Tech

Streamlining Device Management With Entgra UEM: Trigger Operations Simultaneously Across Your Device Fleet

Blog, MDM, Tech / By / May 29, 2023 / , , ,
Photo by Daniel Romero on Unsplash

Did you know Entgra UEM has a feature that enables you to trigger operations simultaneously in device groups?  Thanks to this feature, you can execute multiple commands across a group of devices all at once with a simple click.

We will discuss how this feature saves you time and resources, making device management more efficient.

Say goodbye to manual device-by-device actions

As an IT administrator, you no longer have to perform repetitive tasks on individual devices manually. You can now centralize device management with Entgra UEM. 

Our UEM feature gives you the ability to group devices together based on various criteria such as their operating system (OS), enrollment mode, location, or any other specific need. This flexible grouping mechanism allows for a more tailored approach to device management.

Once your devices are organized into groups, you can effortlessly trigger desired operations and apply them simultaneously to all devices within the group. There is no necessity to perform tedious, repetitive tasks on individual devices; instead, you can experience the efficiency of executing commands across multiple devices in one go. 

Unlocking hidden perks

  • Enhanced security and compliance

With this feature, you can take immediate action across a specific group of devices. Whether you are locking devices, changing lock codes, clearing passwords, or performing enterprise wipes, you can swiftly mitigate security risks and address policy violations, keeping your organization protected. If you have a large device fleet, this will be especially helpful.

  • Efficient deployment of updates and applications

Deploying applications or pushing updates to a large number of devices can be a tedious task. Entgra UEM simplifies this process by enabling you to upgrade the firmware across device groups simultaneously. This ensures seamless application availability and software updates, boosting productivity and reducing manual effort.

  • Remote troubleshooting and support

Imagine an IT support team responsible for troubleshooting and resolving issues across a diverse device fleet. You can now support personnel remotely to trigger actions such as reboot, file transfer, or device information retrieval across a group of devices simultaneously. This streamlines the support process, reduces downtime, and improves end-user satisfaction.

  • Bulk actions for device configuration

Trigger operations such as ringing devices, sending messages, applying configurations on apps, or muting devices in bulk, ensuring uniformity and ease of management. This capability enhances operational efficiency and reduces configuration errors.

Check out this short video to learn more about how effortlessly this feature works:

Entgra UEM empowers your organization’s productivity by offering you extensive Mobile Device Management (MDM) features.

Visit our product documentation to learn more. We invite you to experience the capabilities of the latest product version, Entgra UEM 5.2, with our Try-It-Now feature.
If you have any questions or require assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us via our Entgra support portal.

Unlocking the Power of Personalization With Entgra UEM 5.2’s Per-Tenant Theming Feature

Blog, MDM, Tech / By / May 17, 2023 / , , ,

Photo by Tirza van Dijk on Unsplash

The recently released Entgra UEM 5.2 gives you an exciting new feature – per-tenant theming.

With per-tenant theming, Unified Endpoint Management (UEM) administrators now have the power to elevate customization and branding within their tenant environments. This feature enables you to personalize UEM platforms and define unique visual themes and brand identities for different sub-organizations or client groups. 

In this blog, we’ll explore how Entgra UEM 5.2 will help you to strengthen your brand presence with per-tenant theming.

Understanding per-tenant theming and its importance

Per-tenant theming is a must-have feature for multitenant UEM environments where multiple organizations or teams use the same console. It helps to create a more intuitive experience for each tenant. Whether you’re in a multitenant environment or simply want to reinforce your organization’s branding, per-tenant theming can help you achieve what you want. 

Each tenant or client can customize the user interface (UI) by incorporating branding elements and creating an interface that reflects their unique identity and style. This means that each tenant can have a unique interface and user experience, while still being managed from a single console.

Without per-tenant theming, tenants may have difficulty differentiating their workspace from that of other tenants, resulting in confusion and decreased productivity. Entgra UEM 5.2 helps you to ensure that each tenant’s needs are met by providing each tenant with their own unique theme, ultimately leading to increased satisfaction and productivity.

