A grungy garage, basement studio, coworking space or a 100% remote setup. Startups today don’t face too many limitations in terms of technology, but optimization of investments is important. Startups and small enterprises are capitalizing on the advantages of enterprise mobility as it allows for the digitalization of operations and decreases the need for manual labour, resulting in cost reductions and enhanced productivity.

Reports suggest that 1 in 5 startups fail in their first year. Yet, there are approximately 1,215 unicorns (billion-dollar valuation startups) worldwide as of June 2023, according to CB Insights. These stats are both inspiring and alarming. As startups, it’s essential to make the most of enterprise mobility solutions to stay afloat. Of course, these solutions come with a price, but it’s all worth it. One such solution is Mobile Device Management (MDM).

In this blog, let’s look into why investing in an MDM solution is worth a shot for new entrepreneurs spearheading startups.

Device Management Challenges for Startups

Before we zero in on investment optimization, here are a few significant challenges startups face in managing their devices without an MDM solution.

1. Managing Costs

Startups face the challenge of managing costs due to their limited financial resources. Allocating funds to various areas such as workforce planning, utilizing cutting-edge devices and technology, data and telecommunication expenses, and other costs requires a well-structured budgeting approach. Cost management is critical, whether it’s a Series D stage or a bootstrapped venture.

2. Adhering to regulations and compliance

Every organization strives to safeguard its business data and assets. With the rise of remote work and enterprise mobility, startups must ensure all employees adhere to security protocols. Developing strategies to comply with regulations becomes essential to prevent data breaches and the misuse of corporate devices. Startups can ill afford any hefty penalties or legal consequences of data security lapses or non-compliance.

3. Sustaining workforce efficiency

Allowing employees to use unmanaged personal devices for work purposes poses the risk of distractions and unproductive resource usage. Startups face the challenge of ensuring their remote workforce remains focused on tasks without being distracted by personal entertainment apps and tools. There is also a lurking danger of compromised corporate data on unmanaged personal devices.

From the efficiency angle, startups would also love to automate tasks and relieve their IT teams (even if very small) of repetitive manual work to enhance overall productivity.

4. Safeguarding personal data privacy on employee-owned work devices

Many startups permit their employees to utilize their personal laptops, tablets, and smartphones for office work. The main obstacle startups encounter is ensuring that business data remains separate from employees’ personal data. Startups must implement security and management policies that are limited to work applications and profiles, respecting employee privacy. Employees are likelier to quit a startup job than one in an established large enterprise if they are unhappy with their employer. High attrition can damage startups and their reputation. 

MDM solutions are trusted by businesses worldwide to protect critical business data and efficiently manage endpoint devices, reducing the need for manual intervention. While some small businesses hesitate to adopt MDM solutions due to initial investment costs, startups are gradually recognizing the benefits they offer. Implementing MDM helps reduce operational expenses and optimize workforce efficiency, making it a valuable asset for startup organizations.

Why New Entrepreneurs Need an MDM Solution

Startups must address the challenges mentioned before, and if they don’t, there will be landmines in their growth path, which can hamper their journey sooner or later.  That’s why new entrepreneurs have to embrace an MDM solution.

Here are some benefits an MDM software investment can bring to the startup tables.

Minimize initial startup expenses

Startup culture promotes unconventional work methods, including flexible work locations, flat hierarchies, and employees using personal devices (BYOD). An MDM solution allows startups to securely containerize their business apps and data on employee devices. This ensures that management and security policies are limited to work apps and profiles without merging with personal data. By eliminating the need to invest in individual mobile devices for employees, startups can significantly reduce overall costs. Implementing an MDM solution saves expenses related to device inventory tracking, security implementation, and detailed device monitoring.

Protecting sensitive business information

Startups that embrace remote work face the risk of data leaks. Device theft or loss can result in the exposure of confidential business data to unauthorized individuals, posing a significant threat to the company’s sensitive information.

MDM solutions offer various security features and functionalities, including:

• Remote device lock: IT administrators can remotely lock devices in the event of theft or loss, rendering them unusable.
• Remote data wipe: IT administrators can lock and wipe all business data on the device to prevent unauthorized access.
• Passcode policies: Employee-owned or company-owned devices can be protected with passwords to prevent unauthorized access.
• Factory reset protection: Devices can be managed with the option to disable a factory reset without authorization.
• SIM-swap detection: Automated alerts can detect SIM-swapping activities, enabling IT administrators to lock devices when a SIM card is removed.
• VPN-enabled access: Access to work apps and websites via VPN to prevent unauthorized use of business data.

Tailored policies as per device and user profiles

MDM solutions provide a wide range of features that can be selectively utilized to create customized policies for individual devices or groups of devices. Modern MDM solutions cater to devices with diverse operating systems and offer management policies specific to employees’ roles.

For example, logistics startups may require features such as device location tracking, data and network monitoring, remote support, and seamless communication. On the other hand, an EdTech startup may focus on website whitelisting, application management, and content sharing. The startup board members and higher authorities may also have more lenient device policies than other executives. MDM solutions empower IT administrators to design custom policies with tiered management.

Remote troubleshooting

MDM solutions enable an organization’s IT team to provide remote support services, such as remote troubleshooting. IT administrators can remotely access and control an employee’s device screen, assisting in resolving issues promptly. Instant communication tools integrated with MDM software facilitate seamless communication, allowing IT administrators to reach employees quickly and provide precise instructions in case of device or software breakdowns. This feature reduces on-site expenses and minimizes device downtime.

Effective data usage management

Devices enrolled in MDM solutions can be closely monitored for vital statistics. This feature allows startups to track data consumption on their work devices, addressing the challenge of high data costs. Other granular factors such as storage space, activity logs, SIM removal, and call logs can be monitored closely.

Streamlined app management

Startups can enhance cost-effectiveness and device security by selectively pushing work-specific apps to employees’ devices, preventing distractions and unauthorized use of applications and software. An MDM solution empowers IT administrators to push enterprise apps, including internally developed apps, in addition to the apps available on the device’s application store.

Efficient content management

MDM solutions simplify content sharing in various formats through user-friendly dashboards. Whether the work model is remote, hybrid, or from the office, startups can conveniently and quickly share work-related files, presentations, images, and videos with managed devices. IT administrators can set policies for BYOD scenarios restricting business file transfer from managed profiles to unmanaged personal apps.

Location tracking

Organizations can stay informed about the locations of their employees’ work devices at all times through location tracking functionality. MDM solutions offer multiple options for tracking device fleets, including GPS-based tracking, IP address-based tracking, and customized geofences. This feature is particularly useful for startups whose frontline workers are frequently on the move.

Automated IT tasks

MDM solutions provide consolidated analytics of device fleets, enabling IT administrators to closely monitor device location, check vital parameters, set compliance alerts, and more. Detailed reports assist IT administrators in identifying potential problems and preventing them. Furthermore, IT administrators can automate recurring tasks by pre-setting workflows through a unified MDM console. This automation reduces manual workloads and optimizes productivity.

Final Words

So all you budding entrepreneurs out there, it’s time to invest in an MDM solution and make the most of all its advantages. The returns on an MDM investment are immense and tangible. Startups must view MDM as a long-term investment, not just a fancy overhead that can be avoided. An MDM solution is not just about managing devices and automating tasks; it’s also about empowering your teams and securing data. And who knows, someday, dreams do come true—your startup could be the next unicorn!

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