How to Get Started with Mobile Device Management: 5 Key Stages

Mobile Device Management (MDM) is a vital tool for organizations to manage and secure their growing number of mobile devices. As remote work and BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) expands, ensuring proper device oversight is more important than ever. MDM solutions allow IT teams to monitor devices, enforce security policies, and manage apps, all while protecting sensitive company data. With features like remote management and compliance enforcement, MDM helps keep devices secure and operational. This guide will walk you through the key stages for implementing and managing an MDM solution effectively within your organization.

Assessing your needs

Before starting to find a suitable MDM solution, it’s important to assess the needs of your organization. You can start by understanding your business requirements; including the type of devices in your inventory, like iOS, Android and Windows, the total number of devices that will be managed, and any security policies that will be implemented. Be aware of any older devices in your fleet, this is to prevent compatibility issues in the future, avoiding any potential integration issues. Lastly, set clear goals for the deployment – is it for enhancing security, ensuring regulatory compliance, improving overall productivity, or all of the above? By defining what your objectives are will guide the evaluation, selection and implementation process effectively.

Choosing the right solution

Choosing the right solution is ultimately the most important step of this process for securing and managing your business’s mobile devices. With so many options available, we recommend businesses to carefully evaluate providers on several key factors and areas of concerns or speak to a mobile network partner that can assist you in choosing the right option for you. You can start by comparing the offerings of vendors in terms of features, scalability, and cost-effectiveness. Another key area is long-term support; choosing a popular but affordable option will work in your favor to ensure that your MDM solution is future-proof. Key features to look for are device management capabilities, security features like encryption, remote control and remote wipe, application & content management, robust user experience with ease of enrollment and deployment, and quite recently, support for Bring Your Own Device or BYOD. It’s also wise to consider trialing a few solutions by running a pilot program with a small group of users. This allows you to evaluate how well the MDM integrates with your existing infrastructure and gather feedback on performance, usability, and any potential limitations. Ultimately, choosing the right MDM solution involves balancing robust security with ease of management, while ensuring the flexibility to adapt to future business needs. Making the right choice upfront can save time, costs, and complexity as your mobile device landscape changes.

Planning your deployment

Planning your deployment is another crucial step in ensuring there’s a smooth rollout and effective adoption across your business. To start, create a detailed deployment plan that includes:

• Policies: Create device management, security, and compliance policies.
• Testing: Pilot the solution with a small group for feedback.
• Phased or Full Rollout: a list of departments or teams that will receive the MDM solution, in a timely and scheduled manner.
• Monitoring: Track targeted devices in each stage of the rollout.
• Support: Provide ongoing IT support and incident management, as well as gain feedback from users for further improvement throughout the process,

This plan will include a concrete timeline, important milestones and key performance indicators to illustrate progress on the MDM plan, and well as key persons that will be responsible for multiple roles and designations for the implementation of your MDM solution. A key element to the plan is also the definition of policies that users will adhere to. These policies should include device management policies, like password requirements, device encryption, application management, BYOD guidelines, and automatic compliance checks. Finally, it’s important to ensure that employees are informed about the upcoming changes to their devices and how it will impact their daily operations. Make sure there are specific IT personnel that be used as a point of reference for help, as well as training documents and FAQs of the specific software solution ready to be distributed so endpoint users can quickly resolve any issues, reducing down-time and keeping productivity levels high and stable. The goal of planning is make it as seamless as possible, covering the basics and making the implementation step incredibly smooth, minimizing any risks and maximizing efficiency for your business.

Implementation

Now, the implementation stage involves converting the plan into action. First, you’ll need to sign in and register administrators within your MDM’s API console; these admin users will be the ones that will oversee this stage, so it’s important that you’ve already decided who’s responsible, and don’t forget to include 2FA! Next, you’ll need to decide on the deployment and enrollment process; will it be cloud-based, over-the-air or will it be in-premises, requiring manual configuration and sign-in? There’s a variety of ways to enroll your devices, like manual registration, automated enrollment for iOS and Android devices like Apple Device Enrollment Program, Android Zero-Touch Enrollment and Samsung Knox Mobile Enrollment and a multitude of other methods, like QR code, email, and SMS enrollment methods which makes BYOD users to be easily integrated into your MDM solution. It’s important to have already check that the devices, both current and future have the necessary prerequisites, like system requirements and browsers. Furthermore, after enrolling your devices, keep them secure. Configure your security settings such as password criteria & rules, install MDM agent application, and enable remote access capabilities with remote lock and wipe features. Finally, with your MDM solution, you’ll need to set compliance policies that are specifically beneficial for your business. Policies that focuses?on jailbreak or root detection, device auto-lock and idle timeout, application whitelisting & blacklisting, network security, and location based usage with geofencing restrictions can be included in your MDM setup, dependent on your needs. Additionally with compliance policies, MDM administrators can also force install required business applications where end users will be able to access important and approved files and content with additional security rules, e.g.?read-only access to prevent any data leaks. By implementing all the above, and taking into account what you’ve already planned, with additional support being provided during this stage, will mean your end users will largely maximize the capabilities of your chosen solution.

