Is device lifecycle management really worth using?

Around one fifth of the workforce today is provided with a smartphone by their employer to use for work purposes.

In the EU alone, nearly 30% of all employees now have a laptop or mobile device provided by their employer. While others encourage Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policies and more than half (52%) of employees who are not provided with a work smartphone, say they regularly use their own device for work.

In fact, according to research, nearly 80% of remote employees are now using their own devices to access corporate networks and business apps. This doesn't come without its challenges, especially for a global business.

BYOD devices are largely unmanaged. Organisations have no visibility over them. They are reliant on employees when it comes to managing and updating devices and applications, including security updates. That is why Device Lifecycle Management is quickly becoming a key area of business investment.

The global mobile device management market is expected to be worth about $7.96bn by the end of 2023.

Whether you're providing them for a fixed office space, a fully remote workforce, or are managing a hybrid model, DLM is a secure and fast way of getting devices out to your people, ready to use right out of the box. But is it really better to invest in DLM? And what are the actual benefits?

Saving on costs

DLM can save businesses the upfront capital costs of buying devices for employees. Or save them from paying towards an employees' personal device, if they're suddenly being asked to use them for work.

Using a Device Lifecycle Management solution, businesses can spread the cost of their devices over time - similar to businesses using IT Asset Management (ITAM) - and use the savings to invest in other parts of the business.

Clear visibility over devices

One of the biggest problems with BYOD is you don't have visibility over what devices are being used or which ones are trying to access your network.

DLM allows you to easily scale the number of devices being used in your company. If a new employee starts, or you need a replacement device, you just need to contact your DLM partner and order the device, completely configured to yours or your employees' needs, and it can be dispatched.

Plus, by combining this with a Mobile Device Management solution, you can also have better management over how devices are being used with access to a single dashboard where you can view what devices are in use in your business.

Less administration, more productivity

Imagine an employee is having some technical trouble with a device. Or they drop their phone and it breaks.

If they're working remotely. Will they know who to ask for help?

What if they are using their own phone? Are you now responsible for paying for a replacement?

And how long will it take to get the phone fixed or replaced?

DLM can help with these questions.

Because replacements and maintenance are managed centrally, it's easier for an employee to log an issue with their helpdesk team and for a new device to be delivered to them if any technical problems can't be resolved.

Creating an adaptable mobile network

While all employees require mobile devices to work remotely, not every employee will require the same applications or level of network access.

DLM allows you to set up and configure a mobile device to the specifications a worker needs based on their role and level.

You can easily use employee job profiles as part of your Device Lifecycle Management to ensure devices are sent with the applications and connections the employee will need.

This is also a benefit for businesses using different device models, ensuring compatibility across the board no matter what devices are being used.

Don't risk your business' security

Overcoming security risks from mobile devices is one of the biggest challenges facing businesses using BYOD.

In fact, 39% of companies say that security risks are their biggest concern about allowing BYOD - according to Crowd Research.

Without using DLM, particularly if employees are using their own devices, businesses have no visibility or control over how employees remove sensitive information from their devices - or if they even have.

Using a Device Lifecycle Management solution you can ensure that employee devices are equipped with any necessary security features before they are sent to an employee, and returned and securely wiped when it's time to upgrade equipment.

Plus, by also using a Mobile Device Management solution like VDM cloud, businesses can ensure any lost devices are remotely wiped to ensure no sensitive data can be accessed.