What Is MDM? Everything you need to know about Mobile Device Management

You may have heard about Mobile Device Management (MDM) and wondered whether it’s the right solution for your organization. In this article, we explain what MDM is, how it works, and how it can help protect your business while improving efficiency in today’s mobile-first world. We also highlight what European companies should pay attention to when choosing an MDM solution – especially those aiming to reduce their environmental impact and remain independent from Big Tech ecosystems.

Content

• What does MDM mean and how does it work?
• Does my business need Mobile Device Management (MDM)?
• How to choose an MDM solution for my business?
• Explore Murena MDM: The European MDM for Big Tech independence
• Join Murena MDM Beta-testing

What does MDM mean and how does it work?

Today, smartphones, tablets, and laptops are essential tools for a company’s productivity. If you run a business, you want your devices to be both secure and efficient. They often store sensitive business data that can easily be lost, misconfigured, or even stolen if not managed properly.

Mobile Device Management (MDM) is a system that allows you to centrally manage all these devices remotely and at scale.

With an MDM solution in place, IT and security teams can ensure consistent configurations, up-to-date software, and robust security and privacy policies across the entire device fleet – all while reducing unnecessary manual work and supporting more sustainable device lifecycles.

Remote actions through Mobile Device Management include:

• Locating devices: Track the real-time or last known location of a device to help recover lost or stolen hardware.
• Locking devices: Remotely lock or wipe a device to protect sensitive data in case it’s lost or used by an unauthorised person.
• Pushing updates: Install OS (operating system) or app updates remotely to close security and privacy gaps and ensure consistency across the organization.
• Restricting certain features or applications: Disable functions like USB access or camera use – not for strict surveillance of employees, but to reduce risk and meet company security and privacy standards.

Your organization defines its own set of rules and policies, which are then enforced by the MDM server. For example, you might require all employee devices to use a certain application, stay updated with the latest operating system version, or keep encryption enabled at all times.

To enable MDM on your company’s devices, each smartphone, tablet, or laptop is enrolled into the system — typically by installing an agent app or through a provisioning profile, depending on the platform.

In short: MDM gives your business a reliable way to ensure that work devices are secure, compliant, and correctly configured. At the same time, it simplifies device management across all teams and locations, helping you save time and increase operational efficiency of your business.

Does my business need Mobile Device Management (MDM)?

Implementing a Mobile Device Management (MDM) solution can significantly strengthen your organization’s security and operational efficiency. However, as with any IT system, there are both advantages and potential challenges to consider before moving forward. Understanding these factors will help you decide whether MDM is the right fit for your business needs, your privacy expectations, and your internal processes.

What are the advantages of MDM?

1. Mobile Device Management strengthens security and protects corporate data. MDM ensures that all company devices adhere to your security and privacy policies. Features such as remote lock or secure data wipe help protect sensitive business information if a device is lost, stolen, or compromised — an important foundation for GDPR-compliant data handling.
2. Mobile Device Management centralizes device administration. With MDM, IT teams can manage hundreds of devices from a single, transparent dashboard. Software updates, security patches, and configuration changes can be pushed remotely, reducing downtime, travel, and administrative workload — especially valuable for distributed teams.
3. Mobile Device Management improves productivity and efficiency. Employees can focus on their work instead of troubleshooting device issues. Automated setup, app deployment, and consistent configurations ensure smooth operations across all departments and locations.
4. Mobile Device Management saves cost and time. By automating routine tasks such as updates, password resets, or configuration changes, MDM reduces manual IT effort and lowers support costs. Extending the lifespan of devices through proper maintenance can also support more sustainable IT operations.
5. Mobile Device Management helps meet legal and data-protection obligations. For businesses operating under GDPR and other European data-protection regulations, MDM supports compliance by enforcing security standards, ensuring encryption, and enabling responsible device monitoring without invading employee privacy.

As Raj, QA engineer at Murena, who works on Murena’s MDM solution points out: “MDM can be particularly valuable for businesses that handle sensitive data or rely on in-house apps requiring regular updates. For instance, telecom companies often have field employees using apps to track customer complaints containing personal information such as addresses and phone numbers.”

