What is enterprise mobility management (EMM)?

In today's organizations, people use a diverse mix of mobile devices to access and handle corporate data. With the popularity of bring your own device (BYOD) programs, these can include both company-issued and employee-owned smartphones and tablets running on iOS, Android, Microsoft Windows and macOS.

According to Omdia, over 60% of the workforce uses mobile devices for business-critical tasks, and 67% of enterprises support BYOD.¹​

For employees, seamless mobile access to business apps—such as email and customer relationship management (CRM) tools—boosts productivity.

For IT departments, however, the growing reliance on mobile technology can introduce cybersecurity and management challenges. It can be difficult to manage authentication, enforce consistent security policies and ensure compliance across a diverse array of company-controlled and personal devices. Organizations are left vulnerable to data breaches, compliance violations and operational disruptions.

Enterprise mobility management tools give IT teams a single console to manage all mobile assets, from individual apps to smartphones and tablets, company-issued or employee-owned, running any mobile operating system.

With EMM, organizations can streamline mobile device administration while safeguarding corporate data across digital workspaces. EMM helps IT teams strike a balance between  workforce flexibility and mobile security, simplifying operations and strengthening overall security posture.

Enterprise mobility management emerged as a way for organizations to better manage the proliferation of mobile devices within their extended networks.

The first wave of mass mobile work began in the early 2000s, with the arrival of BlackBerry smartphones. Most people used corporate-issued devices, and organizations maintained total control over these devices with mobile device management (MDM) tools.

As new smartphones—notably, Apple’s iPhone—came to market, organizations found that many MDM solutions could not effectively manage the variety of devices and operating systems now in use. 

Moreover, with the advent of BYOD programs, organizations needed a way to secure employees’ personal mobile devices. Employees didn’t want to grant their employers MDM-level control over smartphones they owned.

These factors led to the development of mobile application management (MAM) and mobile content management (MCM) solutions. Whereas MDM tools control the entire device, MAM and MCM grant IT admins granular control over only corporate apps and data.

As tablet computers emerged and mobile apps became nearly as powerful as their desktop counterparts, IT admins found themselves dealing with more devices—and more device types—than ever before. EMM tools were developed so that IT teams could manage all these devices in a single solution, regardless of who owns them, what vendors produce them and the apps and OSes they run. 

Many modern EMM solutions now incorporate advanced technologies like artificial intelligence and machine learning to automate routine tasks, identify potential security threats and optimize management processes. These capabilities can help organizations detect anomalies in device behavior, enforce policies and take more proactive security measures.

EMM tools significantly streamline mobile IT management, but many EMMs cannot manage laptops and desktops. A newer solution, unified endpoint management (UEM), extends EMM capabilities to manage both mobile devices and more traditional endpoints through a single management console. (See “Enterprise mobility management vs. unified mobility management” for more information).

EMM solutions typically integrate components from a variety of mobile and identity security tools in a single platform. These components work together to secure, manage and optimize mobile devices and the data, applications and services they access.

EMM solutions can be installed on-premises or delivered as software as a service (SaaS) via the cloud. They work with most common mobile devices, apps, and operating systems, including Android and iOS. Many EMMs can integrate with corporate directory services to streamline authentication, authorization and user identity management.

Core components of an EMM solution include:

• Mobile device management (MDM)
• Mobile application management (MAM)
• Mobile content management (MCM)
• Identity and access management (IAM)

Mobile device management (MDM) is the foundation of most EMM solutions. MDM capabilities give IT administrators device-level control, allowing them to configure devices, enforce security policies and remotely manage device activity.

For corporate-owned devices, MDM can provide comprehensive control. For BYOD scenarios, organizations usually implement limited management profiles that protect business data without infringing on personal use.

Key MDM functionality includes:

• Device enrollment and provisioning
• Security setting configuration
• Operating system management for iOS, Android, Windows or macOS devices
• Remote lock and wipe capabilities for lost or stolen devices
• Inventory management and compliance reporting

Mobile application management (MAM) capabilities control the applications running on managed devices. Rather than focusing on the device, MAM operates at the level of corporate applications and the data they access.

MAM features are critical for BYOD programs because they enable clear separation between personal data and corporate data on employees’ devices. Specifically, MAM allows for the creation of secure containers. Within these containers, admins have control over apps, data and policies. But IT teams cannot access any data or activity outside of the container, meaning users retain ultimate control over their devices and privacy.

Key MAM capabilities include:

• Distribution of corporate apps to devices
• App-level data and security policies
• Secure containerization to separate corporate and personal apps and activity

Mobile content management securely distributes and controls corporate data and intellectual property accessed from mobile devices. MCM features enable productive mobile access to corporate content while protecting sensitive information.

Key MCM functionality includes:

• Secure document repositories
• Content-level access controls
• Data encryption at rest and in transit
• Data loss prevention capabilities, such as restricting data transfers and tracking how data is used

Identity and access management controls how users access corporate resources from mobile devices. IAM provides secure authentication and authorization to ensure that only the right users, with compliant devices, can access sensitive corporate data and applications.

Key IAM functionality includes:

• Multifactor authentication (MFA)
• Single sign-on (SSO) capabilities
• Role-based access controls

Key benefits of EMM include:

• Enhanced endpoint and data security
• Improved employee productivity
• Streamlined IT management

Enterprise mobility management and unified endpoint management (UEM) are device management tools with different capabilities. The core difference is that EMM tools focus on mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets. UEM tools can manage all an organization’s endpoints, including mobile devices, desktop computers and others.

UEM offers a single pane of glass for all endpoints, which helps organizations consolidate management tools and standardize security policies. Traditional EMM solutions may require separate tools for non-mobile devices. This means IT teams using EMM might need one solution for smartphones and another for desktops, which can increase complexity and reduce operational efficiency.

UEM solutions typically provide more comprehensive Windows and macOS management capabilities than EMMs, including the ability to install software on devices, set system preferences and manage security settings.

Today, EMM solutions are often available as part of a comprehensive UEM suite. However, organizations may also use dedicated EMMs for specific mobile-focused needs. In some cases, organizations might use both solutions together—for example, to support a phased transition or maintain legacy device management systems alongside newer platforms.