Warning: not to be confused with "Master Data Management".
It's not us saying it, it's IBM! One of the first companies to adopt MDM on a large scale. Today, its 480,000 laptops and 220,000 mobile devices are managed by a team of just 50 people!
Of course, IBM isn't an SME or a start-up, but we're going to explain why having an MDM in place as early as possible in your company's life can be beneficial.
What is a Mobile Device Manager?
An MDM is software, mainly used by IT managers, to manage a company's various electronic devices. These range from laptops, smartphones and tablets to printers, servers and connected meeting rooms. This management enables devices to be managed throughout their entire lifecycle, from initial deployment on the other side of the world to terminal deletion, including, of course, maintenance in operational condition.
Some MDMs are designed to be single-OS, while others can manage multiple operating systems.
The MDM concept emerged in the 2000s with the advent of PDAs and laptops, which were open doors to corporate data. In 2002, at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, one of the students in charge of the 400-strong computer fleet set about creating a first MDM to better manage Macs: the Casper Suite, forerunner of Jamf, was born. It was around 2010 that we saw the first boom in the development of MDMs for large enterprises, with Apple's first use of the term MDM in 2009. We'll have to wait until 2018 and 2021 for the start of solutions designed for SMEs and start-ups.
What can you do with an MDM?
The answer is twofold!
Firstly, it should be said that an MDM will be able to automatically perform all the recurring tasks that are done when an employee arrives to prepare his or her computer and accesses, throughout the employee's contract and when he or she leaves:
- device settings
- local account creation
- installation of applications and software
- implementation of safety rules
- device and software updates
An MDM will also take your IT management one step further:
- ensure fleet consistency at all times
- correct critical problems without delay (patching, blocking a lost computer, etc.)
- monitor the health and age of your fleet
- track your inventory, equipment status and usage
What are the advantages?
Time saved!
You've got a new employee coming in, and you need to prepare his or her computer, accounts and access. Whether it's the IT manager, an office manager or a computer-savvy employee, this takes time: up to 2 hours of preparation, according to the interviews we've conducted. And when an employee leaves, who's in charge of resetting all devices to zero and closing all accesses?
All these non-value-added activities, which take up time for you and your team, can now be automated.
Safety and compliance
An MDM will ensure that your decisions are taken into account. If you want to standardize your fleet by deploying similar security rules on all your devices, that's possible. If you want to apply restrictions according to geographic zone and OS type, that's also possible.
Has a computer update been overdue? We'll let you know and give you the chance to remedy the situation.
This enables you to comply with your internal security policy, as well as with the regulations that apply to you.
In addition to this, there are a number of functions that will come in handy at certain times: a lost or stolen phone? You can locate it, block it, or even delete company data if it's online.
Would you like to implement a BYOD (bring your own device) policy? You can offer your employees the option of registering their terminals. A watertight bubble will be set up in the latter with all the company's applications.
Reduced costs at last
Put simply: with an MDM, you can automate time-consuming tasks such as inventorying your hardware, tracking updates and configurations, etc. Less time spent on low value-added activities, more time spent on activities that are important and profitable for your business.
The value of the costs will be proportional to the workload on these activities and your current level of progress. And no, doing nothing and letting your employees do the configuration doesn't mean that these tasks don't exist ;)
Why is MDM so important for SMEs and start-ups?
One of the main reasons for this is the changing world of work, which is becoming ever more dematerialized and connected, bringing both improvements and risks.
SMEs and start-ups are no longer spared from hacking attempts. One could even say that they have become the preferred targets of hackers seeking to extort money. Implementing an appropriate, reactive security strategy is vital. For the enterprise, MDM is the basic tool for achieving this goal. Alongside this, the changing world of work has also created a trend towards remote working. Many advantages, of course! But also the need to adapt so that your remote employees can work properly. In this case, an MDM will enable you to manage and troubleshoot your employees without having to send the device back to the office.
And in the case of rapid growth, it's often customary to leave a new employee to get his or her computer ready, or to put off certain strategic IT choices until later. If you integrate an MDM into your company early on, you ensure that these choices are made, applied and that the time saved with each new recruit is not wasted. In other words, an MDM will help you to scale up more serenely.
Why is choosing an MDM provider important?
If you're looking for an MDM, you'll certainly find what you're looking for. There are many well-known ones, and many lesser-known ones. Before choosing, it's important to ask yourself the right questions:
- how big is my company?
- what types of equipment do i want to manage?
- which OS are used in my company?
- will this management be done in-house or outsourced? if in-house, by whom?
- how much time am I prepared to invest in training for the solution?
- how much time am I willing to invest on a daily basis to use the solution?
In fact, some MDMs have specific features: some are dedicated to a single OS, while others are designed for large enterprises, with IT teams trained in their complexity. Some MDMs are more suited to smaller structures, and will only be available in English, or your data may be hosted outside Europe.
You will also find offers from service providers who will do all this management for you. These are known as Managed Service Providers (MSPs). They offer to set up and manage your fleet on a day-to-day basis. These providers rely on existing solutions. So it's important to find out which platform your data will be stored on, and how dependent you'll be on its services.
Once you've answered these questions, you can get on with your research!
We'd be delighted to answer any questions you may have.
