At its most basic level, MDM starts with a server management console and an agent. An MDM server will either be in the cloud or housed in a data center. More and more, MDM products are included as a core feature of Microsoft and Apple’s productivity suites.
The MDM agent is a piece of software that will allow administrators to monitor and control applications, security policies, and more.
With the MDM server, administrators have a single point of management for all devices in an organization, no matter the owner, operating system, or type of hardware.
The admin can decide which third-party applications can be installed on these devices, and what devices can access business-critical data. They can also wipe the device in case it is lost, stolen, or become the entry point for a data breach.
While these features add to cybersecurity, the agility of MDM comes through the ability to deploy custom settings to each new device that is onboarded to your organization.
Once an administrator sets up a standard deployment, they can leverage the MDM server to push these settings to new devices. They can even do so over the air (OTA), so the new device is already configured when it arrives at its end user.
Once settings are deployed to all devices, the admin can monitor the devices for signs of decline in performance or security. They can even detect if a device is nearing its end of life, so they can deploy and configure a new device before a user is taken offline
In total, MDM is hardware (servers and devices), software (MDM agent and management console), policies (security, access controls), and processes (proactive monitoring). Together, they create a whole new approach to our world of remote work.
