What is Mobility?
Nearly 50% of all workers in the United States are mobile and require the right combination of technologies and services to safely and effectively communicate—whether they are at home or on the road. An integrated mobility solution consists of software (security and management), hardware devices (smartphones, tablets, and notebooks), and cellular wireless activation services.
Many employees already have hand-held devices like phones or tablets for personal use; some of these devices can be repurposed for organizational use as well. Organizations may experience challenges with the bring-your-own-devices (BYOD) method: which devices, what carrier, and who will support the solution. What is the organization’s policy and does it include standardization of operating systems, handheld devices, and streamlined operations for a wireless broadband environment?
Providing seamless connectivity can include Wi-Fi in the local network and cellular wireless for remote access. The right mobility solution increases productivity end-to-end, reduces costs associated with management and OPEX and CAPEX expenditures, and provides a flexible work environment to increase customer and employee satisfaction.
What Does a Mobility Solution Look Like?
What is Mobile Device Management?
Mobile Device Management (MDM) is a software application that needs serious consideration for any organization exploring a mobility solution. The software includes policy and security management capabilities across many different operating systems or platforms such as Apple, Android, RIM (BlackBerry), Symbian, and Windows. These applications typically are modeled after the client server architecture where software is centralized on a backend server and a client component resides on the end system device.
An MDM solution should offer the following standard functionalities:
- Application Management—Deploy, update, and wipe
- Policy—Develop and control the operational aspects of the mobile network
- Inventory—Licenses, version control, provision, and support
- Security Management—Enforce password settings, encryption, and remote lock and wipe
