Peer to Peer Magazine

18 PEER TO PEER: THE QUARTERLY MAGAZINE OF ILTA | SPRING 2016 BEST PRACTICES Navigating Through the MDM Soware Market The paradigm shi from corporate-issued devices to BYOD has ushered in the need for more comprehensive mobile device management (MDM) policies. As the number and variety of mobile devices continue to grow, never has there been a beer time to gain control of BYOD by developing MDM policies to manage corporate data on mobile devices. Components of MDM Starting a mobile device management program isn't easy, and doesn't happen overnight. It requires the right combination of people, policy and soware. You need the people to design, implement and enforce the policy. You need the policy to outline the rules and guidelines. And you need the soware to manage the process from a technical standpoint. Core Attributes of MDM Technology The primary objective of MDM soware is to promote productivity while protecting mobility. How do you determine which soware will facilitate this goal? This sounds like a cop out, but it depends –– it's not one size fits all. Some companies will want to lock down every byte of data, while others may need to secure only email. Some will need to support an international workforce, whereas their business partner is only interested in domestic assets. The gamut of MDM scenarios is endless. The good news is the mobile device management market is rife with standalone apps and full enterprise mobility management (EMM) suites. There's sure to be one that fits your needs. Here are some areas to consider when evaluating MDM soware: » Platform » Security » Compatibility and Integration » Deployment and Management » Rights and Controls » Scalability » Price/Cost Collectively, these factors address the financial, technical and operational aspects of the MDM decision. Platform You need an MDM platform that is entirely cloud- based or, at the least, that has the capability of being cloud-based. Rather than having soware installed behind your firewall, cloud-based soware enables on-demand access to vital information from anywhere, while reducing the number and variety of resources required in-house. This reduces overhead, maintains functionality and maximizes up-time. Centralizing MDM soware and information on one platform makes the visualization and management of devices across multiple user bases easier and more The risk of leaking confidential, work-related information has never been greater, and the risk continues to increase with the exponential growth of bring your own device (BYOD) in the workplace. by Ricky Brooman Navigating Through the MDM Software Market

• Cover