What Mobile Device Management Is
Written by MSP Outpost.
In Short
Mobile device management (MDM) enrols a client's phones, tablets and often laptops, pushes settings and apps, enforces a passcode and can wipe a lost device. An RMM monitors and patches computers you manage. MDM controls devices through the operating system's own management features, which is how phones have to be managed.
What It Does
- Enrollment. New devices set themselves up with the client's settings when first switched on.
- Policies. Passcodes, encryption, updates and restrictions applied to every device.
- Apps. Work apps installed and removed centrally, without the user doing anything.
- Lost devices. Locate, lock or wipe a device, or remove only the work data from a personal one.
- Personal devices. Separates work data from personal data on phones the staff own.
- Compliance. Shows which devices are out of date or out of policy.
When You Need One
Many small clients get by without it, and some already pay for an MDM inside their office software licenses. Learn that one before buying another.
Once clients have staff on company phones, or a device is lost with client data on it, you need a proper answer. Standardize on one tool across clients.
MDM becomes part of every onboarding and offboarding. Choose one that handles every platform your clients use and fits your RMM and PSA.
What to Look For
Must Have
- Zero-Touch Enrollment
- Remote Wipe
- Passcode and Encryption Policies
- App Deployment
- Personal Device Separation
- Multi-Tenant Console
Worth Having
- Laptop Management
- Kiosk Mode
- Compliance Reporting
- Identity Integration
- PSA Billing Sync
How It Is Priced
MDM is priced per device or per user, monthly or annually, and several vendors quote only. Watch for minimum device counts, annual contracts, and per-user plans that cover a set number of devices. Check whether your clients already hold a license that includes MDM before you buy one.
Switching
Moving MDM usually means re-enrolling every device, and on phones that can mean wiping and setting them up again. Plan it with each client, device by device. Before you sign, check how devices are released if you leave and who holds the enrollment accounts.
Questions to Ask a Vendor
- Which operating systems do you manage, and are they all equal or is one weaker?
- Is the price per device or per user, and how many devices does a user cover?
- Can I manage every client from one console with separate permissions?
- What is the minimum device count, and is it per client or across my account?
- How do I move devices off your platform without wiping them, if that is possible?
- Who holds the connection to the phone maker's enrollment program, the client or me?
