By enabling enterprise mobile solution that allow employees to work anywhere, delivering ever-increasing value from mobile communication, and taking advantage of new and customized applications, enterprise mobility can be transformed from a necessary cost of doing business to a competitive advantage. As more companies are recognizing the opportunity that mobility offers, the question is not whether MDM is right for your business, but which flavor is the best fit? Today, Gartner reports that more than 85% of MDM product buys for mobile devices are software where components are retained in-house and on premise. But that’s changing, as the cloud-based MDM environment is gaining traction. So how do you know which solution is right for your organization?
When evaluating an on-premise vs. cloud based MDM solution several factors should be considered:
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Cost: This is key and a combined result of all factors. Is the infrastructure there, is it scalable and are the support resources in place? Is this a capital expense worth taking on or would a pay as you go/grow model work better? What’s your timeline and do you have the in-house resources to manage and support the solution?
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Deployment speed: How quickly will you be able to implement the solution? How well will you be able to accommodate new employees once it is deployed? Cloud-based services tend to have the edge on deployment speed due to their anywhere, anytime accessibility.
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Security: Look at the security layer of the architecture. Is your IT group comfortable in this domain – are they able to manage the security setup and configuration? How is this different in a cloud-based solution?
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Integration: How will the mobile application platform integrate with your environment? Will the solution require integration with back office applications? Will the cloud-based solution securely connect to your network?
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Infrastructure support: How well can your IT group handle the installation and maintenance of the mobile environment, and what cost will be associated with doing so. Is the solution scalable? These are important considerations and should be compared to a cloud based solution during the decision process.
Each of these delivery options for mobile device management has its own benefits and serves different needs. An organization should understand the differences, pros and cons, so they can determine which solution is best for them. Most of our clients have found a better fit with an on premise solution but as cloud based solutions become more mature, robust and secure, we are seeing a shift. When you’re ready to make the move to an MDM solution, either in the cloud or on-premise, Advocate is here to help you make sense of the offerings and find a solution tailored to your organization’s business, resource and security needs.