Managing mobile devices in the field can be a complex challenge with numerous sector-dependent needs and challenges. Bring your own device (BYOD) policies are proliferating in the age of the mobile workforce, which presents many business and operational benefits. However BYOD presents numerous challenges, including inability to withstand operation in the field, user pushback to subjecting administration of personal devices to an employer’s information technology (IT) department and policies, and complexity that administrators face managing a wide variety of personal devices.
Many BYOD devices include consumer grade Android tablets widely available at mass retailers. These off-the-shelf tablets may not optimally meet the requirements of many applications in the field. They may not be rugged enough (even when packaged in rugged overmolds), lack required interfaces and peripherals, may not meet regulatory requirements for safety or security, or may not be available for sale in a stable configuration. This may be true of Android tablets used in healthcare, manufacturing, energy, mining, and transportation/supply chain sectors, for example.
To overcome these problems, a custom Android tablet, meeting specific electronic, software, packaging, ruggedness, security, regulatory, and supply chain requirements, may be designed and deployed. These tablets must also be managed by corporate IT departments. Fortunately, these rugged Android tablets may be managed by familiar IT techniques. And in many ways, custom tablets may be managed more easily and securely than BYOD devices.
Two methods for remote device management are Mobile Device Management (MDM) and Unified Endpoint Management (UEM) platform solutions.
Mobile Device Management (MDM) Basics
MDM solutions give administrators a centralized way to engage, monitor, provision, enroll, update, secure and remotely locate rugged tablet devices used in the field. This can encompass securing, monitoring and managing company-owned as well as employee-owned devices through a set of security policies and profiles that can include:
- Application Management
- Device Management
- Content Management
- User profile analytics
Unified Endpoint Management (UEM) Basics
Electronic devices in the field are actually individual endpoints that may be remotely connected to one or more servers in a network. Unified Endpoint Management means managing various essential processes required for IT administration using a single software application.
Unified endpoint management (UEM) allows the different enterprise ecosystem devices to be managed with one tool. UEM allows IT to remotely provision, control and secure varied devices like cell phones, tablets, laptops, desktops, and even Internet of Things (IoT) devices. Endpoint management comprises processes like:
- Pushing patch updates
- Software distribution
- Bulk OS deployment
- Remote troubleshooting
- Hardware and software asset management etc.
- AI-based analysis, security tools and processes
