Globally, the number of mobile devices in 2020 stood at 14.02 billion, and by 2024, it is projected that the number of mobile devices is set to reach 17.72 billion.
Amid the global pandemic crisis, it has never been more important for employees to be able to work from anywhere. IT departments and services face unprecedented levels of enquiries from staff, departments, and clients, which all need to be managed and processed quickly and efficiently. Whilst at the same time, thousands of employees have been sent home without an appropriate means to work remotely safely.
Challenges
As organisations worldwide pivoted to working remotely, CIOs suddenly had to cope with a hugely expanded and entirely new set of vulnerabilities. A survey of employees working from home during the pandemic found that 77% have been given no instruction in how to recognise ransomware, while 16% have had no cybersecurity training.
Remote workers adopted behaviours that could threaten secure and sensitive data. These behaviours included password re-use, sharing devices with family members, using unmanaged, insecure bring-your-own-device (BYOD) technologies to access remote applications.
BYOD, which encourages employees to work on a device of their choice, is widespread in the private sector. It has proven itself effective at boosting employee satisfaction, while delivering cost savings by reducing hardware spend, software licensing, and device maintenance. Productivity also increases as employees are generally more comfortable and often work faster with their own technology.
In the public sector, BYOD has been problematic for IT departments for understandable reasons. IT policy has restricted staff to adopt a BYOD in a secure environment. Although, there is an inherent risk in allowing sensitive data to be accessed on personal devices, which IT teams have no visibility or control over.
IT departments require the ability to manage and control the use of mobile devices and what they have access to. Whether they are issued by the organisation or are owned by employees, this centralised management can secure devices remotely and protect data against loss or theft.
It also enables internal and external security compliance and confidentiality mandates, especially with respect to Personal Identifiable Information and to simplify the initial provisioning, locking-down, on-going configuration and regular patches and security updates.
The key challenge is finding the right balance between maintaining control, whilst making the most of the inherent efficiency and productivity benefits of mobile apps and devices.
While cost control certainly will always be a critical component, the priorities and implications of mobile device management have broadened significantly. Now, rather than simply focusing on controlling costs or putting mobile devices into the hands of employees, it’s about providing organisations and their end users with customised, curated, and high-quality experiences across a wide range of apps and services to include the entire life cycle of mobile devices.
Device as a service
That reinvention is also morphing the idea of Devices as a Service or Managed Mobility Services (MMS) into the broader concept of Device-as-a-service. It’s known as a holistic, all-inclusive approach to mobility device management, driven by constant monitoring, consistent process improvement, and the ongoing innovation.
Mobility-as-a-service is an approach that encompasses the planning, procuring, provisioning, activating, managing, and supporting of mobile devices, mobile network services, mobile device management (MDM) software, and mobile applications.
A leader in managed mobility
DMI is a recognised leader in the Gartner Magic Quadrant for Managed Mobility Services for seven years in a row. Gartner’s research provides a view of suppliers that can manage globally distributed, corporate-liable devices and BYOD users. The Gartner report focuses on key services including sourcing and logistics management, managed enterprise mobility management, security management, financial management, and programme management.
DMI’s Managed Services constructs and manages mobility and device-choice initiatives for improved security and productivity. It provides a single solution that enables control, governance, and ongoing visibility for all types of organisations.
If you would like to know how DMI can support your BYOD strategy or provide managed services, please contact the UK healthcare team at enquiries@dminc.com.
