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enterprise mobility management (EMM)

By Michael Goad

What is enterprise mobility management (EMM)?

Enterprise mobility management (EMM) software allows organizations to securely enable employee use of mobile devices and applications.

In addition to addressing security concerns, EMM software helps employees be more productive because IT departments can provide them with the applications and data they need to perform tasks on mobile devices. EMM software can also help organizations with bring your own device, or BYOD, environments to manage various device types.

EMM grew out of mobile device management (MDM), which focused solely on device-level control and security. After Microsoft's 2015 release of Windows 10, most EMM software providers expanded into unified endpoint management (UEM), allowing IT to manage PCs and mobile devices through a single console.

Components of EMM

EMM typically involves some combination of MDM, mobile application management (MAM), mobile content management (MCM) and identity and access management (IAM).

These four technologies started as individual products but are increasingly available through broader UEM platforms.

Benefits of EMM

EMM is a powerful tool businesses can use to manage their mobile devices and applications. It helps control costs, improve security, reduce potential user and device downtime and maximize productivity. For example, if an employee's device is lost or stolen, IT admins can use EMM to locate or remotely wipe and reset a device to ensure data security. Additionally, EMMs allow IT admins to distribute applications remotely to end-user devices to ensure they can access all necessary data. This helps to ensure that employees are more productive and that corporate information is managed and secure. EMM benefits can include the following:

Challenges of EMM

While there are many benefits to implementing an EMM, there are challenges organizations face that should also be considered when looking to choose and deploy an EMM platform, including the following:

These are just some of the challenges associated with EMM tools that organizations should consider when evaluating potential options for their mobility needs. However, these challenges can be successfully addressed and overcome with the proper implementation and management strategy. By clearly understanding what the organization needs from an EMM tool and properly training users on how to use it, companies can ensure they get the most out of their investment.

How EMM has evolved

As more organizations embraced enterprise mobility, vendors started creating what would become EMM by adding MAM or MCM features to their MDM products. An enterprise app store or other self-service portal for application delivery and deployment is also a common component of EMM software.

Microsoft built MDM APIs into Windows 10, which opened the door for EMM software to manage PCs in the same way it manages smartphones and tablets. Apple also allows its macOS desktops and laptops to be managed this way. Now that all major EMM vendors support this functionality, the market has shifted from EMM to UEM, which can manage a variety of endpoints, including internet of things devices, wearables and tablets.

Today, most EMM vendors have rebranded into UEM vendors. Vendors like Microsoft and VMware also incorporate UEM components into digital workspace offerings. Digital workspaces aim to unify the end-user experience even further by bringing applications, virtual desktops, mobile devices and more onto one platform.

03 Apr 2023

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