Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Cloud Based Services Are the Answer for Mobile Device Management

Mobile Device Management, or MDM, is considered an important aspect of mobility. It extends the traditional concepts of operational and network management to mobile devices like smartphones and tablet computers. Purchasing, network selection, policy development, and security are among the functions included under this umbrella. Many view MDM as a step in the evolution of IT operations, but not all have this perspective.

Mobile Device Management is Dead, Say Some

Some well-known mobile app developers say that MDM is dead. This seems like a rather bold statement considering that it is still viewed as an emerging field with many opportunities. App developers argue that if inherently manageable applications can be built, MDM can be integrated in these apps. While this could work, it simply represents a movement of the function to another environment, not the elimination of it.

These developers are likely making such claims for marketing purposes, which is quite a smart move. Experts say, however, that major MDM market players still have many years of success ahead of them. Mobile OS and handset vendors differentiate their products using apps. The computer has taken on a new and more compact form and it is very popular with some people. Mobile apps have many fans, but their strategy is still unrefined. Even the historical roots of local code execution are not enough to refine the strategy of mobile applications.

The Future Look of Mobile Device Management

Rather than apps that include MDM, the most likely alternative is a cloud-based service. Enterprise level apps typically require access to a vast array of data. Downloading or synchronizing this data to mobile devices presents logistical issues. Though the cost of apps can be reduced by using value-priced app distribution tools, financial concerns still exist. These are addressed by implementing an app as a cloud service, writing it once and enabling it to be run from anywhere. Many localized apps are front-end presentations of Web services anyway.

The key to the success of this approach is HTML 5. The availability of 3.5 and 4G services and Wi-Fi are also important to the strategy because they make the cloud more accessible. Personal apps can remain local while enterprise apps will live in the cloud. Cloud-based strategies have already found followers in the form of IT managers, who are implementing them within non-mobile environments.

Over the short-term, a hybrid of app and cloud-based strategies will probably be the most popular solution. There is a strong push to implement mobility within organizations, spearheaded by user demand and cost benefits resulting from productivity improvements. Discussions regarding the preferred approach will be ongoing and take place in both formal and informal settings.

As for the outcome, the cloud appears to be the best solution and MDM companies are taking advantage of it. They offer cloud-based software that makes it easy for business leaders to control mobile device usage, policies, and costs from anywhere in the world at any time. Though it seems things could not get much easier, future technology may yield new solutions.



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