Managing mobile devices easily

Your business data is in the cloud and you can access it from anywhere on many different devices. Good news, but as a web-slinging superhero is told, with great power comes great responsibility. You and your colleagues probably use smartphones and tablets in addition to laptops and desktops to access your cloud data, emails and files.

But who else has access to these devices and how do you keep data secure?

Mixing business and pleasure

Many businesses provide colleagues with a smartphone or tablet but often users will use their own devices. In either case, users often only want to carry one phone or tablet and use it with both business and personal applications and data. There has been a rapid growth in BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) which means that users provide devices that businesses cannot justify; users get an improved work experience (fewer, better devices) while businesses may avoid some capital costs. However, this can be real headache for business owners and IT administrators and often results in an IT policy based purely on trust.

Users want a simple life, data owners want security

While it is easier to lock down business-owned devices, in the past it has been much harder to take control of users' personal devices. Some devices, such as iPads, do not provide multiple logins so personal apps sit alongside business resources. If that device is shared within the family, business data could be accessed by unauthorised people.

In addition, for many users the idea that their employer can 'wipe' or 'lock' their personal device is a step too far. They want to be able to use their device and keep work and personal separated.

Can Microsoft Intune meet all these demands?

Microsoft Intune keeps work data separate and secure

Microsoft Intune is part of the broader Enterprise Mobility and Security suite, but it can easily be used by smaller businesses too. Using Intune, companies can provide their employees with access to business applications, data, and resources while keeping it secure.

Microsoft Intune includes Mobile Device Management (MDM) and Mobile Application Management (MAM) is already tightly integrated with Office 365. This allows devices or applications to be monitored and controlled at a more detailed level such as preventing copy, paste, and save between Intune-managed apps and personal apps.

Intune provide a wealth of features and controls designed to keep both business data secure, colleagues productive and work and personal separated. In the coming weeks we'll be providing greater detail and an Intune whitepaper as well as an Intune workshop to show you it in action and demonstrate its features.

For more information on Intune now, call Chris Joberns on 01473 835 280.