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Mobile device management

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Mobile Device Management (MDM) software secures, monitors, manages and supports mobile devices deployed across mobile operators, service providers and enterprises. MDM functionality typically includes over-the-air distribution of applications, data and configuration settings for all types of mobile devices, including mobile phones, smartphones, tablet computers, ruggedized mobile computers, mobile printers, mobile POS devices, etc. This applies to both company-owned and employee-owned (BYOD) devices across the enterprise or mobile devices owned by consumers.[1][2]

By controlling and protecting the data and configuration settings for all mobile devices in the network, MDM can reduce support costs and business risks. The intent of MDM is to optimize the functionality and security of a mobile communications network while minimizing cost and downtime.[3]

With mobile devices becoming ubiquitous and applications flooding the market, mobile monitoring is growing in importance.[4] Numerous vendors help mobile device manufacturers, content portals and developers, test and monitor the delivery of their mobile content, applications and services. This testing of content is done real time by simulating the action of thousands of customers and detecting and correcting bugs in the applications.

Companies are alarmed at the rate of employee adoption of mobile devices to access corporate data. MDM is now touted as a solution for managing corporate-owned as well as personal devices in the workplace. The primary challenge is the ability to manage the risks associated with mobile access to data while securing company issued and BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) mobile devices.

Implementation

Typically solutions include a server component, which sends out the management commands to the mobile devices, and a client component, which runs on the handset and receives and implements the management commands. In some cases, a single vendor may provide both the client and the server, in others client and server will come from different sources.

The management of mobile devices has evolved over time. At first it was necessary to either connect to the handset or install a SIM in order to make changes and updates; scalability was a problem.

One of the next steps was to allow a client-initiated update, similar to when a user requests a Windows Update.

Central remote management, using commands sent over the air, is the next step. An administrator at the mobile operator, an enterprise IT data center or a handset OEM can use an administrative console to update or configure any one handset, group or groups of handsets. This provides scalability benefits particularly useful when the fleet of managed devices is large in size.

Device management software platforms ensure that end-users benefit from plug and play data services for whatever device they are using. Such a platform automatically detects devices in the network and sends them settings for immediate and continued usability. The process is fully automated, keeps history of used devices and sends settings only to subscriber devices which were not previously set, sometimes at speeds reaching 50 over-the-air settings update files per second. Device Management Centre (DMC) achieves this by filtering IMEI/IMSI pairs.

Device Management specifications

  • The Open Mobile Alliance (OMA) specified a platform-independent device management protocol called OMA Device Management. The specification meets the common definitions of an open standard, meaning the specification is freely available and implementable. It is supported by several mobile devices, such as PDAs and mobile phones.[5]
  • Smart message is text SMS- provisioning protocol (ringtones, calendar entries but service settings also supported like: ftp, telnet, SMSC number, email settings, etc...)
  • OMA Client Provisioning is a binary SMS- service settings provisioning protocol.
  • Nokia-Ericsson OTA is binary SMS-based service settings provisioning protocol, designed mainly for older Nokia and Ericcson mobile phones.


Over-the-air programming (OTA) capabilities are considered a main component of mobile network operator and enterprise-grade Mobile Device Management software. These include the ability to remotely configure a single mobile device, an entire fleet of mobile devices or any IT-defined set of mobile devices; send software and OS updates; remotely lock and wipe a device, which protects the data stored on the device when it is lost or stolen; and remote troubleshooting. OTA commands are sent as a binary SMS message. Binary SMS is a message including binary data.[6]

Mobile Device Management software enables corporate IT departments to manage the many mobile devices used across the enterprise; consequently, over-the-air capabilities are in high demand. Enterprises using OTA SMS as part of their MDM infrastructure demand high quality in the sending of OTA messages, which imposes on SMS gateway providers a requirement to offer a high level of quality and reliability.

Use in the enterprise

As the bring your own device approach becomes increasingly popular across mobile service providers, MDM lets corporations provide employees with access to the internal networks using a device of their choice, whilst these devices are managed remotely with minimal disruption to employees' schedules.

SaaS versus On-Premises solutions

Present day MDM solutions offer both Software as a service (SaaS) and on-premises models. In the rapidly evolving industry such as mobile, SaaS (cloud-based) systems are quicker to set up, offer easier updates with lower capital costs compared to on-premises solutions which require costly hardware, need regular software maintenance and incur higher capital costs. For security in Cloud computing, the US Government has compliance audits such as Federal Information Security Management Act of 2002 (FISMA) which cloud providers can go through to meet security standards.In addition,FedRAMP is the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP). This program is an innovative policy approach to developing trusted relationships between Federal agencies and cloud service providers. The program is designed to be compliant with FISMA.[7]

See also

References

  1. ^ What is mobile device management? - a definition from Whatis.com
  2. ^ A comprehensive article on mobile device management
  3. ^ "BYOD Requires Mobile Device Management". Information Week.
  4. ^ "A Playbook for Fighting Apple and Google". Reuters. 15 March 2011.
  5. ^ "What Is OMA DM?" (PDF).
  6. ^ http://www.sms-wiki.org/p_65-binary-sms.html
  7. ^ See https://cio.gov/protect/fedramp/ 
==External links==
  1. ^ First MDM patent. [www.google.com/patents/WO2009101155A1 "First MDM patent"]. {{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help)
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