Introduction
Mobile Device Management (MDM) has become an essential part of equipping an enterprise’s workforce with digital devices. Ever since the corporate world has seen a surge in remote working, businesses are finding ways to secure their heavy dependence on mobile devices. Mobile Device Management solutions are designed keeping in mind the remote management of smartphones, laptops, tablets and even custom devices. This is why most enterprises are seeking the right MDM solutions for their businesses.
But before we come to the conclusion that MDM solutions are one of the best tools for streamlining remote work and enterprise mobility, let’s understand why.
10 Reasons Why Businesses Should Manage Their Remote Workforce With an MDM
1. Greater Productivity
One of the prime benefits of adopting MDM solutions for business is that several remote business operations get simplified and streamlined. IT admins can save their time and efforts in performing redundant tasks and prevent manual provisioning and management of bulk devices. The MDM software is a platform that lets IT admins push enterprise policies, monitor their device fleets, maintain their devices in perfect health and run compliance checks with ease.
Businesses that adopt MDM solutions to streamline their remote management observe an increase in their employee productivity. This is because the employees experience easy collaboration with remote teams and up-to-date mobile devices that are remotely maintained by the IT admins with timely OS and app updates. In spite of being remotely dispersed, the IT admins can be aware of their employees' movements and help them instantly in case of technical errors. This leaves no room for loss of productivity due to miscommunication, device issues, etc.
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2. Reduced Costs
Implementing MDM solutions helps businesses adopt the BYOD work policy with confidence. Under the BYOD policy, employees are allowed to use their personal devices for work. With this, businesses no longer need to purchase individual laptops, smartphones, etc. for their employees removing a major cost off their shoulders. They can divert their investments to much more critical processes.
Most businesses favor MDM solutions for the vast security features that they offer. When considering remote working, especially combined with BYOD management, businesses are at risk of corporate data loss. Enterprises have to bear hefty fines and legal penalties if they encounter data breaches. MDM solutions help businesses prevent corporate data loss and the monetary fines that follow.
3. Data & Network Security
Speaking of corporate data loss, there are several governing bodies worldwide that have formed stringent regulations for data protection such as the European GDPR. To make the most of enterprise managed mobility services and to gain a stable reputation in the market, businesses must ensure corporate data security. Implementing MDM software helps businesses provide secure remote access to their employees. IT admins can push a plethora of data and network security features such as data encryption, Conditional email access, configuring VPN and firewall, etc.
Most MDM solutions also allow IT admins to block the device peripherals such as USB ports and disable device navigation. This benefits businesses especially when they have installed public-facing kiosks. Moreover, some MDM solutions also allow employees' devices to be remotely locked and data to be wiped off in case of device theft or loss.
4. Real-time Location Tracking
When managing a remote workforce, businesses struggle with gaining better control of their employees’ whereabouts. Remote industries such as logistics, delivery, warehousing, mining, etc. have a constantly moving workforce. Keeping a track of employees that are constantly on the move is an extremely challenging task. To help businesses gain better insights into their remote employees’ locations, MDM solutions offer GPS or IP-address-bsed real-time location monitoring. This allows managers, for example belonging to a Logistics company to track their shipments, warn their drivers of any potential roadblocks, assess the best routes for faster transportation, etc. Modern-day MDM solutions also allow IT admins to create virtual Geofences to push area-specific compliance policies for their remote employees.
5. App & Content Management
One of the most crucial, yet time-consuming parts of managing a remote workforce is provisioning employees’ devices with the right apps and content. A majority of the business operations rely heavily on public and private mobile apps. With MDM solutions, IT admins can silently push mobile apps from the Google PlayStore, Apple App Store and Windows Business Store on their employees' Android, iOS, macOS or Windows devices. Not only this, but IT admins can also configure app permissions and schedule app updates from the MDM console.
You can push a diverse range of file formats such as documents, images, videos, presentations, etc. on your employees’ devices remotely, in bulk using MDM solutions. IT admins no longer need to manually provision individual laptops and smartphones with corporate files. This prevents employees from downloading untrusted apps and enabled them secure access to business data.
6. Remote Troubleshooting
Instant remote support is an underestimated feature when it comes to remote working. Businesses lose a lot of productive time simply because their remote employees are waiting for help to arrive. Whether a device issue is small or big, MDM solutions help IT admins reach out to their employees instantly and offer quick help. Some sophisticated MDM solutions offer the Remote Cast & Control feature with which IT admins can mirror their remote employees’ screens on their MDM dashboard. This helps IT admins identify and resolve errors faster so that employees can get back in the game without losing much time.
7. Automation of Routine IT Tasks
Managing multitudes of company-owned or BYO devices is a tiresome and tedious IT task. In order to not overwhelm the IT staff, businesses need to invest in a large IT team. Not all businesses, especially SMBs can afford a large in-house IT time. MDM solutions help IT admins automate their routine IT tasks such as routine device reboots, timely OS and app updates, switching presentations on remote kiosks, switching profiles based on time, user or geofence, etc. With this, all the critical IT tasks can be scheduled and executed with accuracy and it also helps to free up IT time to focus on what’s crucial.
8. Compliance Checks
When managing a remote workforce, ensuring compliance is tougher than it seems. Monitoring multitudes of employees’ devices, ensuring business-specific usage, and preventing accidental or intentional policy breaches get even more complicated with remote working. Implementing an MDM solution allows IT admins to configure compliance alerts in case an employee breaches an enterprise policy. With this, IT teams do not need to rigorously and manually monitor their employees’ devices at all times. They can simply configure compliance alerts for security incidents, geofence breaches, etc. and get instant notifications.
9. Bulk Provisioning
Implementing an MDM solution itself is a tricky task. Businesses need to strictly ensure that every user and every device is enrolled with their MDM dashboard to secure them with corporate policies. However, manually configuring each device is a near-impossible task. Modern-day MDM solutions understand the initial hurdles that IT admins may go through to enroll their employees' devices. Most MDM solutions offer bulk device enrollment and provisioning options to help IT admins provision devices and deliver an out-of-the-box experience for the employees. With this, employees’ devices are enrolled with the MDM dashboard with minimal end-user intervention and employees can start using their MDM-managed devices straight from the time of unboxing.
10. Centralized Management
Managing hundreds of digital devices is a complex task. A business’s inventory is diverse, especially if your business has adopted the BYOD trend. MDM solutions offer a comprehensive power-packed dashboard that helps businesses manage, secure and continuously monitor their devices irrespective of their OS and device type. Whether your device inventory is strictly Windows-based, or a combination of Android, iOS, macOS and Windows 10, a single MDM solution is enough to manage your smartphones, tablets, laptops and even your custom devices belonging to diverse OS. You can push security configurations, and business resources, allow or restrict access to websites and apps, offer remote troubleshooting, and leverage centralized management with a single software.
Closing Lines
A majority of the businesses around the world have experienced remote working. While remote working presents immense benefits to the employees and the organizations, the security risks and tedious management procedures that they involve must not be taken lightly. If you have a remote workforce it is crucial for you to invest in the right tools that help you secure and streamline your remote management. Modern-day MDM solutions like Scalefusion are easy to use and help businesses manage diverse aspects of their device management journey with just a single console.
Meta description: Mobile Device Management is an essential part of enterprise mobility. Explore the key reasons why businesses should implement MDM solutions to manage their remote workforce.
