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How Important is MAM (Mobile App Management) for Mobile Strategy Building?

Mobility is a blazing reality in today’s workplaces and business environments. With BYOD (Bring your own device) becoming important in workplace environments, mobile strategists are fast finding it significant to create, organise and communicate mobile application management (MAM) strategies to key stakeholders. An enterprise setup becomes flexible in its approach with MAM as mobile apps and data are rightly managed and personal content of the employees remain secure. There are several benefits like multi-platform work, employee flexibility, reduced IT burdens, expanded enterprise mobility brought about by the deployment of MAM within enterprises.

Increases opportunities for process improvement

IT leaders and mobile strategists can assess and analyse types of works performed by employees within their organizations. Areas of work are identified and evaluated properly on the basis of mobile applications and their usage. This can build better connectivity in work and streamline work processes. With employees increasingly finding it easier to do their jobs operational efficiencies keep on improving with time. With improvement in efficiencies and work opportunities a new space for better business initiatives is created.

Different from mobile device management software

MAM software helps in numerous inter-organizational efforts such as usage tracking, software licensing, application lifecycle management (ALM), software delivery and software configuration.  MA managers find it easier to compare mobile devices and track ownerships in order to run certain IT-defined policies. MAM helps in limiting the usage and sharing of corporate data through mobile apps.

MAM is very different from mobile device management software which simply supports provisioning, device activation and enrolment efforts.

Apps are Here to Rule

No matter how hard we try to keep aside mobile apps from workforce, the reality is an all important identity of mobile apps that is growing with each passing day. Smartphone and mobile devices are nothing without apps. Data accessed by more than billion mobile apps form the basis of mobile productivity and efficiency. Workforces are tech savvy in the present days. Nowadays employees use apps for taking notes, sharing files, communicating, syncing files and bringing maximised efficiency in their performances. Individuals do not wait for the system or the IT department to provide them with apps for carrying out their desired jobs. With Forrester’s 2014 survey, it has been found that 25% of employees globally follow BYOD and their own mobile apps to make up for the time wasted in finding the missing (and most of the times most commonly needed) app to perform their tasks.

Increases Workplace Productivity and Flexibility for Employees

Industry reports (a recent study by Dell) suggest a significant rise in customer response and employee productivity after businesses allowed employees to use their personal mobile devices at work. Similar survey carried out by Detecon Inc. has also pointed out inspiring improvements in workplace productivity.

City of Bonn had allowed city agents to have mobile apps that made them quickly search and extract information from individual parking tickets. This led to the agents answering citizens’ questions and concerns quickly. Violations on payment information were easily tracked and brought up. Bonn has seen a rise in timely payment of fines by ticketed drivers. This has resulted in the city gaining on cost savings.

Mobile applications and BYOD framework for employees have led the way in increased productivity.

Privacy is Maintained Well

With BYOD being incorporated there will be a protected work environment for employees. MAM would effectively channelize the use of personal apps and data would stay personal. This would bode well for IT organizations as they will not have to face any kind of liability in managing personal employee devices. Having zero visibility and corporate IT control will not be a harmful factor but would most certainly increase privacy and a sense of wholesomeness among employees willing to put in extra effort in workplaces.

Multi-Platform IT problems Managed Well

Mobile device management is a thing of headache for IT departments. With numerous mobile operating systems being managed by IT the process becomes difficult at some point of time. Security issues and management concerns increase as various mobile OS use different API interfaces. In order to rightly practice consistent policies and control in workplace environments MAM solutions, like Symantec App Center are the right ways. They bring in security and effective management across multiple devices, OS and APIs within enterprises.

MAM or mobile application development will be an effective enterprise machinery in the recent future. Planned or unplanned events will be updated on apps used inside enterprises. Time, cost and resources will be saved. With holistic approach being taken towards management and security, a solid mobile business environment would be introduced. Mobile strategies rightly taken would ensure protection of confidential corporate data and the apps.