Gartner Research

Evaluation Criteria for Smartphone Mobile Device Management

Published: 20 July 2010

ID: G00205674

Analyst(s): Paul DeBeasi

Summary

The era of fully supporting a single-vendor, company-owned, enterprise-class smartphone (e.g., BlackBerry) is declining while the era of offering tiered support for multi-vendor, employee-owned, consumer-class smartphones (e.g., iPhone and Android) is growing. Mobile device management (MDM) solutions help enterprises manage smartphones by providing centralized, multi-vendor device management that results in lower risk and improved cost of ownership. In this assessment, Research Vice President Paul DeBeasi provides evaluation criteria for smartphone MDM solutions.

Table Of Contents

Summary of Findings

Analysis

  • Enterprise Dynamics
    • Changing Employee Expectations
    • Individually Liable Devices
    • IT Consumerization
    • Managed Diversity
    • Tool Ownership
  • Report Scope
  • Evaluation Criteria
    • Application
    • Security
    • Policy
    • Device
    • Service
    • Integration
    • MDM Platform
    • Additional Considerations
    • Deployment
  • Evaluation Criteria Summary
  • Future Trends
    • Market Consolidation
    • Mobile Platform Evolution
    • Personal/Professional Separation
    • Smartphone Virtualization
  • Use the Evaluation Criteria as a Starting Point
  • Avoid Analysis Paralysis
  • Pilot Test Realistic Use Cases
  • Take a Strategic View of Smartphone Management
  • Get Used to Managing Mobile Diversity

Additional Reading

  • Gartner for IT Leaders
  • Gartner for IT1

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