Enterprise mobility refers to the interlocking strategies that work together to guarantee that businesses can operate in a flexible, contemporary manner. At the core of enterprise mobility is the idea that employees should have the resources available to permit them to work from anywhere across a variety of devices. This article will examine the key aspects of enterprise mobility to help companies identify what’s involved and plan their own specific strategy.
The Story of Enterprise Mobility
While the term is on everyone’s mind these days, enterprise mobility has been around in concept since the adoption of business-focused mobile devices such as Blackberries and PalmPilots in the late 90s and early 2000s. Most often these devices were owned and managed by the company, and they were meant to help key executives to stay connected while out of the office at meetings or events. By the mid-2000s, the landscape was beginning to evolve, thanks in large part to the arrival of the iPhone. This revolution ushered in internet connectivity and apps for all players in the company.
The mass adoption and proliferation of consumer smartphones led to the “bring-your-own-device” (BYOD) movement and the ability for consumers to access the corporate network and data through their own smartphones or home computers. This phenomenon presented companies with a new dilemma: To BYOD or not to BYOD?
This is a vital question when it comes to an enterprise mobility strategy, and the answer is not as clear as you would think. While BYOD is widely utilized and accepted in many companies, other businesses still prefer corporate-owned devices for staff use.
There are justifications for both sides: on the one hand, BYOD is affordable, and the employee is typically happy to use their own device rather than switch back and forth throughout the day. Conversely, businesses that provide devices to employees can have more control over the hardware and the corporate data that resides on it. There’s no definitive rule as to which strategy is best for any given business, so it’s important to carefully consider the benefits and drawbacks for your company before deciding on the right course of action.
Evaluate Mobility Management Software
As with any corporate project or company-wide initiative, it would be ineffective to hand out hardware and let the rest take its course. Ongoing management is a critical part of enterprise management, but fortunately, ample software is available to facilitate the process.
For instance, there are apps that permit users to access corporate data and documents through their smartphone or tablet without it ever being physically transferred to the individual device. This is especially helpful in a BYOD environment, as access can be shut down or revoked as soon as an employee is terminated. There are also products that isolate corporate applications from the rest of the software on a user’s smartphone, meaning there’s less chance that a malicious app could infiltrate sensitive data. Other software can manage how much the user can access through devices that are connecting from outside the corporate network. This is paramount for security, as even a legitimate user may be connected to an unsecured network that may be vulnerable to a data breach.
In summary, while enterprise mobility is a singular concept, the implementation of any strategy will vary from business to business. Developing a comprehensive plan for what your company wants to achieve—complete with associated risks and vulnerabilities—will help you achieve a successful enterprise mobility strategy.
Alliance IT is a managed services firm based in Sarasota. We help companies of all sizes to develop strategies that help them achieve goals and thrive in a competitive environment. Call today to learn more about how we can help your SMB to grow in 2024.
