The shift from conventional work from the office to a flexible remote/hybrid work model has been an overwhelming experience for IT admins [1]. With the proliferation of mobile devices entering the workplace, IT admins had to react to this unanticipated situation and manage demand. This included coordinating time and physical distance to support user demand. The result? Loss in productivity and expanded cost to achieve the same outcome.
But there’s good news. Remote device management gives IT administrators control and real-time visibility over devices, including corporate-owned devices, BYODs, and rugged devices. From provisioning to troubleshooting, remote mobile device management offers a better alternative to traveling.
What is Remote Device Management?
Remote device management gives IT admins the ability to access, control, monitor, and manage mobile devices–smartphones, tablets, and laptops—from a centralized platform. For instance, IT admins can take remote actions such as device locking, corporate data wiping, changing security policies, and removing device control on Scalefusion-managed devices.
Why Remote Device Management Works?
Remotely managing devices save countless hours of lost productivity and travel time. IT departments get remote access to set up devices, troubleshoot issues, and protect corporate information from theft or unauthorized access.
When devices are spread across locations, remote device management centrally manages updates, data, apps, device groups, and each device configuration from a single dashboard. This means organizations should work with an easily scalable, flexible cloud solution.
Key Characteristics of Remote Device Management Platform
1. Remote Control
The ability to remotely view and control mobile devices is a fundamental component of remote device management. It allows IT staff to troubleshoot device issues without requiring devices to return for a physical inspection, resulting in reduced downtime. Scalefusion MDM not only allows IT personnel to remotely access Android devices, but connect with end users over VoIP calls for faster troubleshooting.
2. Device Lock
Remote device lock is a security feature that prevents the misuse of a device if it gets lost or stolen. IT admins can remotely lock down devices by using the ‘lock device’ feature on the centralized dashboard. In the event a device is retrieved, employees can enter their password to unlock the device. It’s recommended to enforce a passcode policy for mobile devices under management.
3. Data Wipe
The ability to remotely lock and wipe any lost devices provides an added layer of security to mobile devices that access corporate data and applications. In a BYOD scenario, all the data and apps in the work profile container on Android devices can be remotely erased. The remote device management platform can’t alter personal apps and data.
4. Manage Unattended Devices
Organizations that use mobile devices for commercial purposes need to improve their remote monitoring capabilities. Businesses benefit by converting mobile devices into digital signage, POS, information booths, and self-service kiosks. However, physically managing several devices located across multiple locations is unrealistic. Using MDM with remote device management, IT admins can remotely configure devices for single-app or multiple-app experiences. IT teams can restart and shut down kiosks to diagnose and repair issues.
5. Schedule Regular Alerts
IT teams can scan the enrolled mobile devices to view details about installed apps, blacklisted apps, and restrictions imposed on the device, along with other device details, including OS versions, storage, and battery levels. Scalefusion supports remote visibility of device health, security, data usage, and compliance violations.
Wrapping Up
Considering the popularity of hybrid work and security challenges in the mobile-first era, mobile device management with remote access is no longer a luxury but a necessity. Organizations can extract cost savings not only by improving the efficiency and performance of IT departments but by removing infrastructure installation and maintenance expenses.
Sign up for a 14-day free trial to experience how Scalefusion’s MDM remote management capability can empower business mobility.
