Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM) refers to a combination of strategies and tools that help businesses securely manage their employees’ mobile devices, applications, and data. Mobile devices connect people and data in an instant, yet they come with a flood of management complexities that threaten security, productivity, costs, and business continuity.
The IT complexity of managing proliferating assets and service providers (a recent study found that 67% of enterprises use up to five separate vendors for device management and security) can quickly undermine innovation if companies don’t have the right support partnerships in place.
A global study of IT and IT security practitioners conducted by the Ponemon Institute digs deeper into these difficulties:
Diminished productivity: The study found that problems with mobile devices lead to roughly 900 hours of unplanned downtime each week. The cost implications of this are tremendous. Vanson Bourne research shows that 30%+ of revenue is lost without working mobile devices. In addition to this are the intangible costs associated with separate vendor handling, help desk support, and deployment headaches that can have a very real impact on IT productivity as well as the enterprise bottom line.
Security gaps: Only 28% of respondents believe their company’s mobile security strategy can truly safeguard sensitive data. The costs of mobile data breaches are widely known, and 88% of organizations polled by Vanson Bourne believe an Enterprise Mobility Management service gives them better security.
Cost of in-house management vs. cost of an EMM solution: Data from Oxford Economics demonstrates that it takes one full-time IT employee to manage 250 devices at an annual investment of approximately $115,000. In most cases, the cost of an Enterprise Mobility Management solution is much less than the collective cost of salaried staff for overseeing devices internally – and with far greater assurance of program effectiveness due to automation found within purpose-built software platforms.
The impact of lost devices: On average, IT teams report spending over 200 hours each year replacing lost devices. The two greatest issues here are business continuity and productivity losses (discussed above) and security risks associated with lost or stolen devices. Over half of respondents reported experiencing a data breach stemming from inappropriate access to an employee’s mobile device, with the costliest breach topping $2.2M. The bulk of these costs ($590k) are related to identifying, containing, and remediating the breach itself.
Ordering: Streamline and simplify mobile orders using a single, centralized platform
Inventory & Maintenance: One place to catalog all devices, users, mobile applications & contracts, expenses, other information
Invoicing: Automate, streamline, and accelerate
Expenses: Get a complete view of all mobile expenses and better understand how costs correspond
Mobile device management is the backbone of EMM. The solution uses a combination of software and services to comprehensively manage and secure mobile devices (both corporate-issued and employee-owned) across every phase of their lifecycle. In addition to lifecycle management, MDM offers device tracking (with the ability for IT teams to remotely track and wipe devices if lost or stolen) and mobile expense management, tracking costs and data service contracts across all mobile carriers for full visibility into expenses, services, and assets. Read our guide on MDM or check out our MDM solution.
MAM helps businesses control and secure the applications employees use on their devices. It ensures that only approved apps are accessible, keeps them up-to-date, and protects corporate data by managing what users can do within each app. Read our guide on MAM.
Greater operational efficiency: EMM software and services handle every step of device management, from inventory management to logistics/provisioning and device tracking, even offering help desk services and paying invoices and employee stipends. One team Tangoe assisted now spends only 1 hour each month on enterprise mobility management – a productivity gain of 372 hours every year. Learn more about mobile logistics with Tangoe.
Unified Endpoint Management extends the capabilities of EMM by managing all types of endpoints, not just mobile devices. In today’s dynamic digital world, this is a must. Many EMM solutions have evolved to incorporate UEM support, but not all solutions are created equal.
It’s crucial that you look for an EMM provider whose solution offers full UEM support. This includes:
The key difference between mobile device management and enterprise mobility management is that the former is a single solution while the latter is a comprehensive approach that includes MDM as one of its components.
MDM addresses device-specific management needs, whereas EMM integrates mobile management into a broader enterprise strategy encompassing not just devices but applications, content, and security – aligning everything with the overall mobility policy of the organization.
Here’s a closer look at how MDM and EMM are related and where they differ:
Device Management: Both solutions focus on managing mobile devices, ensuring that they are secure, properly configured, and compliant with organizational policies. They both enable remote monitoring, management, and support of mobile devices like smartphones, tablets, and laptops.
Security: Both solutions prioritize security, providing features like encryption, password policies, remote wipe, and the ability to lock devices if lost or stolen. They also enforce security policies to protect sensitive company data on mobile devices.
Support for Remote Management: Both EMM and MDM enable IT teams to remotely manage devices.
Scope and Functionality: MDM primarily focuses on managing and securing devices themselves. The solution controls aspects like device settings, app installations, security policies, and remote wipe capabilities, working at the device level to ensure security and compliance. EMM, on the other hand, is a comprehensive strategy that focuses on managing the full mobile ecosystem – ensuring overall mobile strategy alignment with business goals.
User Access and Identity Management: MDM solutions may provide basic authentication and device-specific access control whereas EMM includes IAM, which ensures that only authorized users can access corporate resources.
The Tangoe One Mobile solution doesn’t just ensure mobile devices are operational and secure. Our leading solution provides a single platform for companies to simplify, optimize, and manage their fleet every step of the way while also ensuring every device is cost-efficient. Hyper automation, a rich ecosystem of integrations, and fully managed services for every phase in the device lifecycle serve as a value multiplier for clients, fueling greater operational efficiencies and cost savings simultaneously.
Mobile Device Management (MDM) is the process of effectively managing a fleet of corporate mobile devices whether they are employee-owned or company-owned. The term can refer to a managed mobility service (MMS), a software solution, and/or a corporate practice typically provided by the IT department. Read the full guide.
Managed Mobility Services (MMS) is an umbrella term covering an extensive range of technologies and activities related to managing mobile devices in a corporate or public sector setting. Read the full guide.
Mobile application management (MAM) is the process of controlling and securing Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) applications on devices owned either by the company or personally by the employee/user. Read the full guide.
Unified Endpoint Management (UEM) is an approach and software solution that empowers IT and security teams to oversee, control, and safeguard all end-user devices in a consistent and streamlined manner. Read the full guide.
BYOD refers to enterprises allowing their employees to utilize their personally owned devices for work. Learn more about managing BYOD with Tangoe.
DaaS refers to a model where businesses lease hardware devices and pay a monthly fee to utilize the technology instead of buying it outright.
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