With reports that the mobile workforce is expected to reach almost 2 billion people by 2022, without a mobile strategy to cater to the needs of your evolving business, you’ll no doubt be left behind. No matter how big or small your organisation is, you need to facilitate a seamless transition from the office-based era to the mobile era.
That’s why the majority of businesses have already started developing enterprise mobility management (EMM) platforms to allow them to enhance the security of mobile devices and empower their people to do more, wherever they are. As new technologies and platforms are evolving, businesses are refining their device management strategies to be more agile whilst mitigating the risks that often come with the mobile generation.
By introducing sound EMM strategies, businesses can safeguard themselves against security breaches, data loss, and also the costs associated with managing multiple devices.
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Be fair and reasonable in setting device restrictions
Companies can sometimes be so preoccupied with security that they introduce measures that can hamper rather than help their workforce. Preventing your mobile workforce from using work devices for personal use, or banishing BYODs may be for legitimate company policy reasons, but it’s always good to have your finger on the pulse of your employees to mitigate any unexpected blowback.
In an age where GDPR can be one of the scariest acronyms, you’re entitled to place importance on the security of your business, and the way in which your employees use mobile devices as part of their work. It’s a balancing exercise in keeping your employees happy, and maintaining a level of professionalism that you feel comfortable with.
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Mobile is a mindset
EMM can have benefits for your business in providing a framework for your employees, and also as the start of a mobile chain-reaction that can transform the way you work. By understanding the reason behind implementing an EMM (ultimately to boost productivity), your employees will see that device security and the overall customer experience will also be positively impacted.
By having a mobile employee vs. a desk-based employee, the average company gains an extra 240 hours of productivity every year. Being mobile is a mindset that can change the way your employees think about work, and can apply to so many different people within the same business. The goal is to make work easier than sitting in an office at the same desk, but to change your everyday environments into your own mobile office.
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Is a unified platform the way to go?
Having unified endpoint management as part of an EMM strategy is more than just the flavour of the month. It has the ability to manage devices ranging from mobile smartphones to tablets, desktop computers, wearable devices and even IoT devices that form part of an enterprise environment.
By making use of a unified platform, you can streamline the work of your IT department by removing the need to manage multiple technologies into a single process. It also means you plug the cybersecurity plughole as all the devices can be managed within the same unified endpoint management platform.
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When the cloud gives you that fluffy feeling…
The cloud is the future. With most businesses now making the move to the cloud, there’s a combination of public and private clouds that store data or even host applications. With EMM, the cloud can be the home for particular designated services or data that should never be kept on employee devices.
The flexibility of cloud solutions empowers EMM strategies without unduly enlisting IT departments and their resource with burdensome maintenance responsibilities. Cloud-based solutions are more agile, and can move at the pace of your business to accommodate the needs of your customers.
Having no EMM strategy when you’re looking to grow and expand your business and empower your workforce isn’t an option. With the ever-increasing options available as part of an EMM strategy, our complete guide will help you assess the EMM and mobile security solutions available, and help you identify the best option for you, your executive management and your people.
To secure your mobile workforce, download our checklist for effective EMM.
