What to take into account for an MDM solution

Making the right choice when selecting a mobile device management solution is now critical for modern organizations, as their options for supporting both company- and employee-owned smartphones and tablets have grown dramatically during the past several years.

What's more, IT administrators have more of a choice than ever when deploying an MDM solution. They'll want to be sure to pick the one that covers all the bases.

And while different companies have their own unique needs when it comes to mobility programs, a recent Channelnomics report detailed several areas that all MDM solutions should address. In doing so, organizations can ensure that employees are empowered to be as productive as ever when away from their desk, while cost and data security considerations are still taken into account.

According to Channelnomics, solution providers have said MDM technology and support is gaining in popularity among companies, even if they're not quite sure what the software does.

For starters, companies will want to take mobile operating systems into account. Given the prevalence of bring-your-own-device programs, the chances are high that the average organization will feature as many as four separate platforms in use among employees at one time.

It's critical for effective MDM to have a solution can handle numerous platforms and devices. While smartphones are still the most common mobile device, tablets are making serious inroads in the enterprise sector.

A company's next priority should be data security. The greatest concern for mobility is the security of the devices, as well as the data they access and store. Smartphones and tablets are prone to theft and loss, and now, with the advent of mobile malware, cyberattacks.

Whatever MDM solution is chosen, it should include certain features like remote lock and wipe. Those make it possible for the company to strip a device of its data should it fall into the wrong hands or be misplaced.

Last month, an InformationWeek report revealed that many MDM solutions are moving to a cloud-based delivery model and that companies should prepare for the change now. Overall, this will be a good move, according to the news provider's Michael Davis wrote. Cloud-based solutions will make make both MDM and mobile application management better, and lower their upfront deployment costs as well.