Enterprise mobility challenges – Managing devices and the workspace

By David Barclay, National Practice Manager, Data^#3

Previous articles in this series have described the game-changing, organisation-wide strategy for improved responsiveness, agility and competitive advantage that is enterprise mobility. This article is the second looking at some of the bigger mobility challenges to implementation. Once you’ve conquered data security, identity and access management – the subjects of the previous article – it’s time to implement enterprise-wide device and workspace management.

Managing devices

We keep saying ‘enterprise mobility’ is not device management – by which we mean it’s not only device management. But device management is obviously a critical part of supporting users and protecting corporate data, and is inherently complex with the range of devices out there.

Some key aspects of mobile device management are:

Password protection, encryption and remote wipe functions are cornerstones of mobile device management. There is also a range of other security and protection features, including the ability to:

• Lock down device features
• Restrict the types of content available for consumption
• Prevent email printing, copy/paste or forwarding
• ‘Sandbox’ email or corporate files.

With the array of device protection now available, it’s time to take control of mobile device use across the enterprise.

In addition to off-the-shelf protection, there are application programming interfaces (APIs) and purpose-developed languages provided by device makers and security vendors, that let you write – or have written – customised protection applications for your users’ devices.

Managing the workspace

‘The workspace’ is now the hybrid of a users’ applications, data, devices and locations – everything they need to get the job done, wherever they’re located.

So ‘workspace management’ is the piece that ties everything together – device management (with multiple devices for most users), application and content management, identity management and secure access from anywhere.

This is one of the areas where organisations struggle most – particularly if implementing their entire enterprise mobility strategy in house. Once you start using solutions from a variety of vendors – which, let’s face it, is the norm – it’s really hard to get everything to talk to one central management console. But regardless of how many different elements make up your overall enterprise mobility environment, you need a single pane of glass that lets you see what’s going on, and control it.

If you need to take stock of your current environment and determine how to build your Anywhere Workplace, we’re here to start the conversation. Part of the value that an independent systems integrator such as Data^#3 brings is that we know what’s available, and can help customise a solution to your unique needs – and ensure it’s easy to maintain, manage and monitor.

That’s enterprise mobility – The Anywhere Workplace.