CDW PARTNER REVIEW GUIDE MOBILE DEVICE MANAGEMENT
GETTING CONTROL OF MOBILITY IN THE MARKET In a 2011 IDC study, IT decision-makers report that, on average, 34 percent of their employees access business applications from smartphones. But 69 percent of employees surveyed indicated that they use their smartphones for business activities. 1 Why the discrepancy? The difference is likely because many employees are bringing their own devices to work, for work, whether it s formally permitted or not. 34 percent of employees access business applications from smartphones 69 percent of employees surveyed use their smartphones for business activities The issue is not so much whether a device is company issued or property of the employee it s the fact that IT may be in the dark about who is using mobile devices to access company data. These portable devices can more easily be lost or stolen (relative to notebooks and especially desktops), can link into private networks and perhaps can even store sensitive information. Consequently, organizations need to manage devices, regardless of where they come from, and keep information out of the hands of the wrong user. To get in front of this unmanaged access to corporate information and regain control of the mobile Wild West, more and more organizations are turning to mobile device management (MDM) solutions.
UNCOVERING REQUIREMENTS FOR MOBILE DEVICE MANAGEMENT A comprehensive mobile device management solution includes standard functionalities. Based on decades of experience, CDW has identified various considerations that can influence wireless infrastructure requirements: Application management Deploys, updates and wipes applications Policy management Develops and controls the operational aspects of the mobile network Inventory management Tracks licenses, version control, provisioning and support Security management Enforces password settings, encryption, and remote lock and wipe And then there are value-added functionalities, including the ability to white list or blacklist URLs and applications, to control hardware features on the device (such as Bluetooth and GPS), to locate a device and more. But there s much more to consider than a solution s list of capabilities. When evaluating a mobile device management solution, you ll want to examine your existing resources, policies, compliance and security to see how a solution needs to fit in. You ll likely need one that provides quick, easy ways for employees to get access to business applications. You ll have to figure out what kinds of analytics and reporting options you ll need. And that s just the start: there are many other factors to consider as you begin navigating your MDM options.
STARTING DOWN THE RIGHT PATH WITH PARTNERS YOU CAN TRUST With all of the different variables, it can seem daunting to choose a right-fit solution for your unique needs. There s a sea of mobile device management vendors that approach the discipline in different ways. But you don t have to do it alone. CDW can help. CDW has partnerships with the leaders in mobile device management. We ll assist you with selecting the best products for your ever-changing mobile needs. Based on our deep expertise in this solution area, our solution architects ask a series of questions that help uncover your MDM requirements. These questions include: How much control is needed? What features and benefits are important to the business? How quickly can your organization identify and react to a violation of the mobile policy? What are you doing to manage and procure devices to optimize wireless spending? What mobile IT resources are required for employees to remain effective and efficient? Do you need to manage multiple operating systems and form factors? How are personal-liable devices currently secured? Once you ve determined your requirements for an MDM solution, there s also a question of delivery model: hosted or on premises. Forrester reports that the hosted model is increasingly compelling for organizations that lack internal expertise, budget or time for deployment and management. 2
LOCKING DOWN THE RIGHT VENDOR When you re ready to select a vendor, CDW can help you evaluate offerings that meet your needs. We highlight three leading mobile device management vendors on the following pages.
Often the first to market with new features and functionality, AirWatch has made strategic investments in R&D, crafting new capabilities that extend beyond the minimum requirements of MDM. As one example, AirWatch s Mobile Device Management platform includes a content management system, designed to boost collaboration and improve business processes while still protecting sensitive data. It integrates with an organization s existing content sharing platform, and it has thorough policy-based document control, distribution and management capabilities. Moreover, organizations can establish role-based access to information and applications under one umbrella policy, as well as control access based on location and connection type. AirWatch s Mobile Device Management offering supports all major mobile operating systems, plus Mac OS X, so customers can manage notebooks as well. AirWatch also has committed to supporting Windows 8 and Windows RT.
MobileIron, a rapidly growing thought leader in MDM, offers the on-premises Virtual Smartphone Platform and the cloud service Connected Cloud. These products deliver advanced security features, such as certificates that ensure not only that individuals are authorized to access an application, but also that their devices are in compliance with corporate policies. So mobile devices that are jail broken or have unauthorized apps installed, for example, are not allowed onto the corporate network. They also provide data loss prevention (DLP) that can prevent users from distributing information via unapproved content-sharing applications. Providing the platform for the first enterprise app store in 2009, MobileIron continues to support business apps and has built the App Delivery Network, a content delivery network for mobile apps. This network is designed to deploy and support business apps, without significantly increasing demand on the corporate network. However, it also improves app performance for a high-quality user experience and sizable productivity gains.
Fiberlink is the recognized leader in cloud-based solutions for secure mobile device management (MDM) and mobile application management (MAM). Its MaaS360 platform provides organizations with mobility intelligence and control to enhance the mobile user experience and keep data secure on smartphones and tablets.
PROTECTING YOUR INVESTMENT BY TEAMING UP WITH CDW With CDW as your partner, you ll have access to the latest technologies from across all of our partners to help you regain control of your mobile environments. We will work with you to select the best components whether from one partner or many for your unique MDM requirements. At CDW, we re people who get IT. That means you get more than just the right products: You get the people, knowledge and skills you need to turn products into real solutions. We have certified mobility solution architects and dedicated partner specialists who have the latest partner and industry certifications. Collectively, they ve planned and performed thousands of mobile device management installations alongside our professional services group, which is ready to assist you with every phase of your project: An initial discovery session to understand the type of information you need to protect, how stringent your controls need to be and more An assessment of your existing mobile strategy, if you have one, and definition of project requirements Detailed vendor evaluations, recommendations of best-fit products or solutions, future designs, and proofs of concept Development or selection of the mobile device management platform that best fits your organization s needs Procurement, configuration and deployment of the solution Ongoing project measurements to meet service-level agreements Complete device management lifecycle support Whether you turn to CDW for an end-to-end services engagement or just a little extra help choosing the right solution, you ll have experienced, knowledgeable professionals to support you the entire way. Learn more: Please contact your account manager or visit CDW.com/mobility 1 IDC Go-to-Market Services, 2011 Consumerization of IT Study: Closing the Consumerization Gap, July 2011. 2 Forrester, Forrester Market Overview: Cloud-Hosted Mobile Device Management Solutions and Managed Services, January 2012. The terms and conditions of product sales are limited to those contained on CDW s website at CDW.com; notice of objection to and rejection of any additional or different terms in any form delivered by customer is hereby given; CDW, CDW G and PEOPLE WHO GET IT are trademarks of CDW LLC; all other trademarks and registered trademarks are the sole property of their respective owners. 108527 120928 2012 CDW LLC