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MAM vs BYOD: What Are the Differences?
Digital Workplace
Tom Machado
Personal devices in the workplace are common, with many employees, both internal and external, preferring to use their own devices for work, a trend amplified by the COVID-19 crisis.
In 2022, 83% of global companies adopted a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) strategy for some of their employees. However, 17% of workers use their personal smartphones for professional purposes without informing their IT department. Only 32% of companies enforce strict security guidelines on these devices (source: zippia.com).
So, there is a trend—a trend to align with today’s tools. Let’s explore the possibilities of managing personal devices with Microsoft Intune.
Read also our article: Why Choose the Intune MDM Solution? ?
MAM, BYOD, MDM, and Their Management in Microsoft Intune
BYOD (Bring Your Own Device), MAM (Mobile Application Management) and MDM (Mobile Device Management) are concepts related to the management of mobile devices and applications in business.
BYOD (Bring Your Own Device): Managing Personal Devices in the Enterprise
BYOD is a policy or approach allowing employees to bring and use their own mobile devices (smartphones, tablets, etc.) for work rather than relying on employer-provided devices. With BYOD, the company must manage the professional part of a device owned by the employee. With solutions like Microsoft Intune, a professional space is created on the device, integrating security policies, compliance configurations, etc.
The BYOD approach offers flexibility and cost advantages but also presents challenges in terms of security and management, as devices can access sensitive company information while being used for personal purposes.
MAM (Mobile Application Management): Managing Mobile Applications
Unlike BYOD, MAM specifically targets the management of enterprise applications on a device. It is a tool that allows companies to secure, deploy, and manage mobile applications used by employees, whether hosted on personal or professional devices. With Microsoft Intune, application management is done without the need for full device enrollment. The goal is to secure access to applications without controlling the entire hardware.
MDM (Mobile Device Management): Mobile Device Management Solution
MDM is the tool that enables the company to manage, monitor, and secure employees’ mobile devices, whether personal (in a BYOD policy) or owned by the company.
With MDM, the company can enforce security policies, install or remove applications, and even remotely reset or erase a device in case of loss or theft.
The choice between a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policy or Managing Enterprise Applications (MAM) depends on the company’s objectives.
Managing Personal Devices (BYOD) or Managing Enterprise Applications (MAM): What to Choose?
Advantages of MAM for Managing Mobile Devices:
- Targeted Management of Mobile Applications: With Microsoft Intune, you can apply policies strictly to specific applications without the need to enroll the entire device, ensuring granular management and security of enterprise applications.
- Isolation of Enterprise Data: MAM with Microsoft Intune ensures a clear separation between enterprise data and personal data on the device. This ensures that actions like remote erasure only affect company data, preserving the user’s personal information.
- Integration with Azure AD (Entra): MAM capabilities in Intune are enhanced by integration with Entra ID, offering authentication and conditional access capabilities on applications.
Advantages of BYOD for Managing Mobile Devices:
- Simplified Enrollments: Intune offers a seamless enrollment process for BYOD devices, making it easy for end users to adopt while maintaining a robust security posture.
- Comprehensive Device Policies: Beyond simple application management, BYOD with Intune offers the ability to define policies at the device level, such as VPN configuration, PIN code requirements, and device compliance.
- Conditional Access: By using BYOD with Intune, you can set conditional access policies, ensuring that only compliant and secure devices can access company resources (passcode complexity, OS version, etc.).
Each organization has its own challenges. After implementing these two methods, MAM with Intune stands out as particularly suitable for modern enterprises concerned with the security and privacy of their employees.
By focusing on application management rather than the entire device, MAM allows for a clear separation between professional and personal data, providing enhanced security while respecting user privacy. In a world where flexibility and security are crucial, MAM appears to be the wisest choice for modern organizations.
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