Importance of securing desktops equivalent to iPhones' security standards
In the ever-evolving world of technology, a significant shift is underway in the realm of device management. Enterprise Mobile Management (EMM) is emerging as a comprehensive solution, transforming the way organizations secure and manage mobile devices, desktop PCs, and the data they carry.
What is Enterprise Mobile Management (EMM)?
EMM encompasses a suite of tools and policies designed to control, secure, and manage mobile devices and their applications. The primary goal is to protect enterprise data and ensure compliance with organizational policies and regulations. EMM typically incorporates Mobile Device Management (MDM), Mobile Application Management (MAM), and Unified Endpoint Management (UEM), which unites the management of mobile devices and desktop PCs under one centralized platform [1][2][4].
How EMM is Revolutionizing Device and Desktop Management
EMM offers numerous advantages that are revolutionizing device management:
Centralized Management Across Devices
Organizations can manage phones, tablets, laptops, and desktop PCs through a unified dashboard, drastically simplifying IT workloads and reducing management complexity [4].
Enhanced Security
EMM enforces strong security policies such as device encryption, remote wipe, app-level data protection, and compliance enforcement across all endpoints. This reduces the risk of data breaches by enabling rapid response to lost or stolen devices and controlling app access [1][2][4].
Cost Savings
EMM automates routine IT tasks like app deployment, updates, and compliance monitoring, freeing up IT staff to focus on strategic projects. With better resource allocation and reduced manual maintenance, organizations experience lower operational costs. Preventing security incidents also reduces potential costs associated with data breaches such as fines and reputational damage [1][3].
Support for Flexible Work Models
EMM/UEM enables employees to work securely from anywhere on any device, supporting remote and hybrid work environments without compromising data security [4].
Improved Employee Productivity
Automated device monitoring and seamless updates minimize downtime and ensure employees have secure and up-to-date tools at all times [1].
Regulatory Compliance
EMM helps organizations meet standards such as GDPR and HIPAA by enforcing device and app level policies consistently [1][2].
In essence, EMM is transforming how organizations secure and manage both mobile devices and desktop PCs by centralizing control, enhancing security, simplifying IT operations, and driving significant cost efficiencies—all while supporting modern flexible work environments [1][3][4].
The Necessity of EMM
In an era where devices run a vast array of mobile apps and connect across networks that are often outside of the IT department's control, traditional management tools are too manual and inflexible for modern computing environments. EMM moves away from this to a context-based policy [5].
The underlying architecture of Windows is migrating to the modern architecture of mobile, with the advent of Windows 10. EMM supports self-service and puts more control in the hands of the employee, providing a consistent user experience across multiple operating systems [5].
EMM allows policies to be updated even when a computer is on an external network, unlike traditional client management tools. This flexibility is crucial in today's mobile-first, cloud-first world [5].
Employees today use a range of devices, some company-owned and some personally owned, for work. EMM establishes a data boundary between work and personal information on a PC, securing corporate data while maintaining the privacy of employees' personal data [5].
The article sourced from Ojas Rege, chief strategy officer at MobileIron.
The Future of EMM
The total cost of ownership (TCO) of a smartphone managed by EMM is 78% lower than the annual TCO of a PC managed by client management tools. Even when adding in voice and data charges, the smartphone annual TCO is 57% lower than the PC annual TCO [5].
The PC market recently suffered its biggest decline in history, with a year-on-year decline of 10.6% in the fourth quarter of 2015 [6]. Apple, Google, and Microsoft are aiming to get ahead of the convergence between desktops and mobile devices with devices such as the Surface Pro or iPad Pro [6].
The thought of managing a desktop PC the same way as an iPhone may seem radical, but traditional legacy computing models are becoming outdated due to changes such as the rapid surge in cloud computing and the establishment of BYOD as an enterprise computing model [6].
In conclusion, EMM is not just a passing trend; it is a necessary evolution in device management that accommodates change, saves money, and increases security for all devices. As technology continues to evolve, EMM will undoubtedly play a pivotal role in shaping the future of IT management.
[1] Rege, Ojas. "The Enterprise Mobility Management Market: A Primer." Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 14 May 2015, www.forbes.com/sites/ojasrege/2015/05/14/the-enterprise-mobility-management-market-a-primer/.
[2] "Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM) - Overview, Market, and Trends." Gartner, Gartner, 17 Mar. 2021, www.gartner.com/en/information-technology/glossary/enterprise-mobility-management-emm.
[3] "The Total Economic Impact™ of MobileIron's Unified Endpoint Management." Forrester Consulting, MobileIron, 2019, www.mobileiron.com/resources/whitepapers/the-total-economic-impact-of-mobileirons-unified-endpoint-management.
[4] "The Future of Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM)." MobileIron, MobileIron, www.mobileiron.com/resources/whitepapers/the-future-of-enterprise-mobility-management-emm.
[5] "The Evolution of Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM)." MobileIron, MobileIron, www.mobileiron.com/resources/whitepapers/the-evolution-of-enterprise-mobility-management-emm.
[6] "The Future of PCs in the Enterprise: A Changing Landscape." MobileIron, MobileIron, www.mobileiron.com/resources/whitepapers/the-future-of-pcs-in-the-enterprise-a-changing-landscape.
- In the evolving world of technology, the integration of data and cloud computing, facilitated by technologies like Enterprise Mobile Management (EMM), is revolutionizing the way organizations secure and manage their mobile devices and desktop PCs.
- With advancements in technology, particularly the convergence of desktop PCs and mobile devices, the need for a comprehensive solution like EMM to manage and secure these endpoints becomes increasingly crucial in today's mobile-first, cloud-first world.