If you’re looking to create a better user experience for your tenants, per-tenant theming is the way to go.

How it works

Per-tenant theming works by enabling you to create different themes for each tenant of the UEM solution. You can easily customize the UEM console with unique logos, favicons, app titles, etc., giving each tenant a distinct look and feel that represents your organization’s brand identity. Additionally, you can customize the branding of your tenants based on sub-organizations, teams, or any other categories you prefer to use. 

Let’s say you have a multinational corporation (ABC Tech) with several workspaces in different regions and each region must be reflected in the UEM console. With per-tenant theming, you can customize the console according to each region. This means the UEM console can then display the appropriate theme for each region based on their login credentials. This saves time and resources for you and provides a better user experience for your employees in each region. Employees will instantly connect with the platform, resulting in increased engagement, productivity, and overall satisfaction.

https://youtu.be/XsxNFJp2aos

Other benefits of per-tenant theming

Apart from creating better user experiences, per-tenant theming offers you other benefits.

  • Stronger brand identity

Your brand is everything. Per-tenant theming empowers you to showcase it. Incorporate your company logo, add titles, and design the UEM platform to match your unique identity. With this level of customization, every endpoint interaction becomes an opportunity to reinforce your brand, build trust, and leave a lasting impression on your employees and clients.

  • User-friendly customizations

Implementing per-tenant theming within a multitenant UEM environment is a breeze. With just a few clicks, tenants can upload their brand assets, change logos, and make design modifications without needing extensive technical expertise. It’s a user-friendly process that puts the power of customization in the hands of organizations of all sizes.

  • Consistency

By maintaining consistency in per-tenant theming, organizations can create a unified and cohesive experience for their users. With a consistent look and feel across different tenants, you can create a sense of unity that reflects your organization’s values.

  • Flexibility for sub-organizations and teams

Multitenant UEM environments often consist of sub-organizations and teams with diverse needs. Per-tenant theming caters to this diversity by customizing the UEM experience for each entity. It’s all about giving your sub-organizations and teams the flexibility to create an interface that aligns with their specific requirements.

If you’re ready to take your UEM experience to the next level, consider exploring the per-tenant theming feature in Entgra UEM 5.2 and see how it can benefit you!

To learn more about the latest Entgra features, visit our product documentation. And do not forget to try out the product with our Try It Now feature to experience the latest features and updates.

We are always happy to answer any questions you may have. Reach out to us here.

The Digital Pedagogy Learning Curve: Education 4.0, MDM, and Opportunities

Education, MDM, Tech / By / February 13, 2023 / , , ,
Photo by Dom Fou on Unsplash

We have come a long way since the times when education was a privilege for the chosen elite, attainable by virtue of class, religion or gender. And a long time from when sacred scriptures had to be memorized by a trusted few to transfer knowledge from one generation to the next. 

The ancient Greeks had laws in place to ensure that formal education was primarily for males and for non-slaves. In early Mesopotamia, only the royal offspring and sons of the rich or the professionals had the entitlement to be schooled, i.e., access to reading and writing. The Chinese resorted to rote memorization for teaching over 40,000 characters in their language.

In the light of such absurdities, today we are in a position to pat our own backs gleefully for being able to read ridiculous ancient teaching practices leisurely. We are also able to grasp the fact of our learning habits, too, having leapfrogged tremendously from etching on wax tablets and oral recitals to browsing content in our devices conveniently today. 

Given the enormity of the knowledge we have amassed and hoarded in numerous tricky technical formats in the present day, what is required of the sentient being now is the aptitude with which to retrieve and apply just the right resources for the problem at hand. The finesse of crafting the best with what we’ve got. The learner’s armor today, in that sense, is very much personalized to the individual, in how and what works best for each individual. 

Education 4.0

The evolution of digital pedagogy has been rapid and unprecedented. And definitely expedited by the pandemic.