Monitoring and maintaining your devices under MDM

After you’ve implemented your solution, and all devices are working as intended, the final step is to monitor and manage your mobiles to keep operational stability at a high standard. MDM solutions provides dashboards that give you key, at-a-glance metrics and information for your business to stay up-to-date, ensuring that all devices remain compliant to your implemented policies. Those dashboards can be customized to the needs of the IT administrator, and can include information about device health and operational status, device ownership (BYOD vs. corporate-owned), compliance & security status, like encrypted vs non-encrypted. Automated alerts can notify administrators of suspicious activity, enabling a swift response to security breaches or compromised devices. IT administrators can also use audit and reporting tools that makes it easier to analyze and troubleshoot issues within the organization, ranging from device summaries based on a set of criteria, or more nuanced reports based on specific actions. In addition to monitoring, MDM managers can also push updates, both OS and app specific, to guarantee that they stay with the latest security standards and end users have exactly what they need to continue to use their mobile handsets without any issues. Specifically for mobile contracts, MDM tools often include data usage statistics, helping administrators keep track of their mobile spend, being beneficial to trace anything out the ordinary. By using the above tools to track your mobile fleet means that a business can continue to operate without any downtime or unforeseen circumstances getting in the way of their performance.

Common Questions about setting up MDM

What happens if a device gets lost or stolen?

With MDM, you can remotely lock or wipe the device to protect sensitive information. You can also use location tracking to try and locate the device.

How does MDM help with app management?

MDM lets you install, update, or remove apps remotely. You can also control which apps are allowed on devices, helping to prevent the use of unauthorized software.

What’s the difference between cloud-based and on-premises MDM?

Cloud-based MDM is managed online and typically easier to set up and scale, while on-premises MDM is installed on your company’s own servers, giving you more control but requiring more maintenance.

How does MDM protect sensitive data on mobile devices?

MDM uses encryption, remote wipe features, and app controls to prevent unauthorized access to company data, whether it’s on a company-owned device or an employee’s personal phone.

How can MDM solutions help meet regulatory compliance?

Many industries have strict security requirements (like HIPAA or GDPR). MDM helps enforce policies that keep devices compliant, including data encryption, access controls, and secure app usage.

Can MDM track mobile devices in real-time?

Yes, MDM tools often include real-time tracking to monitor device locations and activities, helping you stay on top of device usage and detect any unusual behavior.

How do I know if our MDM solution is scalable?

A scalable MDM solution will easily support a growing number of devices without performance issues. Look for solutions that can handle future growth, whether you’re adding new devices or new types of devices.

Can MDM improve employee productivity?

Absolutely! MDM makes sure employees have the right tools, apps, and access, while also minimizing downtime from issues like lost devices or outdated software.

What are the costs involved in implementing MDM?

Costs can vary based on the solution, the number of devices, and additional features. Some solutions have flat fees, while others may charge per device. It’s important to weigh these costs against the security and management benefits.

How can MDM protect against mobile malware or cyberattacks?

MDM enforces security measures like app whitelisting, encryption, and real-time monitoring. These features help block malware, prevent unauthorized access, and quickly address any vulnerabilities.

Conclusion

In conclusion, implementing a Mobile Device Management (MDM) solution is crucial for securing and managing devices in today’s mobile-centric work environments. A well-executed MDM strategy ensures compliance, security, and streamlined device management across your organization. Ready to take control of your mobile devices? Contact our team today to explore how an MDM solution can safeguard your business and enhance your mobile device management strategy.

Revolve Communications is an independent mobile network partner that revolves around your business needs. Gain secure, scalable, and intelligent mobile communications services that enhances your goals.