Last Updated on April 27, 2021 by Guest
As a startup entrepreneur, you may have countless concerns on top of your mind, and managing your devices may take a back seat. Moreover, you may not find it critical enough to allocate a chunk of your tight budget to handling the mobile devices on your network. But it isn’t something you can afford to overlook because unattended corporate and personal devices can lead to massive security risks.
Additionally, even small businesses that have just started need to go the extra mile to empower their remote workers who operate from the field and access corporate data using mobile devices.
Moreover, the problems may only get bigger as your startup scales, and new employees and devices enter the network. Your IT team will have to bear the brunt of integrating, managing, and securing the ever-growing number of mobile devices.
Over time, the workload will increase, and so will the chances of security incidents. It makes sense to have an effective solution that enables the management of all the mobile devices in your startup ecosystem. However, you would want one that does not cost a fortune or burden your budget. Let us explain how you can implement it for your new venture.
Centralize device management
No matter how big or small a business is, there are likely to be diverse devices in its ecosystem. First things first, you need to make sure that the IT ecosystem of your startup supports device diversity. This is best done with an MDM solution that centralizes the device management process. It should be capable of deploying, configuring, and monitoring iOS and Android mobile phones, tablets, iPads, macOS and Windows computers, and even mPOS from a single console.
Even though you may have a limited number of devices as a startup, they will scale up quickly. If you plan to embrace a BYOD approach, the system becomes all the more important to keep track of the personal devices that will eventually be a part of the company. Your IT team would need to keep an eye on the company-owned and employee-owned devices at all times. A centralized system would resolve their concerns and make things easier for them.
Secure endpoints
Apart from managing the devices in its ecosystem, a startup needs to go the extra mile with endpoint security. This is a critical aspect of MDM because the devices and corporate data in your network are always vulnerable to unauthorized access, misuse, and malware attacks. Since the remote employees would access the data from anywhere, the risks only get bigger. Taking a proactive approach can save you from a lot of trouble because even a small incident can put new businesses off track.
Your IT team needs to configure and implement robust security policies such as enforcing a passcode, blocking app downloads from unidentified sources, and restricting unknown network connections. For BYOD devices, you need to block the transfer of data between business and personal apps. Measures like remote locking and data wipe-offs can help in lost or stolen devices and related security threats.
Maintain iron-grip on data usage
Data usage is a critical concern for all businesses, and startups are not an exception. You wouldn’t want the employees to waste time on unproductive tasks such as browsing the internet or using social media apps during the working hours. So you need to make sure that your mobile device management solution offers control over data usage as well. Bad data usage habits can spell in massive losses for new businesses and should be strictly curbed.
Blocking non-business websites and content and forcing the device to run a single application at a time are some effective measures you can embrace. You can keep a close track of the individual data spend and even consider setting thresholds for data usage to cut costs and ensure the employees’ productivity and efficiency.
Enable remote troubleshooting
IT issues can pose bigger threats for startups than established businesses because they can topple your reputation. Moreover, dealing with them can add to your team’s workload and expense. Your MDM solution should, therefore, be capable of troubleshooting device issues as quickly as they arise. Remote troubleshooting takes the initiative a step ahead as it ensures that your employees get help wherever they are and without having to fetch their device physically for resolution.
Remote troubleshooting reduces the device downtime, which is critical for new businesses that depend on limited device inventory. The field employees need not worry about giving up on their tasks and wasting time on repairs. It can save your company from costs and reputational damage in the long-term. So this is something that you cannot miss out on.
Empower employees with business resources
When it comes to effectively managing your mobile devices and workforce, no startup can overlook the value of empowering the employees with the business resources they need to access from time to time. By doing so, you can establish a culture of trust as people feel motivated and engaged when they are allowed to access resources remotely. It translates into greater productivity and flexibility for your business.
Tailor your MDM solution to provide the field employees access to up-to-date resources, content, and apps. They should be able to do it with both personal devices company-owned devices because it would help them accomplish tasks effectively from anywhere.
While enabling them to access data, make sure that you cover the risk of technology misuse. Training the employees to pay attention to data security during remote access is equally vital so that they don’t compromise data due to a lack of awareness.
Having a robust MDM solution in place is not a choice for a startup, but it makes sense to invest in one that is reliable and scalable yet cost-effective. A dependable IT partner can help you with one that works on all these fronts. From deciding the policy framework to establishing the procedures and keeping a consistent track of mobile devices, they take care of every mobile device management aspect for your company.