We have now entered an era of innovation-driven, immersive learning experiences aided by digitized tools and techniques for effective knowledge retention and application. Today’s students are digital natives in every sense of the word – they are exposed to digital technologies at a very young age and understand how to use them, often in a very sophisticated manner.

In an ideal flipped classroom that we are headed to, the students embark upon actual problem-solving during the class hours, while reading up on theory and learning lessons have been moved out of the scope of the classroom. Students can watch lectures online, download relevant notes, and discuss/explore their ideas through online forums or discussion groups. This type of blended learning strategies reinforces active student engagement and knowledge application within the classroom.

Progression of education from 1.0 to 4.0:

Education 1.0 > Education 2.0 > Education 3.0 > Education 4.0

In that sense, Education 4.0 is a jump-start from its version 1.0, naturally called for, and vastly aided by the technological advancements of its counterpart, the fourth industrial revolution. Industry 4.0 has thrust us with smart technology, Artificial Intelligence (AI), big data, Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), and robotics. 

We must now shift our focus to empowering the next generation of learners, harnessing the culled knowledge with advanced technology for betterment – ideally in accordance with our Sustainable Development Goals for education [SDG 4]

Are we there yet?

Education 4.0 involves the use of tablets, laptops, smartphones, and various other devices as supportive tools for learning. Aimed at instilling the 4Cs the century calls for, our students are now being trained to think critically, make the most of their creativity, and communicate and collaborate effectively with their peers.  With the students having a big say in the how of it today, learning has become a highly personalized experience to be indulged in from anywhere, at any time. 

Such a transformation calls for an equally elaborate and sophisticated response from  educational institutions.  These institutions must be prepared to address challenges that arise with infrastructure, services, and facilities for students and teachers alike.

Visionary institutes like the Avinya Academy already have programs designed for empowering the next generation student that extend beyond the required skill sets – these students are equipped with the knowledge to be proficient in life and career fundamentals the future calls for.

Riding on the waves of the latest trends in tutelage, academies must incorporate and leverage progressive technology to provide the fitting educational foundation for these self-paced learners so that they can become the global digital citizens of tomorrow. 

Device strategies for educational institutions

Cyber-physical learning curricula comprise course work requiring interactive, immersive learning experiences using varied e-learning tools and techniques. Possessing one’s own device is only the starting point here for the exciting escapade that awaits the learner. As such, academic institutions are better positioned to identify the exact student requirements and address the demand justifiably without calling for unwarranted problems. 

Most academic institutions today provide students with centrally administered mobile devices. A strategic plan for effective device management customized to the institute’s guidelines can help manage entire fleets of devices effortlessly.

Entgra’s comprehensive Mobile Device Management (MDM) solutions present purpose-built plans for educational institutions. With its centralized device and unified endpoint management capabilities, the solution enables multiple integration options with third-party platforms.

Reliable Identity and Access Management (IAM) features are imperative for an impregnable, secure Learning Management System (LMS). With our MDM suite’s controlled access permissions, Single Sign On (SSO) and authentication policies, IT administrators can securely onboard large numbers of devices and users swiftly. With a strong foothold on securing privacy and sensitive data, Engtra MDM enables remote locking/wipe-off when subject to security breaches. 

These are some of the features we support presently:

For comprehensive device strategy solutions customized to suit your academy, do reach out to us at https://entgra.io/contact-us/, and we shall be happy to help you gear up. 

Additional reading resources

Post-Pandemic Business Revival: Where Are We Headed?

3 Comments / Blog, IoT, MDM, Pandemic, Tech / By / January 11, 2022 / , , ,
Photo by Alec Favale on Unsplash

The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic continue to loom over us. With hopes of opening countries and returning to normalcy, we take one step forward, only to fall back two, with tightened masks. It surely will be a while before life as we once knew it can be restored.

