With businesses going digital, empowering the workforce with mobile devices to ease business operations, extend better customer support, and offer a mobile working environment is an obvious and welcome change. But as organizations heavily invest in digital devices and the effort of digitization, it becomes imperative to ensure that the devices are used strictly for business use. This especially holds when the devices are out of office perimeter- the IT has very less visibility on the actual device usage, the security of the device and the vulnerable business data is at stake and there’s little the IT teams can do, to retrieve the device in case things go south. For industries such as delivery and logistics, the devices are remotely operating, at all times.
As IT teams struggle to strike the right balance between offering flexibility, sufficing business needs and ensuring security, mobile device management comes forth as a monumental solution. IT teams can effectively secure the company devices used by employees while guaranteeing that the device operations for business are not impacted by the set of restrictions applied.
Scalefusion offers extensive capabilities to track and monitor company devices used by employees. With its diverse feature set extensively built keeping in mind the IT concerns, Scalefusion MDM offers the much-needed relief to IT teams who want to stay on top of their device inventory at all times.
How to track and monitor company devices used by employees:
1. Location Tracking & Geo-fence
Using Scalefusion, you can track the device location of your delivery executives and remote workforce. Scalefusion enables the IT teams to track live GPS-based device location of Android devices. To start with, IT admins can enforce the GPS to be always on and set a location collection frequency.
To track the device location, navigate to the Locations & Geofencing section of the dashboard. In the same section, you can create a geo-fence for the devices/device groups.
IT admins can also apply geofences for device operation and every time the device enters or leaves the fence, the IT is alerted. IT admins can also schedule a geo-fence compliance Workflow where at a set interval, the selected devices are checked for geo-fence violation and IT admin receives a report of the location.
With these parameters, IT admins can easily track delivery executives and remote workforce and keep a check on the device movement at all times.
| Interesting read: Frontline Worker Enablement Accomplished with Scalefusion |
2. Battery Usage Tracking
Scalefusion empowers the IT admins to track the battery usage on any device. The device battery usage can be tracked in the following ways:
In the Devices section, IT teams can monitor the entire device inventory and track the remaining battery percentage on individual devices.
To track the battery status on the entire device inventory, IT teams can navigate to the DeepDive section of the dashboard and monitor the average battery status of the entire device inventory.
IT teams can also schedule a battery alert and action compliance workflow. IT teams can define a threshold battery percentage and every time a device battery drops below the threshold, the device will be alerted and the admin team receives a report of the same.
Tracking battery usage helps to monitor unattended devices deployed as kiosks or digital signage and the devices can be duly connected to a power source to upkeep the performance.
3. Data Usage Tracking
Data usage of each device can be tracked on the Scalefusion DeepDive. IT admins can get an overview of the average data usage by the entire device inventory and also see the last connection status of the device inventory.
Furthermore, IT admins can schedule a data usage workflow for Android and iOS devices and set a data usage limit. Whenever a device consumes more data than the defined threshold, an alert is sent to the device and a report of the same is automatically sent to the admins.
Staying on top of data usage can help the IT to not only define the permissible usage limit but also curb extra costs by detecting excess data usage.
4. Storage Usage Tracking
Similar to Battery and data usage, storage available on the device inventory can be tracked using Scalefusion DeepDive.
IT teams can also schedule a workflow for storage compliance by defining a threshold storage limit and every time a device storage usage is used above the defined threshold, the device as well as the IT team is alerted.
This workflow is available for devices that allow Scalefusion to collect the storage data. Using this workflow, IT teams can efficiently manage and reallocate the storage space of devices.
5. Security Incidents Tracking
The IT teams should always be aware of the security incidents on the device to ensure the device and corporate data security and should be alerted every time there is an attempt of unauthorized access or misuse.
IT teams can track security incidents & compliance violations on the device inventory in the Scalefusion DeepDive. Alternatively, IT teams can schedule a periodic compliance check on the device groups or the entire device inventory and detect security incidents such as SIM swap or failed passcode attempts. With this workflow, IT teams can be vigilant of the potential device threat and take quick data-driven actions to secure the device from misuse.
6. Device Inactivity Tracking
It admins can track the device activity status in the Devices section of the dashboard. The ‘Last Seen’ details of the device are individually available in this section. Also, IT teams can schedule a device inactivity workflow. The devices are pinged at a scheduled time and if they are offline for more than a defined number of hours, they are marked as inactive, a report of the same is automatically sent to the device admins.
Workflows helps IT automate recurring tasks & jobs, read more about Scalefusion Workflows!
7. Track Device Lock/Unlock
When the device is managed using an MDM profile, it is considered to be in a lock state. The lock state can be exited by using a profile password which is available with the IT admins or by unlocking it through the Scalefusion Dashboard. Every time the device set is changed from locked to unlocked or vice-a-versa, IT admins receive a notification on Eva Notifications on the dashboard.
8. Monitor Network Connection
The network connection can be monitored for individual devices in the Devices section of the dashboard. The device information card provides the name and the status of the WiFi network the device is connected to.
9. Monitor Device Screen
With Scalefusion, monitoring device lock screen and app screen is straightforward. In the Devices section of the dashboard, the IT teams can view both the home screen as well as app screen view of the device. They can observe the list of applications available on the device screen and can also reorder the apps on the device screen through the dashboard. For Android and iOS devices, IT can mirror live device screens using the Remote Cast feature of Scalefusion.
Using these handy features and capabilities, maintaining a stronghold over the managed device inventory is simplified. IT teams can remain vigilant and can take quick actions to ensure data and device security with the context-aware information extended by Scalefusion sans the manual effort to track the devices.
FAQs
1. What is device tracking and monitoring?
Device tracking and monitoring in Mobile Device Management (MDM) involves using software to locate, monitor, and manage company-owned devices such as smartphones, tablets, or laptops. This enables IT administrators to keep tabs on device locations, usage patterns, and security status in real time.
2. Why is it important to track and monitor company devices?
It’s crucial to track and monitor company devices for several reasons. First, it helps in maintaining asset inventory and preventing loss or theft. Second, monitoring ensures compliance with company policies, security protocols, and regulatory requirements. Last, it aids in troubleshooting and remotely managing devices, enhancing overall productivity and security.
3. How does device tracking software work?
Device tracking software utilizes technologies like GPS (Global Positioning System) or Wi-Fi triangulation to pinpoint device locations. Additionally, MDM platforms gather data on device usage, app installations, security settings, and network connections. This information is then accessible via a centralized dashboard for administrators.
4. What types of devices can be tracked and monitored?
Various devices can be tracked and monitored, including smartphones, tablets, laptops, and even IoT (Internet of Things) devices that are part of a company’s network. A device can be managed remotely if enrolled in the MDM system and equipped with the necessary tracking capabilities.
5. Is device tracking legal for company-owned devices?
Device tracking is generally legal for company-owned devices, provided that employees are informed about the monitoring practices through acceptable use policies or disclosures. Compliance with local laws and regulations regarding employee privacy and data protection is essential. Clear communication and transparency regarding tracking activities help maintain a balance between security and employee rights.
