What is EMM and Why Do You Need It?

Solutions Review discusses the basics of enterprise mobility management (EMM) and why your company needs to use it.

The mobility management space is constantly going through changes; from Mobile Device Management (MDM) to Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM) to Unified Endpoint Management (UEM). These developments can muddle our understanding of the functions of each branch of mobility management. Without the knowledge of what works best for your organization, it can be difficult to find the right solution that fits your needs. For that reason, it’s important to know: what is EMM and why do you need it?

EMM is the collection of policies, tools, and processes that companies use to oversee mobile device use within their organizations. This collective is made up of MDM, Mobile Application Management (MAM), and Mobile Content Management (MCM). 

Research analyst house, Gartner Inc. refers to EMM suites as the “glue that connects mobile devices to their enterprise infrastructure.” Gartner also states that the following five core EMM technical capabilities assist IT organizations in performing functions such as provisioning, auditing, support, and more:

• MDM
• MAM
• Mobile Identity (MI)
• MCM
• Containment

Gartner continues, writing, “there are diverse vendor approaches to managing the mobile lifecycle, with many focusing on identity and access, content security, and containment. To be classified as an EMM suite, Gartner requires inclusion of MDM, MAM, and at least one of the following: MI, MCM, or containment technologies. The most advanced suites will include all five technologies.”

In this dynamic marketplace, business leaders feel the pressure to remain competitive, while simultaneously keeping costs down. To accomplish these goals, many organizations are looking to the benefits that EMM solutions can offer, such as improved device security, mobile app and data management, and increased productivity.

EMM solutions help organizations oversee and manage the mobile devices of their employees, ensuring they are secure, while also enabling users to be more productive. This is achieved through MAM and providing employees with the tools needed to perform work-centric tasks on their mobile devices. By implementing an EMM tool into your organization, your employees will have the ability to use their devices for work with security measures in place to prevent events such as data breaches or malware attacks.

Here’s Why You Need an EMM Solution

Security

It’s common for businesses to exchange sensitive data such as sales information, client lists, and accounting data on a regular basis. This exchange of information often occurs on employee devices. A Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policy can benefit users, but if it is not managed well, it opens up the potential for someone with unauthorized access to gain control of the sensitive data if the device is lost or stolen. However, an EMM solution can make a single mobile device an aggregator of applications, resources, capabilities, and data while maintaining oversight and control. EMM tools can also separate work and personal apps or data from each other in order to secure any sensitive work-related data. Additionally, many of these solutions offer a remote wipe feature, which safeguards data by removing information from a compromised device.

Productivity

The use of EMM enables employees to be more productive. Whether through BYOD or Corporate Owned Personally Enabled (COPE) devices, extending crucial business applications to employee devices allows them to securely perform business operations at the time and place that is convenient for them. For example, an employee has the ability to respond to their emails on their way to work. An EMM solution allows for digital communication and capability at any time and in any place, which leads to improved user productivity and engagement.

Looking for more info on the benefits of mobility management? You should check out our free Mobility Management Buyer’s Guide. We profile the top vendors in the mobility management field, list their key capabilities, and determine our Bottom Line for each.

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