The Shifting Tides Of Mobile Device Management

By Mark Gentile, President and CEO of Odyssey Software

We are currently witnessing a marked shift in the standards of mobile device capabilities, connectivity options and usages, and the corresponding requirements for mobile device management.

Significant advancements in mobile devices, their applications and associated wireless networks now enable line-of-business applications to be broadened to a wider variety of mobile workers. Line-of-business applications are extending beyond the traditional task worker - delivery drivers, field technicians, retail stock checkers – and his large, rugged single-function device into the realm of the knowledge worker, who requires a more flexible platform, capable of running multiple applications in a form factor that fits in his pocket.

Organizations leveraging these new developments have experienced better customer relationships, improved efficiency and considerable gains in productivity. That said, these shifts also present multiple challenges for organizations managing a larger, more expansive mobile workforce. One of these challenges is providing all-inclusive mobile device management solutions with the same asset protection that IT departments have come to expect in their servers, laptops and desktops.