Mobile device management: the next big thing in Telecommunications

Mobile Device Management: The Next Big Thing in Telecommunications? by Peter Verhoeff

Mobile device management (MDM) is a relatively new development in telecommunications. This article explains what mobile device management is and how it relates to telecom expense management (TEM). Mobile device management is generally understood to be the distribution of software, data and device settings from a central server to a number of mobile devices, with the purpose of optimizing the functionality and security of these mobile devices reducing costs and downtime. These devices would include laptops, PDAs, cell phones and smart phones. Ideally, IT personnel would be able to upload software updates and the like to mobile devices with the same ease as to desktop computers physically connected to the network. Further, it would be desirable to be able to do so, regardless of the type of device, its service provider, its operating system, and so forth. And if a device is lost or stolen, it should be possible to disable it remotely and remove any confidential data in the process. Providing updates to mobile devices in the past required either a direct connection to the network or installing a SIM. The drawbacks of that process are obvious and many devices would never be updated. The next step in the evolution was where users of mobile devices could download the updates from the server, which was better, as the device did not have to be brought in, but many users would not bother to request the updates, so problems persisted. The final step is where the server broadcasts the updates to all of its mobile devices, which then are updated automatically. The administrator also has the capability to address a subset of its mobile clients, or even a single one, as in the case of disabling a lost or stolen device, or the cell phone of an employee who has left the company. Troubleshooting and running diagnostics on mobile devices from the central location is another useful capability to have. The challenges to achieving these results are considerable. For example, a remote device might be out of range or turned off. In addition, different devices need to be addressed differently, because of differences in hardware and/or software. Because this is a new concept, there are no manufacturing standards yet in this regard. Mobile device management is expected to grow in leaps and bounds. According to ABI Research, MDM services are projected to grow from $583 million in 2007 to over $20 billion by 2013, which translates to a growth rate of about 80% per year. A logical outgrowth of MDM is telecom expense management (TEM) applied to mobile devices, also referred to as wireless expense management (WEM). For example, with cell phones, call data records (CDR) can be generated, just as with landline phones, that record the origin, destination, duration, date and time of calls. Having this capability allows the containment of the soaring mobile telecom costs, as well as improved mobile security. Increasingly, TEM providers are offering wireless expense management features. One such provider is Telsoft Solutions. For more information visit the Telsoft Solutions website at www.telsoft-solutions.com.

Author, Peter Verhoeff, writes articles on the business benefits of telecom expense management systems and call detail record technology. More information can be found at http://www.telsoft-solutions.com.