Mobile managed services – A cure for IT headaches

We’ve all been there. Having to make the embarrassing call to the IT helpdesk to admit we’ve forgotten our PIN or even lost a device or had it stolen. Managing the devices of a large mobile workforce can be a headache for many organisations. From dealing with these types of user issues to ensuring device apps and security are kept up to date.

But fortunately help is at hand and it’s getting better every day! Unified Endpoint Management (UEM) platforms, like SOTI MobiControl, give visibility and control over your business-critical mobile devices, how they’re performing and what security or compliance risks they’re facing. They also allow you to deploy apps, enrol and provision new devices whilst they are in the field, protect data and minimise device downtime so field workers stay productive.

And on top of this, manufacturers like Panasonic TOUGHBOOK, are working closely with SOTI to offer customers tailored managed solution services above and beyond UEM to meet their specific challenges.

Let me give you some examples of how these managed services can remove some of the strain and reduce the time spent on managing a mobile estate. For a business with a mobile workforce carrying sensitive customer data on its TOUGHBOOK devices, we use SOTI MobiControl with some of our own smart logic development to provide an automated Remote Wipe service for devices lost or stolen.

The customer simply sends an email request referencing the unique ID of the device to be wiped. The solution then automatically validates the sender and device before issuing a command to SOTI MobiControl to carry out the wipe remotely and return the device to factory settings – removing any risk of sensitive data loss. The service operates 24/7 and requests are carried out in just a few minutes.

To simplify the management of pin resets, we also provided the same customer with a management solution that used a small slice of SOTI MobiControl’s functionality. It provides the first line support helpdesk with a simple and efficient tool to remotely reset a device’s pin without having access to any other settings within the device.

We also use SOTI MobiControl to help customers configure and lockdown devices to provide a secure “kiosk-like” environment to meet an individual user’s needs. It can be configured so that users are unable to access or change security settings, download or remove apps. Alternatively, the device can be partitioned – ideal for bring your own device environments – so that the user’s personal and work profiles on the device are separated. This all helps to ensure that security and sensitive data on the device cannot be compromised.

Lastly, when the IT team wants to roll-out firmware, app or security updates, Panasonic can manage the change request. Before the updates are rolled-out over the air using SOTI MobiControl, Panasonic carries out no harm testing and then tests the update on a small initial group of users before being applied to the entire mobile estate.

I bet that IT managers still dread those Monday morning calls from users with lost devices or forgotten passwords but at least now there are managed service solutions that can help better deal with their daily challenges!