According to analyst firm Ovum, the global enterprise mobility management (EMM) software market is expected to expand tremendously to US$10 billion in the next five years. The APAC market is set to grow at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of over 50% by 2019, increasing prospects for organisations to transform business processes. This is changing the once-niche EMM market into a widely adopted IT proposition for enterprises. While choosing the right cloud-based EMM product for your business can be tough, here are some guidelines to consider before making the investment.
Know what your business needs. In today’s often digital-first world, companies are looking to deploy cloud-based EMM as a key business solution. The ideal cloud-based EMM solution can address the challenge of building networks that are both accessible and secure, while increasing work productivity. It also has the potential to help better manage costs associated with supporting and managing a mobile workforce, such as reducing deployment, licensing, and maintenance. Thus, it is essential for your organisation to understand if a cloud-based EMM solution is right for you as requirements can vary from one to organisation another.
For example, the hyper-connectedness and consumerisation of IT has left many enterprises having to manage the need to balance connecting more devices, apps and data to enable business productivity while at the same time tightly handling security and controlling cost. If your company is highly structured and has several compliance and reporting requirements, you need to carefully evaluate your EMM options to understand where your data resides, where it goes and how it gets delivered.
Together with a mobile-first strategy, the value of a cloud-based EMM solution combined with the adoption of the bring-your-own-device (BYOD) mentality could be a game-changer for organisations. With employees using their mobile devices such as smartphones, tablets and notebook PCs, there is a need to develop secured platforms and related monitoring requirements. A cloud-based solution thus allows all end-users to register their device online, while also providing IT administrators with a simple web-based console to easily manage the various devices deployed in real time, regardless of the OS employed by end-users.
Take the plunge. According to The State of Application Delivery in APAC 2015 survey by F5 Networks, the study reveals that at least 41% of IT decision-makers are open to moving up to a quarter of their apps to the cloud by 2016, while almost 24% are keen to move up to half. Organisations are seeking confidence in cloud deployments to drive customer engagement, employee productivity and revenue.
Whether you have a full-sized IT department, a dedicated mobility management department, or if you have a knack for IT yourself, a cloud-based solution can easily be implemented and operated without deep IT expertise. The advantage of an online web-based system is that it allows administrators to log in from any device, and at any time, with nothing more than a web browser and Internet connectivity. Once logged in, you should be able to manage mobility across your entire organisation and execute administrative tasks such as assigning policies, enrolling approved devices, setting appropriate security controls and deploying apps that employees need to do their jobs effectively.
A cloud-based service removes the need for organisations to purchase expensive servers or software up front, as well as the need to spend on support and operations in order to keep systems up-to-date; this allows your organisation to maximise cost effectiveness. Be sure to consider the scale of the service that your business needs, as well as the provider’s ability to adapt the service as your business expands or changes in the long-run, before making any commitment. It is recommended to source for vendors with experience in maintaining globally-available infrastructure in order to have peace of mind that the service is accessible when required.
Security is priority. Security is a top priority for APAC organisations when it comes to applications, as discovered by F5 Networks’ The State of Application Delivery in APAC 2015. 42% of respondents are confident that application services cannot be deployed without security. Hence, security cannot be considered as an add-on and must be built into a solution from the ground up. Be sure to look for a vendor that provides solutions with customisable settings that allow your mobile ecosystem to either meet or exceed industry regulations and requirements.
Managing mobility for your organisation doesn’t have to be overwhelming or over-budget. With the right planning and implementation, you’ll find the right cloud-based EMM that will fit into your organisation and keep your business moving forward, securely.
David Moellenkamp is the Senior Director Enterprise Solutions, BlackBerry