Mobile Management Solutions - MDM vs. MAM

Mobile device management and mobile application management do different things but also have some overlap. Knowing their differences is important.

Mobile device management and mobile application management are two of the more popular technologies for enabling secure Smartphone and tablet use in the enterprise. They have different use cases, but some of their features overlap, and more vendors are combining the two technologies into single products.

       Mobile Device Management (MDM) takes a full-device approach to securing and controlling smart phones and tablets. IT can secure access to the device by requiring the use of a pass code and keep sensitive data out of the wrong hands by remotely wiping a lost or stolen device. Other basic features of MDM tools include the ability to enforce policies, track inventory and perform real-time monitoring and reporting. The problem with MDM is that the full-device approach can be too heavy-handed in an era where employees, not their employers, own their smart phones and tablets.

       Mobile Application Management (MAM) offers more granular controls. MAM gives IT the ability to manage and secure only those apps that were specifically developed to work with a particular MAM product. Admins can also use MAM to deploy apps and limit the sharing of corporate data among apps. MAM has its own challenges as well. Because every app requires unique coding to work with each individual MAM product, the availability of apps for a specific platform can be limited.

The general perception is that MDM is more of a security play, while MAM focuses on enablement. MDM takes care of basic security and controls, but mobile application management tools allow organizations to unlock the full potential of mobile devices. With MAM, IT can enable workers to get more real work done on their smart phones and tablets -- which is what they want in the first place. Some mobile device management tools can integrate with MAM to automatically deploy and update mobile apps. Others also offer mobile document management features that can tie in nicely to server-based applications such as SharePoint.