Android is globally popular as it is feature-rich, user-friendly and cost-effective. According to a report¹ Android is the most popular operating system in the world with more than 2.5 billion active users spread across 190 nations. These globally-loved Android devices are easy targets for hackers. But it doesn’t imply that businesses should stop using Android. Rather, businesses should opt for a powerful Android Device Management Solution to manage and secure Android devices.
Today, there are many MDM solutions available in the market. With so many options to pick from, mistakes are inevitable. Of course, switching to a better MDM is always a possibility. But, getting it correct the first go saves a lot of time, effort and money. This article will help to comprehend some of the essential MDM features to look for in an Android MDM solution.
10 Most Essential MDM Features for Android Devices
1. Automated enrollment
Automated enrollment is one of the most important features to have in an Android MDM because it saves a lot of time and IT effort in manually manoeuvring devices. Provisioning devices in bulk has always been a challenge ahead of IT departments. A competent MDM should allow for bulk enrollment of Android devices over the air with Google’s Zero Touch.
IT administrators should be able to configure devices with pre-approved business apps so that employees may use them straight out of the box. In short, a good Android MDM should ensure a hassle-free enrollment process.
2. Containerization for BYOD
Employees love BYOD as it allows them to use their personal devices for work. Since the employees are familiar with their own devices, it saves a lot of IT time and effort. But BYOD comes with its own set of challenges like possible data breaches, malware, compliance issues, etc. An efficient MDM must have a containerization policy in place to mitigate these challenges.
Containerization creates separate containers for work and for personal use on employee BYO devices so that employees do not have to carry multiple devices for work. Having work and personal profiles separate saves businesses from a lot of risks such as employees copying sensitive corporate data on personal devices, taking screenshots, etc. Even when employees leave the organization, company data can be easily removed from their devices without any end-user intervention, over the air.
3. Kiosk lockdown feature
Android devices are feature-rich. However, these lead to employee distraction and disengagement in work. Employees tend to waste their productive hours due to easy access to entertainment and gaming apps and websites. This can impact employee productivity and business output in the long run.
With Android kiosk lockdown, IT admins can lock any Android device in a single-app or multi-app kiosk mode, thereby preventing unauthorized access to non-work-related apps. Browser apps can be locked down to only business-specific websites. The Kiosk mode converts any device into a purpose-built kiosk, which helps in reducing excess data costs by limiting non-essential functionalities. Multi-app mode allows two or more applications to run simultaneously while single-app mode locks the devices to a single application.
4. Security features
Security is of paramount importance when it comes to businesses. The MDM that you choose should be capable of saving your business against misuse and unauthorized access. Stricter policies like factory reset protection, remote wipe-off, data loss prevention, VPN configuration, etc. should save the organizational infrastructure from cybercrimes. Also, for Android, the MDM solution should support Google SafetyNet attestation. It scans and validates employee-owned Android devices for security and compatibility.
Ensuring safe browsing is a must-have feature in any Android Device Management Software. An Android MDM should help businesses control the browsing environment of employees on company-owned or BYOD devices. Only secure websites should be allowed to protect corporate data from malicious attacks. Only specific websites should be allowed and the rest of everything should be blocked for security.
5. Application management
An MDM should be able to configure, install and silently update business-specific applications over the air from the Google play store without any intervention. IT admins should be able to schedule app installation, track app data and usage and delete apps whenever required. The applications should be updated regularly, without end-user intervention and preferably in a designated maintenance window, which the MDM should be able to provision.
6. Remote device troubleshooting
An efficient MDM should have exceptional remote support and troubleshooting features to reduce IT load. In the era of remote work, remote troubleshooting becomes vital to ensure the devices are up and running at all times. An Android MDM should have all the essential support features such as screen mirroring, VoIP calls, chat support, remote control and an integrated ticketing system.
7. Location tracking and geofencing
Another important feature to look out for is near-accurate location tracking and geofencing capacities. Mobile devices are vulnerable to various risks such as device theft, lost devices etc.
Geofencing is important to keep devices within a specified boundary. An efficient MDM helps safeguard the virtual boundaries of your business by locking Android devices within a geofence. If the devices move in or out of the geofence, automated alerts are generated. Getting notified about a breach in real-time helps businesses save a lot of money and effort as the devices can be locked immediately and the possible chances of data breaches are reduced up to a great extent.
8. Reports and device analytics
Visibility is important in any business as it helps the business owners to decide what’s best for the organization, what needs to be taken care of and what needs to be stabilized. As a business, getting a 360-degree view of the entire device inventory helps in making informed decisions, every single time.
An Android MDM should be able to provide a comprehensive summary of mobile devices, along with real-time data about the overall device’s health. Besides this, a good MDM should be able to provide the following details: compliance-violation data, mobile data usage, platform summary, battery status, available storage, last connected stats, etc.
9. Diverse device compatibility
Every industry is unique and so are its requirements. While picking an MDM, IT admins should sieve through their business requirements based on industry. A one-size-fits-all approach may not work here. For example, logistics requires rugged device management whereas retail requires mPOS.
10. OS updates management
As a business operating with mobile devices and a mobile workforce, it is important to ensure that the OS is updated to the latest version of Android. Also, an MDM should be able to automate, schedule and delay OS updates.
Scalefusion MDM: A one-stop Android Solution
Scalefusion Android device management software is trusted by the world’s leading organizations and is packed with all the above-mentioned must-haves!!
It is essentially made for the IT teams to secure and manage Android devices, configure restrictions, app and enterprise settings and easy device deployment.
Apart from the above mentioned essential features, with Scalefusion, you can leverage the following features remotely:
- Content management
- Kiosk browser management
- Device profiles
- Custom Branding
- Diverse device compatibility such as mPOS, tablets android TV, Kindle Fire, etc.
- Getting alerts upon SIM swaps, unauthorized unlock attempts, etc.
- Conditional email access
- Remote commands
- Workflows
Conclusion
A good MDM for Android should be reliable, secure and should be compatible with diverse devices. With its plethora of features, Scalefusion MDM Solution secures and manages Android devices for optimum employee productivity and performance.
Just like Android, It’s reliable. It’s secure. It’s open.
Go ahead and book a live demo now.