Thrust with incertitude at all levels from economic subsistence, vocational hardship, healthcare exigencies, and the unpredictability of life in general, our core existential strategy for the last two years has primarily been inclined towards that of basic survival centered around us as individuals, our close-knit families and communities, and the associated temporal assets. The pandemic epiphany has brought about drastic changes in our lifestyles, calling us to revise our priorities with a new reality check in life. 

For business enterprises, this is bad news and has been so for the past two years. 

The Trending Story In Numbers

As with every historical industrial revolution, the effects of the pandemic will shape the economic trends for the future. Unsurprisingly, there will be an evident increase in remote working. A recent Gartner poll found that 48% of employees will likely work remotely at least part of the time after COVID-19 compared to 30% before the pandemic. Similarly, the McKinsey Global Institute estimates that more than 20% of the global workforce could work the majority of its time away from the office – and equally importantly, be just as effective. A consequent HR trend analysis by them indicates that 32% of organizations are replacing full time employees with contingent workers as a cost-saving measure. Prepped up for this, in a recent Gartner poll, 90% of HR leaders said employees would be allowed to work remotely even once COVID-19 vaccines are widely available.

As indicated by these statistics, we have embraced what worked well from the pandemic and are progressing forward retaining the lessons learned. There’s no going back now. Digitally enabled productivity gains have accelerated the Fourth Industrial Revolution powered by technology and defined by operational models that survived above the pandemic predicaments. 

Remote Working or the ability to Work From Anywhere (WFA) is clearly here to stay. So is the hybrid work model as has been discovered in a recent HR trend analysis by Gartner.

Accordingly, the most favorable operational model driving business transformations in the predictable future is that of the Hybrid Work model where employees interact with each other with a mix of distributed, co-located premises synchronously, and/or asynchronously.

Future of Hybrid Working – Gartner

Your employees are now empowered with the choice of how best productivity is accomplished – your job is to ensure they are sufficiently equipped to do so. 

Are We Ready? Fitting Device Strategy for Your Ecosystem

Managing a digital ecosystem of disparate devices on different platforms can be quite a challenge. Even more so are the conundrums involved with the smooth operation of digital systems whilst being caught unawares by the virus. It is therefore imperative that we make the most of what we have for continued existence of operations under the prevailing constraints.

In one of our recent undertakings, we set out to empower public field officers by helping them digitize their routine tasks. Whilst managing to effectively map the skill sets to devices and the appropriate technology during the project, we also analyzed and outlined how the government administrators in Sri Lanka can benefit from a centralized strategy to monitor and manage the devices deployed in the field. 

Ideally, a complete device strategy is woven around the business requirements of the enterprise, its device engagement criteria, product building, operational efficiency, scaling potential, and the extent of available technical support. Value creation from a long-term perspective and sustainability of device deployment with integration are vital aspects to be considered for a productive device strategy. 

With our varied Mobile Device Management (MDM) solutions and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies, Entgra can help you formulate the most fitting strategy for your enterprise. Our recommendations precede a comprehensive analysis of your device specifications, their functionality and configurations, defined ownership and administrative policies, pre-work device check, monitoring and their distribution,  complete with a pilot run on device deployment in the field.  As part of our assistance in managing your ecosystem, we will also help you with App development, identity and access management (IAM) and storage options. 

Resilience and Agility: The Way Forward

Resilience, in enterprise terms, is a measure of your ability to swiftly adapt to disruptions while maintaining continuous business operations and safeguarding your employees, assets, and overall brand equity. Resilient organizations are better able to respond and correct their course quickly with changes. 

Faced with the adversities introduced by the pandemic, enterprises that are actively taking measures to optimally tackle the changes are positioned with a competitive edge to be able to progressively move forward retaining most of their strength in vying to make the most of the situation. 

Building a more responsive organization in terms of infrastructure and operational flow to increase agility and flexibility with room for flexing is therefore of utmost importance. This in turn translates into facilitating seamless workflows and remote working environments against a backdrop of changing and evolving technology usage, both by organizations and individuals. 

