Mobile device management (MDM) is a type of security software used by an IT department to monitor, manage, and secure employees’ mobile devices (laptops, smartphones, tablets, etc.) that are deployed across multiple mobile service providers and across multiple mobile operating systems being used in an organization. The inherent risks of a “bring your own device” (BYOD) policy has given rise to MDM software used by the IT department. With security and data breaches becoming costlier every year, MDM tools have become essential to the modern workplace.

Coupled with additional tools, technologies, processes, and policies, an MDM solution is a core component of enterprise mobility management (EMM), an ever-developing organizational trend that addresses the business and technological context of device usage in everyday business operations. Without MDM, information on stolen or lost devices is not secure, which could allow it to easily fall into the wrong hands. Also, devices without MDM have an increased exposure to malware and other viruses that could compromise confidential data. And, once that confidential data is compromised, the ease of which a data breach or hacking incident can be achieved increases greatly. Care and due diligence must be taken to evaluate an MDM platform to understand if it fits a company’s specific policies.