Ruggedized devices allow organizations to move quickly and eliminate disruption, putting employees and devices to work in locations that are too demanding for run of the mill endpoints and mobile devices.
The flexibility offered by ruggedized devices allows companies across a variety of industries (including retail, transportation, manufacturing, healthcare, logistics, government and military) to accommodate a wide range of use cases.
Overall, the market for ruggedized devices is expected to grow at a rate of about 6.08% between 2018 and 2022.1
While ruggedized devices have their own unique characteristics such as increased durability, from a management standpoint, they provide many of the same challenges as your other endpoints and mobile devices. They still need to be managed, secured, tracked and updated—as do their users, apps, docs, and data.
With UEM, Manage Rugged Devices Like Everything Else
Unified endpoint management (UEM) is the next-generation solution for securing and managing all devices. Ranging beyond ruggedized devices, the list of supported endpoints includes smartphones, tablets, laptops and desktops. The savviest IT teams are using UEM as a replacement for legacy mobile device management (MDM) and enterprise mobility management (EMM) solutions.
There are many factors influencing the transition from MDM/EMM to UEM, and a need to support the growing number of ruggedized devices is another important one on the list. IT and security leaders need a management platform that can accommodate the specific ruggedized device use cases, while also managing and securing their non-ruggedized devices.
Unified Endpoint Management for Dummies
Read on to receive an overview of unified endpoint management (UEM), why it’s necessary, how it addresses complex problems encountered in the modern enterprise, and where IT can turn for help.
Download NowMost Wanted UEM Features for Ruggedized Device Management
Despite their all-encompassing support, not every UEM solution will satisfy modern requirements for ruggedized device management. Here are the top features and functionality to expect from your provider:
- Simplified provisioning, with seamless over-the-air (OTA) enrollment and fast, simple configuration steps for users. In addition, support for multi-user device sharing and options for barcode scanning, and side loading.
- Security/compliance protections, with remote distribution of patches; user- and device-based policies; WiFi and VPN profile configuration; restricted removal of MDM, and data loss prevention with USB, Bluetooth, and SD card controls.
- Remote management and support, with screen share, remote control, and OTA operating system upgrades and patches.
- App management, with silent app installs and upgrades, remote app deployment, and remote policy setting and management.
- Tracking and reporting, with location-based compliance rules, along with hardware, OS, and application reporting.
- Ability to restrict use cases, with kiosk mode, hard reset disablement, and restriction of available apps.
Go with a Rough and Tumble UEM
While your UEM solution has to be tough enough for ruggedized devices, the decision about which solution to use isn’t tough at all. With IBM MaaS360 with Watson, you gain all of the above, while:
- Taking advantage of features and functionality that is catered to the wide-ranging use cases for ruggedized devices.
- Supporting the most commonly used operating systems, Apple iOS and Google Android.
- Gaining a centralized view of all endpoints, with the ability to centrally apply and enforce policies.
Try MaaS360 free for 30 days and discover what makes UEM the best fit for managing ruggedized devices alongside endpoints, end-users and everything in between. To begin your free trial, visit IBM.com/MaaS360.
1 "Global Ruggedized Devices Market 2018-2022 – Growing Preference for Large-Screed Rugged Tablets and Handheld Devices" Research and Markets, Jan. 5, 2018
