The MDM Market Is Set To Explode: Here's Why

By Anson Shiong, CEO, Sand Studio

The mobile device management (MDM) industry has experienced rapid growth since it first emerged in the early 2000’s, fueled by advancing ‘smart’ technologies and a need to keep those devices secure. This growth isn’t set to slow down any time soon, with a report from Research and Markets projecting a compound annual growth rate from its current valuation of $9.6 billion of 23 percent by 2027^[1]. But what exactly is behind this exponential growth? And, are there any potential roadblocks that quell halt this explosion?

We can examine the potential roadblocks later. To start, let’s examine what’s fueling the MDM industry’s massive growth.

Enterprise mobility and security

The most apparent driver is an increasing shift towards enterprise mobility, and it’s clear to see why: the nature of work is changing. Employees want more flexibility to work from any location, at any time, and technological advancements - smartphones, cloud connectivity, and so on - have enabled this. The benefits are also evident, with multiple studies confirming that a mobile workforce leads to a 30 percent increase in process performance and a 23 percent increase in overall productivity^[2]. However, companies are also aware that with remote access, certain risks have to be considered, such as the protection of sensitive company information, not to mention the security of company-deployed assets themselves.

So, what’s the best way to secure remote mobile devices? The answer is clear, and it’s MDM. With capabilities to remotely access, control, and even wipe devices that may be stolen, lost, or otherwise compromised, MDM is the best way to secure a remote, company-deployed device. Many MDM solutions also offer secure file-transfer channels, which are purpose-built and encrypted to protect data in transit.

As such, this shift towards enterprise mobility and the ability to work from anywhere, at any time, while also ensuring a high level of device and data security, has driven and will continue to drive the growth of the MDM industry.

Thrifty solutions to expensive problems

Every business owner, especially those running a small-to-medium business, have faced a similar dilemma: invest copious amounts of capital into a new solution that may or may not give the company an edge, or fall behind and continue using traditional methods that are much more labor-intensive. As such, it’s MDM’s ability to offer inexpensive workarounds to otherwise expensive problems that are helping drive its continued adoption and growth.

Solutions like digital signage, which can cost a business anywhere from $6,000 to $30,000^[3] when working with dedicated vendors, is one such workaround that MDM can enable. MDM solutions that offer a kiosk functionality can turn any device into a fully branded, digital signage solution that cannot be exited out of or tampered with by unauthorized people. This enables a business to outlay only the costs for the device itself and the MDM solution, which costs far less than a dedicated vendor, potentially saving the business thousands of dollars.

A number of other MDM-capable workarounds also exist with the potential to save a business thousands, and this money-saving potential is another factor driving the continued adoption and growth of the MDM industry.

Productivity targets

Higher productivity targets are a less obvious but equally important factor that must be considered. This makes sense, too, with many business leaders confirming that higher productivity is a significant goal for any business, with high productivity being indicative of a happy and dedicated workforce^[4]. So how exactly does MDM contribute to productivity?

With many solutions providing the capabilities to simplify and streamline processes, like application management service suites that distribute custom applications; the ability to remotely view or control devices to enable the fast resolution of technological issues, bulk file transfer capabilities to all or select devices, or, the ability to track a device’s location so logistics businesses can optimize their delivery fleet’s routes to ensure efficiency. It’s no wonder that a higher capacity for productivity is a factor behind the industries’ continued growth.

As for roadblocks in MDM’s growth, there aren’t any. Unless a massive global movement winds back the use of mobile technology in business, or if for some reason, mobile device management goes in-house, there aren’t any discernible roadblocks that have the potential to halt the MDM industries’ meteoric rise through 2020 and beyond.

Anson Shiong

Anson Shiong is CEO of Sand Studio, the developer of mobile device

management (MDM) solution for Android devices, AirDroid Business.