MDM solutions can address security concerns

While it's true that enterprise mobility is gaining in importance for many organizations across the globe, the chief information officers and IT departments at such firms remain concerned about the security of smartphones and tablets, as well as the data stored on them. That's where mobile device management comes in, according to TechTarget.

MDM solutions give CIOs peace of mind in knowing that mobile professionals are accessing the enterprise network and leveraging sensitive content effectively and in a secure manner.

"MDM software secures, monitors and manages an array of personal and enterprise-issued mobile devices. It also supports over-the-air distribution of applications, data and configuration settings," TechTarget news editor Joe Fernandez wrote.

Fernandez cited Phillip Redman, a vice president of research for Gartner, in separating MDM offerings into two distinct categories - lightweight and heavyweight. Which type a company chooses to deploy will be based on its mobility needs and the level of control it wishes to exert over smartphones and tablets.

Lightweight software will be good for the companies whose employees are pushing back against tight oversight of personally owned devices, Fernandez said. This approach entails the use of software that is minimally invasive on employees' devices, usually relying mostly on controls already built into mobile platforms. The drawback, Fernandez acknowledged, is that lightweight solutions do not provide well-rounded MDM capabilities.

For those, he said, companies should take the heavyweight approach to picking a solution. This software will provide management capabilities for a wide range of devices - both company- and employee-owned - and strictly enforce security protocols. Without question, this is the route companies are encouraged to take, experts say.

“It’s about providing all the necessary management capabilities to allow IT departments to confidently oversee the use of both company-owned and employee-owned mobile devices within their organizations,” Alan Panezic, vice president of Research In Motion's enterprise management division, told TechTarget.

Last month, Gartner released a report that detailed four different approaches to MDM that have become common with the onset of consumerization at many companies. These styles of practice are called control-oriented, choice-oriented, innovation-oriented and hands-off, and they range in terms of control from high to low in that order. The amount of oversight required by the company will determine which approach it will ultimately take, according to the report.