“With MDM, these apps can be efficiently managed and kept up to date, while preventing the installation of unauthorized software. In addition, features such as file management, location tracking, and remote device resets are especially useful for companies that provide work phones to their employees, helping ensure security, compliance, and operational efficiency.” (Raj, QA engineer)

What are the disadvantages of MDM?

1. MDM must be set up and integrated.
    Configuring an MDM system can take time, especially when enrolling existing devices or adapting it to complex IT environments. 
2. MDM costs must be considered and fit into the company’s budget.
    Depending on the provider and scale, licensing fees can add up. However, these costs are often offset by increased efficiency and reduced data loss risks.
3. Your MDM solution must align with your company’s vision to be accepted by your employees. 
    Employees might feel uneasy about their work devices being “monitored.” It’s crucial to communicate transparently that MDM is focused on data security and compliance, not surveillance.
4. Your MDM solution must be compatible with the operating system used in your company.
    Some MDM systems work better with certain operating systems. Before implementation, ensure that your chosen MDM solution supports all devices used within your organization.

Conclusion: If your business relies on mobile devices for daily operations, MDM can help you maintain security, ensure compliance, and streamline management – without adding unnecessary complexity.

How to choose an MDM solution for my business?

When selecting an MDM provider, it’s important to choose one that aligns with your company’s vision. For example, if sustainability is important to your business, it’s crucial to find out more about the servers of the MDM solution you choose.

Consider where and how the provider hosts their servers, as this can have several implications:

• Sustainability: Data centers powered by renewable energy help reduce your company’s carbon footprint.
• Data Sovereignty: Hosting within the EU ensures compliance with GDPR and strong European privacy regulations.
• Lower Latency: European hosting can improve performance and response times for teams located in the EU.

Before committing to an MDM solution, verify the provider’s hosting practices and data center locations to ensure they align with your environmental and data privacy goals. Note that EU privacy laws are stricter than in some other regions, so choosing a privacy-friendly provider is essential.

Our company Murena, the open-source provider of privacy-first smart devices running deGoogled /e/OS and the Murena Workspace office suite, is now introducing a new MDM solution for even greater efficiency.

Explore Murena MDM: The European MDM for Big Tech independence

Murena MDM is part of Murena for Business, our new privacy-focused business solution, currently in Beta.

It is designed for organizations that want to manage their mobile devices efficiently while maintaining strong data protection, user trust, and independence from Big Tech ecosystems. Built with European standards in mind and powered by renewable energy, Murena MDM helps companies stay secure, compliant, and sustainable.

With Murena MDM, you can easily configure, secure, and monitor your company’s devices from a single, user-friendly dashboard. 

The system supports several management modes, from a permissive mode – which gives employees more flexibility – to a fully managed launcher for stricter setups. Devices can be grouped by team or purpose, each with its own set of apps, restrictions, and configurations. This approach allows businesses to balance control, productivity, and user experience across their device fleet.

Murena MDM key capabilities include:

• Fleet control: Organize devices by group and apply custom policies.
• App management: Deploy, update, or block apps remotely.
• Location tracking: View devices on a map.
• Remote actions: Send push messages, reboot, reset, or lock lost or stolen devices.

Murena MDM combines robust and easy to use device management with European data protection principles – helping your company stay secure, compliant, and aligned with your sustainability and privacy values.

Unlike many conventional MDM providers, Murena MDM is built around privacy by design. It collects only the data strictly necessary for management tasks, ensuring minimal tracking and maximum transparency. By using Murena devices powered by /e/OS and remaining independent from Big Tech ecosystems, your organization maintains full control over its infrastructure while staying within a cohesive, European digital ecosystem.

All data is hosted in France on servers powered entirely by wind and hydro energy, making Murena MDM a truly sustainable choice.

In short, Murena MDM helps your business take back control of their mobile fleet – securely, efficiently, and ethically – while supporting digital sovereignty and environmental responsibility.

Ready to try a brand new sustainable, privacy-first MDM solution with your company? 

Join Murena MDM Beta-testing now!