Mobile device management

I gave a talk at the recent Legal IT Business Show 2013 on mobile device strategy. Part of that concentrated on the management of mobile devices. One of the more mind boggling statistics that came out of my research is that there are an estimated 13 billion connected devices on the planet right now. That's about two for every person. Many of these devices are mobile, a combination of both phone handsets and now tablet computers. The forecasts all seem to predict that the number of devices will continue to grow to around 30 billion in a short space of time, with mobile devices forming by far the largest proportion.

The upshot of all this is that more people will have more devices, and the expectation is that they will be able to do more with them, including getting access to work related data and applications.

B.Y.O.D

Until recently, a law firm would choose a single manufacturer of mobile device and stick with it. Initially the market was dominated by the Blackberry, and the manufacturer provided software that gave organisations the tools to manage and control the devices. The emergence of other types of device, and the relative ease of connection to work facilities has given rise to an additional layer of administration and management. The rise of bring your own device (BYOD) policies has also widened the range of devices available to end users.

This rapid expansion of both the number and type of devices should force firms to think more carefully about their management of the mobile estate in terms of what they allow, what facilities users get access to, and how the devices are managed, and most importantly, secured.

Mobile device management covers a variety of factors, from the type of devices in use, to the policy framework that controls what they are used for.

There are many (60 and counting) firms that provide software to enable you to manage your mobile estate. However, before you go running out to find one, you should spend some time devising a policy framework to apply to mobile devices. Only when you have done this will you be in a position not only to choose effectively, but also to manage both the technology, and user's expectations.

The policy framework should incorporate a number of factors. It should address if the firm is going to run a BYOD policy, and if so, how that policy is applied. The firm also needs to consider if it is going to be prescriptive, or restrictive about the type of device (and operating system) it wants to use. Once you get beyond the purchasing and selection, you need to consider how your data is delivered, stored and secured on the mobile device and build this into your policy framework.

Your policy framework will also need to cover what provision you are making for the user's personal data (in the event of the device being wiped, for example) and what steps are taken to maintain security.Assuming you get your framework ready, you can use this as a template to compare the various offerings in the marketplace. There are plenty to choose from, and the more homework you undertake before you go looking, the better informed your decision making process will be.

Beyond your policy framework, there are plenty of things to consider when looking at mobile device management. In a column of this length it's difficult to include everything so I will concentrate on some of the more salient issues to consider.

Increased focus

For many of you, security of your client (and your own) data is paramount, so consider how you want to control what happens on a device, what applications are allowed or disallowed, and how you lock the device down. The ability to remote wipe a device in the event of loss or theft is critical.

Reporting on what is happening with your mobile network is very important, as you will need to understand how people are using the devices in relation to the policy framework you have set. You need to consider what kind of reports you will want to see and also what other parties, such as the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) may want to see, as there is likely to be increased focus on this area by them as firms use more and varied devices.

If you are likely to be mixing device types and platforms, you should consider not only what platforms your mobile device management software will cover but if there is the capability to auto provision.

Auto provisioning is a facility by which the administrator can build a standard feature and control set, and apply it to all devices irrespective of type. This saves time, but also ensures consistency across your mobile estate.

If you are planning to either lock users in to particular applications, or lock them out of using certain applications, the software you choose will need to support this.

Mobile device management should already be a hot topic for firms, and the quicker you get to grips with it the better. In the words of compliance expert Matthew Tasker, "practices often overlook how their own crucial suppliers operate in the context of outcomes focused regulation. Systematisation issues in environments where remote working with sophisticated devices is on the increase are an equally common blindspot."