Outsourced MDM & Remote Work: Third-Party Device Management

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The outsourced Mobile Device Management (MDM) solution is widely adopted by organizations to manage remote teams working in a distributed environment. This solution provides an effective approach to enrolling devices and configuring relevant policies and settings.

This solution can be cloud-based and provides a flexible approach to control devices of an organization present at different geographical locations. Unlike self-managed MDM solutions adopted by classified organizations, outsourced software does not have stringent security policies incorporated at edge router or firewalls that disallows external traffic due to which data can be transferred outside the organization, thereby making it difficult for remote employees to perform their duties effectively.

This article discusses the functionalities provided by the outsourced MDM solution to manage remote employees’ devices for gaining benefits from the services of an expert workforce present across the globe.

Device Enrolment

The outsourced MDM solution provides a simple approach to enrolling devices. Depending on the platform, the user just needs to scan the QR code and follow the instructions on their device to complete the registration process. In this case, it is not essential for the device to be physically present at the premises of the organization. Therefore, remote employees can easily enroll their devices and start their work.

Configurations and Policy Management

Using outsourced MDM software, the third-party service provider can easily create a policy according to the requirements of an organization and assign it to users for having full control of their devices. This policy defines the approved apps to be installed on the device along with run time permissions and configurations. In addition, compliance standards and settings regarding blacklisted and whitelisted URLs can also be configured in the policy. Once the policy is created, the solution automatically applies the policy to employees’ devices regardless of their geographical location.

Secure Communication

The distributed teams access corporate data from different networks and places, due to which ensuring the confidentiality of client data emerges as an important challenge.

To resolve this issue, outsourced MDM solutions can configure certificate-based security controls, Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), and other security protocols including TLS, IPSec, etc. Moreover, access control mechanisms can also be incorporated to manage the rights of employees and mitigate unauthorized access to sensitive data.

Updates and Monitoring

With the help of an outsourced MDM solution, the third-party vendors can continuously monitor the devices to track employees’ activities so that proper action could be taken in case of non-compliance with organizations’ policies and procedures. Moreover, the outsourced MDM solution can automatically install OS updates and security patches once they are available.

Remote Support

The outsourced MDM solution can provide 24/7 remote support to employees working at different locations and time zones. Employees can share the screen using the MDM screencast app and the

support team can troubleshoot the device in real-time to avoid downtime. In contrast, for in-house MDM solutions providing support to employees working in different time zones is challenging and cumbersome.

In short, the outsourced MDM software is an ideal solution for organizations concerned with managing teams dispersed at different geographical locations. It provides a centralized approach to managing devices, deploying apps, configuring policies, and providing remote support. Therefore, such solutions must be preferred by organizations with distributed teams.