What do real users take into consideration when it comes to purchasing a Mobile Device Management solution?
According to Phil Redman, an analyst at Gartner, every enterprise company will have no choice but to invest in an MDM by 2017.
"Unlike Blackberry, platforms like iOS and Android are not built with the enterprise in mind, they are simply not as secure as Blackberry, and to make them secure, companies have to spend some money."
As the leading review site for enterprise technology solutions, IT Central Station users have plenty of advice to offer on how to choose a Mobile Device Management solution. Users on our site have experience with VMWare AirWatch, ManageEngine Desktop Central, IBM MaaS360, Jamf Pro and other enterprise MDM solutions.
“Take out a dedicated license agreement”
When choosing an MDM solution you might be tempted to go for a solution that is bundled with other solutions that you use. This solutions architect advises against this. She writes, “Don't make compromises when enticed by Enterprise license agreements for other products that may include their own MDM for a substantially low price.
You should take out a dedicated license agreement of your MDM fleet and invest heavily in innovating in this space. I've seen many companies that buy into MDM and don't make a continued investment in evolving their use-cases.”
“Look for something that will fit your environment, budget and level of expertise”
No one MDM solution will be suitable for every company. This senior IT Manager advises, “Look for something that will fit your environment, budget and level of expertise. For us, we manage all OS’s. This was a perfect fit. We also have 5000 endpoints. ManageEngine allows us to manage these endpoints at a fraction of the cost. Our IT administrators are also able to use the product without much complication compared to other competitors.”
“Try the cloud solution first”
Keep an open mind about using an on-premise solution or a cloud MDM solution. This IT Consultant recommends that companies don’t rule out cloud solutions. He writes, “Even if you're thinking about the on-premise installation, try the cloud solution first.”
“Choose your platform carefully”
When picking an MDM solution, it’s crucial that the platform you choose is compatible with your team and their skillset. This IT support engineer writes, “Make sure you choose to run it on a platform that others have experience with. They give you options including a Mac server, a Windows server, and even Linux. However, not everyone is going to know Linux, which can cause problems down the road.”
“Get contract support”
Our community also notes that when buying a solution, it isn’t just features and price that should be taken into consideration. This IT support engineer reminds others that, “If the in-house knowledge is not available and the application is important for your business, get contract support.”
Want to find out which MDM solutions are top ranked by IT Central Station users? Read all user reviews for Mobile Device Management solutions here.
I liked the list of precautions while choosing a MDM vendor. From what I hear, JAMF Pro rules!!