Entgra offers you a single platform for device integration with comprehensive endpoint management capabilities where you are able to expose devices as APIs securely with identity federation for managing human and device identities. Enabling custom integrations with broad built-in capabilities, and for developing end-to-end applications, our secure, customizable platform can manage all types of devices and applications. Complete with device and endpoint data analytics for systematic decision making, our IoT platform together with our Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM) solutions will enable you to remain resilient, relevant, and flexible to respond to present and future changes.

Get in touch with us to learn more about how we can help you.

References

Geofencing Capabilities of Entgra MDM

Blog, MDM, Tech / By / January 11, 2022 /
Photo by abillion on Unsplash

We’re pleased to announce that Entgra MDM has yet another new feature – geofencing capabilities. Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM) admins can define required virtual perimeters for controlling access over specified boundaries and perform some operations to those which are inside of those boundaries. Geofencing is a very useful feature in governing access for user groups. It can be conveniently set up by drawing boundaries over areas on the map.

Let’s discuss how the geofencing capabilities work through an example. Imagine that the Ministry of Education wants to provide tablets or mobile devices for school children in rural areas for online learning during the pandemic. And they wish to provide all the learning materials to the devices and manage those device capabilities. Additionally, they want to ensure that these devices do not leave school premises. The Ministry can use geofencing capabilities to monitor the devices’ locations, manage capabilities, and perform certain actions.

The Functionality of Geofencing Capabilities

Before you create a geofence, you need to set up the Alerting Configurations under the Platform Configurations. You can provide an email address where you can receive alerts. According to your use case, you can define whether users cross or access boundaries.

After defining the configurations you will be able to create geofences in Entgra MDM. The following data should be provided to create a new geofence.

  • Geofence name: Provide a name for identifying the geofence
  • Description: Add more details about the geofence
  • Device group(s): Assign a group (or groups) that consists of the devices that need to belong to the geofence
  • Event configurations: Add the given alert configuration to the relevant field

Afterwards, you need to mark the boundary line on the map. By using a shape such as a polygon or a circle, mark the area that you want to define as the geofence and then click on the Create button. The geofence table lists all the geofences that you create.

Returning to our example, after creating a geofence by including the school boundaries, if one of the students tries to leave the school with a device, the head of the school receives an alert and he/she can track the device location. The head of the school can also view how many devices in the relevant geofence are active at any given time. In addition, it can check the location of the provided devices and the device count, preventing devices from being misplaced.

Not only that, the group (or groups) that created the geofence can apply the required educational materials at the same time, adding various restrictions to the devices and managing them.

Entgra MDM has extensive enterprise wide MDM features that you can customize for your business needs. Learn more about the product and how we can help here.

You can also get in touch with us via contact@entgra.io

Allow and Block Listed Apps With Entgra MDM

Blog, MDM, Tech / By / January 11, 2022 / , ,

Manage device applications by using our latest feature

Photo by Sergey Zolkin on Unsplash

Entgra MDM now enables you to allow and block listed apps with the latest feature. Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM) admins can manage device applications by using the blacklisting and whitelisting technique.

By way of an example, think of a school or an educational institute that provides tablets to their students for online learning. Admins need to restrict several apps from these devices (such as social media apps) in these scenarios. This means that these apps will be blacklisted whilst other apps, such as educational ones, would be installed in the devices sans interaction with the students.

The app blacklisting and whitelisting feature help you to meet these requirements. App whitelisting means that all applications, except the ones explicitly defined, are blocked. End users can only use apps that have been explicitly defined. App blacklisting occurs when defined applications cannot be installed on target devices. If the given black listed apps are already installed, they will be removed from devices.

The Entgra IoT Platform has an Application Restriction Settings policy with the capability to manage device applications for appropriate users. You can access this policy in the Android policy section on the Entgra IoT Platform. In this feature, you have the ability to select the appropriate app list type. Depending on the type selected, the functionality is as follows:

Allow List

After selecting the allow list you need to add these apps’ names and their package names. When the policy is applied to the device, only the listed app will be available and other apps will disappear.

