Mobile Application Management (MAM) to control all enterprise applications
Агляд
Mobile Application Management (MAM) enables companies to deliver and administer enterprise software to end users’ corporate and personal smartphones and tablets. Considering the fact that business and other users are increasingly embracing mobile devices and using enterprise applications, MAM is going to be an inevitable component of every company’s IT strategy.
What is MAM?
MAM, or Mobile Application Management, is actually a special set of services and applications which control and dictate the access for many mobile applications either developed internally or commercially. It is used as a business setting for all the tablets and smartphones. Nowadays, mobile applications are omnipresent so, it’s not possible to avoid the presence of risk associated with them. У гэтым сцэнары, mobile application management provides some sort of control over this risk by enabling the administrator to supervise and protect the data from various apps.
While the enterprises were adopting the smartphones for their business which provided them with various features like e-mails, and collaboration, they forgot about the proper way to manage all the data that came with it. MAM was introduced in 2010, for optimizing business processes properly and to utilize new smartphone technology fully, for the betterment of the business.
The main phenomenon behind this application management system is to use your own mobile device as a mini office and secure all the data properly for further use. When you switch on the enterprise mode in your personal device, MAM will quickly enable the corporal IT staff. As a result of this, you will be able to access or restrict the business data, download different kinds of obligatory applications and remove the cache which consist of important business data, when you leave the company or if you lose your device.
How is MAM being incorporated?
The concept of MAM has become very famous and finds applications in many spheres. It is not limited to business use only. Many organizations are using the concept of MAM to increase their productivity. An example of such a widely used MAM system is AirWatch, which is finding application in US prisons for reforming convicts through special digital services given to inmates. Here, MAM aims to improve the mindset of the inmates and also their productivity while reducing their negative aspects so that they can spend a more regular and noble lifestyle upon their release.
Also, MAM is increasing the sales of many online shopping sites. MAM has been incorporated in the working of those firms which aim to provide the best of services to their customers, and in return gain the highest reviews and revenues. MAM, when incorporated with the traditional systems of a firm, increases the productivity of the firm’s employees by increasing their mobility and speed. Many companies like GlaxoSmithKline are using such integrations to increase their employee’s mobility and quality of work.
A good MAM system, when properly incorporated with a BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) сістэма, can result in a highly secured workplace where the data remains safe all the time. When MAM systems integrate with schools and universities, the students and professors get a chance to solve many kinds of real-world challenges.
Security issues
Every enterprise believes MAM is good for controlling, managing and securing the data used for different kinds of business services in mobile devices. There are many different types of security issues; however that can be faced by this system. Some of these are leakage of data due to malicious apps or data stolen by friends and family. There are many more obstacles which have to be eradicated by this system in order to produce a secure network.
Few of those challenges and their solutions are explained below:
Containerization
The heavy usage of mobile devices has led many enterprises throughout the world to adopt BYOD (bring your own device) concept. але, this includes various kinds of security problems. These security problems can be solved by containerization. У гэтым працэсе, the enterprise wraps up their internal mobile applications in a secure space which prevent data loss. Containerization can be implemented using environment with hybrid development feature, like IBM Worklight etc.
Application deployment and development
Enterprises develop their own internal application and modify it according to the need of their business. So it’s very important that the developer builds secure apps using tools like app wrapping and proper software development kit. After the development of the internal apps, they are kept in an app store, which organizes the data in a catalog according to the role of employee, group and business. This can also be risky so, the organization should put security access in every file. The administrator should also try to restructure management process, purchase process and distribution process of the apps properly.
Impact on traditional application environment
The impact of MAM on traditional environments has been tremendous. More and more companies are adopting this system. Earlier, the employees had to work for long hours at their offices and they all used the computers provided by the office. But now, times have changed. Now, employees can work at any time, with any device and in any network without compromising the security of their company’s private and confidential data. They can use their own devices and can integrate their personal and professional life to give their best performance by collaborating effectively with their co-workers and interacting with them. This also increases their mobility and speed as they can work from any corner of the world.
Case Study
After having read so much about MAM, let’s see an example of a company. Do you know how Bonn city benefits from MAM, with respect to increase in the satisfaction of its citizens and reduction in costs of the process?
Earlier, the traffic supervisors of Bonn used to carry a small mobile device for recording any kind of violation in parking manually. These devices were then collected and synchronized with the main server at the end of the day. Пасля гэтага, the parking violation tickets were created and sent by email or mail. This whole process was quite costly for the city, especially in cases where the violation happened to be very small and the resultant fine being very less. In case of small violations, it was noticed that the cost of scanning and generating a ticket turned out to be more costly than the fine. Moreover, if a car holder called the authority to find details regarding the ticket he found in his/her car, the authority also didn’t have any details to answer questions. Also, the generation of such tickets could take up to 4-5 дзён.
However, at present, a new solution has been developed in Bonn, which is a live example of how MAM can modify the capability of any ordinary smartphone in the most efficient of ways. This solution was incorporated in the BlackBerry platform and this includes a data synchronization service which works in real time. So, as soon as the supervisor launches a ticket, the data starts to get synchronized in the server and in a few seconds, full records are available in the server of the authority. Also if anyone calls to enquire, authorities can simply answer them with regards to the issue.
Gathering evidence has also turned easy now, with features like GPS data and integrated cameras. Now a traffic supervisor can give a detailed ticket with the specific record number and payment details. It has been noticed, following the implementation of the new system, that 40% of the ticket holders pay their fine before a second notice from the authority. This further saves around 40% ад кошту. This shows that only by using MAM, one can optimize the efficiency and cut down on costs that may be involved.
Summary
The business use of smartphones isn’t limited to sending and receiving e-mails or using the calendar to schedule tasks. Every business is slowly realizing the importance of a good mobile management technique and is adopting management strategies in their own fashion. This is ultimately leading to a “free” workplace where everyone can basically work from anywhere.
