Develop a Mobile Management Strategy
Small devices can be a big challenge without a strategy to manage them.
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Introduction
If you are creating or overhauling a mobile device strategy, this set is for you.
This Research Is Designed For:
This Research Will Help You:
 IT professionals involved in developing a
 Develop a mobile device strategy by guiding
strategy for managing mobile devices
(primarily smartphones and tablets).
 Other IT leaders seeking to understand the
impact of mobile devices on the enterprise.
you through the key decisions involved.
 Understand the advantages and
disadvantages of managing popular mobile
platforms so you know what limits to set on the
support of devices.
 Create written mobile policies to communicate
your strategy to users.
 Become familiar with the technology used to
implement and enforce policies.
This Research Will Not Help You:
 Manage the mobile applications that reside
on mobile devices.
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Executive Summary
The Case for a Mobile Strategy
• Having a formal mobile strategy can take advantage of the many benefits of mobility in the enterprise, overcoming potential
challenges and saving money in the process.
Follow the Steps to Developing a Mobile Management Strategy
• Decide if a bring your own device (BYOD) strategy can work for your organization, and if it will make sense to reimburse
and support devices.
• From there, assign limits to your chosen strategy, especially when it comes to mobile platform support. Then create
policies, implement technologies such as mobile device management (MDM), train employees, and enforce policies.
• Use Info-Tech’s policy templates to create or perfect written mobile policies.
Transition to a New Strategy, Then Re-evaluate Regularly
• Mobile technology changes fast, so choosing a strategy is not a one-time decision.
• Ensure that transitions to new strategies are smooth, and review your mobile management strategy at least once a year.
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The mobile technology roadmap
Use this solution set to choose and implement a strategy for managing
mobile devices. Ensure that it fits into your consumer management strategy.
C
A
T
I
Tackle the Technology of
Consumerization to
understand consumer
Technology – much of
which is mobile.
Understand and Manage
Consumerization introduces
the trends that are driving
the need for mobile
management.
P
This set will guide you through
the steps for choosing an
ideal mobile management
strategy, then implementing and
enforcing it.
X
Vendor Landscape: Mobile
Device Management Suites
can help you choose the
technology that enforces
your strategy.
Integrate Consumer
Applications into IT puts all
those perfectly managed
mobile devices to use.
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Follow the steps to implementing a mobile strategy
Every strategy will be different, but the steps to developing one are the same.
The first step is to make the case that a mobile device strategy is
needed by demonstrating the value of mobile devices in your
organization, and the value of managing them (Section 1). When that is
established, start to develop a strategy by following these steps.
Choose a strategy (Section 2)
Assign limits (Section 3)
Push out policies (Section 4)
Implement the strategy with technology (Section 5)
Train users on and enforce policies (Section 6)
These are not one-time choices: repeat the cycle annually, updating the
strategy to accommodate rapidly advancing technologies and to identify
ways to implement it more efficiently and cost-effectively (Section 7).
C
A
T
I
P
The Mobile Device Strategy Donut
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C
A
T
1. A Mobile Strategy Is Essential
What’s in this Section:
Sections:
• A case for a formal strategy that takes advantage of
the benefits of mobile devices.
I
• A demonstration that lower TCO does not mean
fewer benefits.
• A review of some challenges that a formal mobile
device strategy can overcome.
1. A Mobile Strategy Is Essential
P 2.
Choose the Ideal Mobile Strategy
3. Assign Limits to Your Strategy
4. Push Policies That Support Your Strategy
5. Implement Technology That Enables Your
Policies
6. Train Employees and Enforce Policies
7. Ease the Transition and Reevaluate
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Develop a mobile device strategy now to avoid mobile
nightmares and reduce costs
Most companies still aren’t following a formal strategy for managing their
mobile devices. Don’t be one of them.
Only 24% of organizations
have a formal mobile strategy,
but those that do are
more successful with
mobile devices
Have lowest telecom
expenses
Can provide remote
support
24%
Can identify & locate all
mobile assets
• Organizations with a formal mobile management
Able to deploy mobile
apps in < 24 hours
strategy have fewer problems with their mobile
devices.
• A mobile strategy is particularly useful for keeping
Not had issues passing
compliance / audits
track of mobile assets and saving money on
telecom expenses.
• Develop a mobile strategy now. By following
Never had a serious
mobile security breach
Formal Strategy
No Formal Strategy
1
2
3
4
Average Agreement
5
6
the steps outlined here, your organization can
surge ahead of the majority of organizations,
which have found themselves in a mobile world
without a plan for dealing with it.
