The past couple decades have seen the release of dozens of new devices, from smartphones and tablets to laptops, wearable technology, mobile point-of-sale devices and beyond. Today’s average American uses several different devices on a daily basis, including at the office. This reality has prompted companies to establish some stringent bring your own device (BYOD) policies, which have increased convenience while dramatically cutting costs associated with device acquisition. Unfortunately, though, the introduction of personal devices brings lots of serious concerns surrounding multi-device management and security.
So how do you keep your company’s technology secure, while allowing your staff to leverage their own devices? Well, that’s where a multi-device management (MDM) platform can be useful. An MDM platform gives you the ability to maintain oversight of all outside devices that join your network and access your company software. For this reason, an increasing number of companies are integrating multi-device management capabilities into their enterprise mobile applications (or any other mobile app that’s used by the business).
How Does a Multi-Device Management Platform Work?
Multi-device management platforms serve as gatekeepers of sorts, evaluating and monitoring the devices that are connecting to the network or server and imposing limitations that align with your corporate policies and security objectives.
Some goals that can be achieved with an MDM platform include:
- Filtering what areas of the internet and database are accessible to various users.
- Scanning connecting devices to make sure they meet your minimum requirements in terms of operating system and hardware.
- Ensuring that specific security measures are implemented on a device before it is allowed to connect to a network and access company databases or software.
- Segregating data within your corporate database, so sensitive information is not accessible to employees using a personal device.
- Monitoring user activity and devices, cutting access to devices and users who are displaying suspicious behavior patterns. Some MDM platforms include malware and virus detection capabilities, too.
The beauty of a multi-device management system is that it can be used to monitor company-owned devices as you strive to ensure that users maximize productivity. You can also ensure compliance with corporate IT policies. In addition, MDM interfaces can be configured to include user monitoring and logging capabilities, thereby establishing a record of each user’s actions and activities.
How is a Multi-Device Management Platform Integrated?
MDM platforms can take the form of a stand-alone application or it may be integrated as part of a larger application. If you’re building an enterprise app or another application that will be used within your company, then it’s generally wise to integrate MDM capabilities as part of the app. Otherwise, you may opt for a standalone MDM platform that is built to be compatible with your existing technology. Like all software applications, a multi-device management app can be based on premises or in the cloud.
A robust multi-device management interface can go a long way toward reducing support costs and minimizing the risks associated with your technology and data. You can also decrease the incidence of IT problems that arise from using outside devices, including viruses, malware and data breaches.
Of course, it’s essential that you turn to an MDM developer who understands your needs and requirements surrounding multi-device management. Each company’s situation is unique, which means your MDM platform must be customized to suit your IT architecture, along with your corporate policies and objectives. If you have customers or clients accessing your system, you may also require a secondary MDM interface to govern these users.
Create Your Own Multi-Device Management Platform
At 7T, we specialize in many forms of emerging technology, making our team well-positioned to help companies on the cutting-edge as they seek to maintain a secure IT system. Our specialties range beyond MDM platforms to include data governance, augmented reality, artificial intelligence and natural language processing.
7T is based in Dallas, although we also maintain regional offices in Austin and Houston. However, our clients are scattered throughout the United States and beyond, so we encourage you to contact our team today to discuss your multi-device management and development needs.
