ManageEngine now manages Android devices in the latest version of its desktop and mobile device management (MDM) software, Desktop Central.
The move extends the mobile device management support in Desktop Central to include smartphones and tablets running Google's popular mobile OS as well as devices running Apple iOS.
Android remains a dominant player in the mobile device market. IDC estimates the worldwide tablet market hit 122.3 million units in 2012, with Android capturing 42.7 percent of the market. By 2016, the tablet market is predicted to reach 282.7 million units. Android's market success is being driven by factors such as its open source platform as well as the variety and competitive pricing of Android devices. In turn, enterprise will continue to feel the impact of increased Android adoption as a growing number of users request access to corporate data from their personal Android devices.
"The mobile usage trends will eventually drive sharp increases in demand for enterprise MDM solutions that embrace BYOD while ensuring enterprise data security," said Mathivanan Venkatachalam, director of product management at ManageEngine. "The growing Android market and increasing demand for Android support among our customer base encouraged us to add Android support to Desktop Central as quickly as possible."
Feature Highlights of Android MDM in Desktop Central:
- Data wipe - IT staff can remotely wipe the data from a stolen or misplaced device or remove the corporate data from the device when an employee leaves the company to prevent confidential data falling into the wrong hands.
- Mobile application management - IT professionals can distribute and manage in-house and Google Play store apps. Technicians can distribute apps based on user requirements and track the complete inventory of all the apps installed on the mobile device.
- Configuring profile/policy - IT technicians can create polices that can restrict users from accessing the Internet (EDGE or packet data), thereby ensuring data security by preventing users from exporting corporate data. Similarly, certain device features such as camera and Bluetooth can be disabled.
- Default option to run background applications - Companies can enforce that certain, mandatory applications run on user mobile devices, to provide connectivity or to conform to enterprise policies. Desktop Central ensures these applications run at all times in the background, and users may not close them accidentally while accessing other applications.
Support for Android devices follows on the recent inclusion of iOS MDM capabilities in Desktop Central, a move that has already won praise from users like Blake Rodemeyer, IT manager, Guaranty Bank & Trust.
"We were looking for MDM features that can help us to track inventory of mobile devices, view software versions in a dashboard, and more importantly, it should be user friendly and cost effective," said Rodemeyer. "Desktop Central helped us to achieve it."
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