Mobile Device Management (MDM): How To Remotely Manage Company Devices

Mobile computers and terminals are now indispensable tools for various companies and sectors, including logistics, production, retail, and large-scale distribution (GDO). They bring significant benefits to companies that use them for activities such as automatic identification, inventory, stock and reorder management, shipping, tracking, etc. However, the other side of the coin shows some problems that companies encounter in managing these tools.

Especially if the fleet of terminals is large, it is very likely that the devices are placed in places that are distant from each other (think of the points of sale of a chain of shops or individual supermarkets of a large-scale retail trade brand) and that they are used by many different operators every day. This creates difficulties in necessary activities such as configuring and updating each terminal, installing new apps, complying with company security policies, assisting in malfunctions, etc.

All the critical issues listed above would typically be managed in inefficient ways. For example, through the intervention of an employee who goes to the place where the mobile computers are physically located and intervenes in them, with a considerable investment in time and costs. Practically similar is the case in which the devices are sent to the headquarters for assistance.

Mobile device management (MDM) platforms allow you to overcome all the needs related to device management. These software solutions will enable you to remotely and centrally manage all computer properties, wherever they are located. Thanks to this solution, it is possible to manage the devices via software completely.

What Can You Do With An MDM?

A mobile device manager offers a massive amount of functionality that can be used in a centralized and remote manner. This eliminates downtime for the instruments and reduces the costs related to the maintenance and updating of the terminals. Let’s look at the main functions.

• Centralized device management: As widely said, the main functionality of an MDM is to allow authorized people, such as the IT department of a company’s headquarters, to manage and intervene on all company devices remotely.
• Update and patch: updates to the operating system, applications, and security patches can be quickly launched remotely, just once for all terminals, wherever they are located, without interrupting activities for hours or even days.
• Maintenance and assistance: every time a device presents a malfunction, the technical figures can intervene directly or guide the operator in resolving the problem.
• Application and file distribution: You can install an application simultaneously on all devices controlled by the mobile device manager and send files and multimedia content to each mobile computer.
• Security and access: centralized management allows better control of the security of company devices, the definition of differentiated access based on permission levels, and, in general, the ability to create rules and policies.
• Monitoring and Analytics: mobile device managers have total visibility of the devices and their vital parameters (for example, battery status, performance, data traffic ); many statistics and analytics are available relating to usage time, the most popular apps in the state, to any problems to allow timely interventions if necessary.

SOTI: The Mobile Device Manager Chosen By Alfacod

We at Alfacod have always been dedicated to mobile computers and barcode terminals. Today, we are proud to say that many Italian companies recognize us as significant automatic identification and data capture experts. For this reason, we could not be satisfied with offering just any MDM platform for managing terminals. This is why we chose to integrate Soti ‘s mobile device management platform.

The one we believe to be the best, with the most features, and the most appreciated by mobile computer manufacturing brands. Indeed, the Soti interface allows you to view the exact digital reproduction of each mobile computer’s display and physical keyboard, guaranteeing the greatest possible ease of use: it will be like having the mobile computer in your hands.

Also Read: User Context, A Key Element Of Mobile Strategy