The past five years have seen an explosion in the numbers of devices most companies need to manage. Digital transformation and hybrid working models mean that’s essential to know which devices are on your network, what they’re being used for, who is using them, and what the associated costs are.
Luckily, there’s a growing selection of cutting edge tools and smarter practices that can help you simplify operations and gain insight into each device’s real-time status, compliance, and security. Here are some trends and dynamics to consider as you seek to accelerate digital transformation and tighten control over your device fleet:
- Compliance risks are rising
Data protection and privacy laws such as the Protection of Personal Information Act and the Global Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) mean that there can be severe consequences for data breaches. At the same time, growing numbers of remote and mobile workers mean that more company information is being collected, stored and processed outside the campus firewall. As such, knowledgeable CIOs are tightening information security processes across the workforce to safeguard their businesses.
- Mobile-first or only
The combination of powerful software as a service (SaaS) solutions and mobile apps means that more and more people are using a smartphone, tablet or a thinner personal computing device like a Chromebook as their primary work device. Many companies are starting to regard moving apps and data off local storage and into the cloud as a smarter alternative to thick client notebooks with sensitive data on their hard drives.
- Mixture of device ownership models
As hybrid and remote working models continue to mature, many companies are finding that there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to device management and ownership. The same models won’t necessarily work for every team, line of business or device category in your organisation. In practice, most companies are finding that they need to balance a range of BYOD (Bring Your Own Device), CYOD (Choose Your Own Device), COPE (Corporate Owned, Personally Enabled), and COBO (Corporate Owned, Business Only) options.
- Zero trust security
We’re seeing adoption of zero trust security models accelerate as smarter companies recognise the security risks of mobile and hybrid work. The principle of of zero trust is to ‘never trust, always verify’, meaning that all users, devices, and networks are treated as potentially malicious. All traffic, users and devices into the network are verified authorised, inspected and secured. Along with innovations in passwordless security and multifactor authentication, this framework helps to protect company information without impeding the user experience.
- From MDM to UEM
The mobile device management (MDM) market is changing as PC-centric companies like cybersecurity firms climb in and innovate. MDM software is evolving into cutting edge unified endpoint management (UEM) solutions that encompass client management tools (CMT), MDM, mobile application management (MAM) and enterprise mobility management (EMM). UEM integrates management of mobile devices and PCs in a single console to simplify operations. This enables you to manage Windows, Linux, Android, iOS and Internet of Things devices in a holistic way.
- Cost discipline comes to the forefront
As companies accelerate digital transformation and adopt hybrid work, they generally see mobile device and service costs increase. With businesses searching for cost efficiencies, smarter companies are turning the spotlight on to mobile expenses, including mobile voice and data, device and infrastructure costs. You can realise quick wins by reducing bill shock, wasted spending and inefficient contracts. Some companies are saving up to 20% a year on telecom costs after implementing cutting edge mobile expense management processes and tools.
We have 25 years of experience in helping organisations to simplify telecom and technology expense management. Our automated system can help you manage your mobile environment, curb overspending and put an end to bill shock. Getting in touch to learn how our knowledgeable team can help you on your digital transformation journey.