Anyone who’s implemented a mobility strategy for an SMB or enterprise, managing the devices has been a headache. There is no shortage of mobile device management (MDM) software suites to choose from, all offering different options for securing your data and managing the mobile devices with access to the business systems.
It’s no surprise that a lot of people are comparing these MDM providers and trying to come up with a solution without breaking the bank. The sad thing is, mobile device management software can be extremely expensive, especially when you add that cost on top of what it took to develop the apps operating on those devices.
How Much Does Mobile Device Management Cost?
There is no one-answer solution for how much MDM costs. It depends on many factors like company size, and management features required. For instance, AirWatch, a leading MDM software solution, has prices ranging anywhere from $52 to $110 per device. Depending on how many devices you need to manage, this can be extremely costly.
If you’re working with native apps, or apps that store information locally, an MDM solution is required to secure your data in the event a device is lost or stolen, or if an employee goes rogue. For the sake of securing systems, keeping data private, and protecting company interests, being able to remotely kill, wipe, or disable a rogue device is essential.
The good news is, new technology is making MDM requirements obsolete for the majority of businesses.
Modern Access and App Management
One major benefit of real-time business mobile apps and cloud-based business mobile apps is the switch from device management, to app and access management. With no data stored on the device itself, when a device is missing or an employee goes rogue, data is secured by the backend enterprise applications. Sometimes, as simply as updating to fresh, more secure passwords.
Most of our client’s apps are cloud-based, which means they are beneficiaries of the easier way to secure their systems at the account level. However, for certain industries like energy or field services, offline capability is an absolute necessity. For most SMB’s, the need for offline capability is not as prevalent, meaning a majority of them can leverage the mobile-cloud to simplify device-centric security issues. This means mobile devices are no longer the weak link in terms of security, requiring companies to spend even more money and resources on managing devices.
Conclusion on MDM Pricing and Costs
For many SMB’s, budgets can sometimes limit their ability to scale and innovate with mobility because of the very real threat to security it presents. While building, maintaining, and deploying mobile apps for their BYOD workforce is a major expense, managing those devices brings major additions to those expenses. This is why a lot of SMB’s, like larger enterprises, are adopting the usage of end-to-end platforms for their mobility needs.
The appsFreedom platform secures the apps and data irrespective of whether or not our clients move their applications to the cloud. We provide mobile app management capability so our clients don’t need MDM software, especially if their apps are online-only.
When our clients need certain offline functionality in their mobile apps, there’s no great way for a platform to control the data on the remote device in the event it’s lost or stolen. In these cases, an MDM tool is still required. In these instances, we ask our clients to deploy MDM software, which appsFreedom is open to most MDM software on the market.
If you would like to test the appsFreedom platform, or to test how system admins can control app and access management from the appsFreedom control panel, you can get a free test drive and take it for a spin.