Gartner: Next generation of MDM requires new focus

Now that enterprise mobility has become a top priority for many companies, resulting in the proliferation of all kinds of smartphones and tablets, the time has come for IT departments to begin rethinking their approach to mobile device management. According to Gartner experts, this will become increasingly important as firms move into the second generation of mobility.

In a new report released ahead of the research firm's upcoming Gartner Symposium/ITxpo in Mumbai, analysts discussed changes that must occur within MDM practices. Specifically, the experts said, companies need to begin focusing on innovation through their use of mobile devices.

"Second generation mobile strategies differ considerably from those of the first generation," Leif-Olof Wallin, a Gartner research vice president, said. "They must be multichannel, part of your holistic digital strategy, as well as including innovative mobile-only capabilities. They must include a wide variety of mobile endpoints including mobile to mobile and be prepared for the day that native applications are overtaken by HTML5."

This may seem like a lot to process, especially considering that numerous companies' enterprise mobility programs remain in their infancy. But researchers said the move is necessary if organizations are to keep ahead of the rapidly evolving mobility curve.

It used to be that companies simply had to focus on delivering devices and apps to employees. That is no longer enough, Gartner's experts said. That's mainly the case because the enterprise end-user is beginning to act more like the consumer in demanding access to a wide range of devices, mobile applications and services.
"As a result, the distinctions between a person's role as an employee and as a consumer are more blurred than ever," the report stated.

To deal with this growing issue, IT departments and their CIOs will have to devise at least three separate MDM strategies for 2012, Gartner argued. Among these should be an employee-centric strategy and two for consumer-facing processes. The strategy for employees should take into account collaboration between different groups and the use of role-specific applications, Wallin said.

This is just one of several reports Gartner has released concerning mobile device management and all that goes with maintaining a program. The firm also highlighted the fact that four main "styles," ranging from highly controlled to a hands-off approach, of MDM have emerged in response to consumerization.