Organizations with a formal mobile management strategy
were higher in all of Info-Tech’s success measures
Source: Info-Tech Research Group
N = 140; Overall, t(138) = 2.24, p < .05
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Reap the benefits of mobile devices in the workplace and avoid
the downsides with carefully chosen management practices
Mobile devices are not just toys. Properly managed mobile technology can
contribute to the success of any organization.
• The vast majority of organizations have found success in the use
of mobile devices for work purposes. The most obvious benefits
come on the user end, with increased employee productivity,
satisfaction, and creativity, which overall leads to a more pleasant
and more efficient workplace.
Mobile devices have…
% Who
Agree
Improved employee productivity
82.8
Improved employee satisfaction
83.7
Improved employee creativity
62.5
Contributed to success of business
76.1
Lowered overall IT spending
31.3
o A training program for mobile policies
Reduced help desk requests
26.3
o A strategy for lower telecom expenses
Helped attract quality employees
36.8
Helped retain quality employees
38.3
• These benefits have a cost. IT spending, help desk, and
attracting/retaining employees are not necessarily improved by
mobile device support. Organizations with the following are
better able to avoid the downsides of mobile devices:
o A formal bring your own device (BYOD) strategy
o A mixed mobile device strategy
• This set will touch on these practices and more. Follow InfoTech’s tips to implement the right mobile strategy for your
organization, and do it as cost effectively as possible.
Source: Info-Tech Research Group; N = 136
The main reason to support mobile devices: it’s unavoidable. Smartphones and tablets are quickly
becoming the technology of choice for consumers and enterprise employees alike. The Technology of
Consumerization is quickly becoming the technology of the enterprise, and needs a thought-out
management strategy just like the traditional desktops and laptops of yesterday.
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Lower spending and increase the positive impact of mobile
devices; it’s not a trade-off
A strong strategy can take advantage of all the benefits of mobile devices
without increasing spending on them.
• Info-Tech has found that lower telecom expenses do not
Improved employee
productivity & satisfaction
mean more problems with mobile devices.
• Spending less on telecom was correlated with a positive
impact of mobile devices on employee productivity, employee
satisfaction, success of the business, help desk requests,
attracting employees, and retaining employees.
Contributed to success of
business
Low
telecom
expenses
• A formal mobile management strategy will almost
Reduced help desk
requests
always:
◦
◦
Helped attract quality
employees
Helped attract quality
employees
Correlations between agreement to “we have the lowest
possible telecom expenses” and effects of mobile devices
on business. Thicker lines indicate stronger correlations.
Source: Info-Tech Research Group; N = 140
◦
Lower the TCO of telecommunications and mobile
management.
Unlock the benefits of consumerization and mobile devices
in the enterprise.
Lower the risks of consumerization and mobile devices in
the enterprise – such as the security worries that come
with having data on portable and/or personal devices.
“Mobile devices have improved communications and added
some efficiency. However, they also have us very
concerned about security.”
- Jon, Director of IT Technology,
Community Association Management
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Prepare your network for a consumerized enterprise, and
understand the technology of consumerization
88.9%
Almost 9 in 10 organizations allowed access to company email, contacts, and calendars from
personal mobile devices. Consumerization is here to stay.
Source: Info-Tech Research Group; N = 90
Prepare your access network for the proliferation of
mobile devices by going primarily wireless and planning
for capacity rather than coverage. For more information,
see Info-Tech’s solution set, Build the Enterprise Access
Network of the Future.
To fully understand the consumer technology that is
changing the enterprise, the management technologies
that have been developed to deal with it, and to anticipate
developments that will affect you throughout 2012, see
Info-Tech’s solution set, Tackle the Technology of
Consumerization.
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Small devices bring big challenges
Due to their size and personal nature, mobile devices present unique
challenges for your chosen strategy to overcome.
Security is the number one concern
• More than half of organizations identify security as the top concern with consumer
technology. Smaller devices are easier to lose and spread information in more places.
• A strong strategy maintains security without compromising usability. Match your
organization’s sensitivity to security breaches with the policies and strategies that make
up your strategy.
Compliance is complicated when data can go anywhere
• Logs of mobile device activity are essential to ensure a continuous audit path, should an
issue occur.
• A strong strategy meets compliance requirements on tricky mobile devices.
Depending on the rigorousness of compliance and audit requirements, implement
technology and policies that can meet requirements without unnecessary hassle of users
or IT.
Consumerization has challenged manageability
• Not only are mobile devices able to travel outside the walls of the corporate network, but
they are also seen as personal to users. Both factors conflict with IT’s desire to control
them.
• Follow Info-Tech’s steps to a strong strategy that will help make mobile devices
manageable again.
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