenas, agents need to be able to provide seamless “anywhere, anytime, any device” assistance to meet ever-increasing customer satisfaction and time-to-resolution targets, as well as keeping data secure and costs under control. If integration is key to your business, look for a solution supported by an open API that provides plug-and-play availability or easily integrates the MDM in your existing customer service management system.
As the complex IT landscape intensifies the need for new mobility strategies and tools, these questions will hopefully point you in the right direction to better manage mobility.
Tim Hillison is the vice president of global marketing at NTRglobal, a provider of secure cloud-based help desk and ITSM solutions. NTRglobal’s open API is used by leading organizations worldwide. Monthly guest blogs such as this one are part of Talkin’ Cloud’s annual platinum sponsorship.
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The Gartner report you reference in section 4 is almost $500, but it definitely is worth knowing which vendor is the most up-to-speed in this area. From what I’ve read, MaaS360′s cloud-based MDM platform is the quickest to respond to new mobile OS updates and push them to enrolled devices: http://bit.ly/tTfGgO
Hi Anon,
Yes, Gartner’s MDM reports cost money. Generally speaking I think the Gartner research offers good general guidance to CIOs and IT executives. But generally speaking, I think Gartner often fails to write its research for service providers that are trying to find IT solutions.
-jp