Mobile Device Management (MDM) has emerged as one of the main software solutions. Business MDM solutions, in particular, are being adopted majorly for the management and security benefits for the data in the company. These applications are mainly used on mobile endpoint devices, which go in and out of the business. Business MDM solutions primarily offer you an interface, which helps interact with the data that is being transmitted on the devices associated with your company as well as the personal mobile phones of your employees.

What is Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM)?

• One important term associated with Business MDM solutions is Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM) solutions. EMM is basically another form of endpoint management and is used to speak about a larger suite of tools.
• EMM actually consists of mobile content management and mobile device management, both of which take care of specific areas concerning the management of applications used on mobile phones.
• These may further consist of productivity apps, an app store, secure browsers analytics, reporting, and management of emails.

What are the benefits of MDM?

• Business MDM solutions help in the enhancement of IT control, and they may also help in the remote monitoring of devices. They also assist in app deployment and configuration.
• The level of security provided by Business MDM solutions cannot be underestimated. It helps in the policy enforcement, management of passwords, and segregation of whitelists and blacklists, among many other features. This is further explained ahead.
• MDM solutions for small businesses are also important because they cannot afford the additional costs of protecting data, backing it up, and restoring the functionality of crucial corporate data. Affordable MDM solutions for small businesses would help in providing a holistic solution for the same, solving the financial worries of small businesses.

What are the supported operating systems and platforms of MDM?

• One good news is that most providers of business MDM solutions work with a host of operating system subsets, which increases the scope of their use and application.
• The operating systems may vary on different devices such as mobiles, tablets, laptops, and desktops. Most of the solutions are made keeping the compatibility requirements in mind.
• These operating system options may comprise iOS, Windows Mobile, Android, or Linux.

What are the security features of adopting MDM?
One important thing to remember while picking out a mobile device management suite of your choice is that it should offer security features. Here are some features that you should look for while picking a provider:

• Password protection should be an essential feature.
• Jailbreak detection is also important for the security of the business.
• Remote wipe, remote lock, device encryption, and data encryption are crucial points to check while picking a software.
• Lastly, the product should be able to carry out Wi-Fi and VPN (Virtual Private Network) configuration and management while offering malware detection for added measures of security.

Can you screen apps with MDM?

• Yes, screening apps with MDM is an important feature required for the security of your business.
• The screening can be done by system administrators who can easily control the applications that are installed on different workstations and limit the privileges that an administrator is given.
• In the case of a large enterprise, it is crucial to pick an MDM solution that has the ability to limit and narrow down the kinds of applications used.
• Whitelisting basically refers to providing access to the apps that can be used. Additionally, some MDM providers also give you an option of a customized play store, wherein you can host a repository of apps.

Therefore, there is a lot that can be done with MDM to help your business grow, but being familiar with its basic concepts is important for the optimum utilization of these systems.