Block List

Provide the names of the apps and package names that you want to add to the block list. When the policy is applied to the device, only the listed app will be removed and other apps will remain in the device.

In this way, you can change the number of apps on devices according to your preferences.

Let us return to the example. The head of the school or institution can add apps and their package names that he/she wants to block from the devices to the Block list. These listed apps will be removed from the devices while the required apps will remain. On the other hand, if he/she wants to add some educational or learning aid apps to the students’ devices, these can be installed through this policy.

Entgra MDM has extensive enterprise wide MDM features that you can customize for your business needs. Learn more about the product and how we can help here.

You can also get in touch with us via contact@entgra.io

Understanding Entgra’s Enterprise Mobility Management Capabilities (Part 2)

Blog, Tech / By / January 11, 2022 / ,

An introduction to our file transfer feature

Photo by Marvin Meyer on Unsplash

This blog is the second part of a series that deep dives into Entgra’s Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM) capabilities. Through this blog series, we aim to provide a better understanding of how Entgra’s technology can help you manage and secure your devices, improve the performance of your employees, and increase business profits through seamless device management.

Transfer Your Files and Perform Operations in Local Device Files

Imagine that you are managing a sales team. Your day to day activities involve sending sales reports or any other kind of find to your team members’ mobile phones or tablets. Or perhaps you need to edit files that you have already sent by renaming it or delete unnecessary files stored in a device. These actions can be performed easily when you are in the office.

Now imagine that your sales team is in the field and you want to transfer files to them, transfer files from their device to your server or perform an operation on the file in their device without disturbing them.

Fortunately, there’s a way to perform these actions.

Entgra IoT Server, with its EMM features, provides file transfer features to tackle similar kinds of scenarios. Admins can transfer files from an FTP server to a folder in the user’s device and vice versa using the file transfer feature. It is also possible to remotely access a device’s file system and perform file management tasks such as copy, rename, and delete files. 

Here’s a short video that illustrates how simple remote and access is:

Using Devices in the Field

Click on the “connect to device” option on each device to start a remote session when using your devices in the field. This will display the device’s files on the screen. Select the option that allows you to select a server, where you can view all preconfigured FTP servers. Then simply click one of the servers, the server files will be fetched and shown on the screen. You can select any file and perform file transfer from local device to the FTP server or vice versa. This also comes with an option to rename and delete the local files in the device also.

The first blog of this series gives you a quick introduction to our remote screen sharing and control features. You can read the blog here. You can learn more about our IoT, EMM, and Mobile Device Management (MDM) technology here. We’re always happy to hear from you, so drop us an email on contact@entgra.io to start a conversation with us.

Digitalizing Day-to-Day Tasks of Public Field Officers

Blog, Tech / By / January 11, 2022 / , , ,

How Sri Lanka’s government administrators can digitalize vital citizen data collection functions

Sri Lanka has a multitude of government agencies with varying levels of processes involved. At present, numerous public field officers employed by these agencies perform many tasks – such as citizen data collection – manually using paper forms. They include village officers (or Grama Sevakas), public health inspectors (PHIs), community midwives, environmental police officers, municipal council employees, and field officers from the Department of Agrarian Development and the Department of Census and Statistics to name a few. They then visit the relevant area government offices to sync their work – again performed manually.

In a bid to digitalize key government functions, some agencies have begun distributing public field officers with mobile devices that contain a set of apps to eliminate these manual tasks and ensure that data is available in a centralized system in a timely manner. 

While this is a welcome move, this endeavor does not address key functionalities. These include:

  • A centralized strategy to monitor and manage devices deployed in the field.
  • An ecosystem to provide remote app updates or new apps. Public field officers are required to manually download and install apps. 
  • Strategy to provide operating system (OS)/ security updates and mandatory app updates such as virus guards.
  • Remote troubleshooting of device, app, and OS related issues that would eliminate time consuming and costly field visits by IT support teams.
  • Tools to enforce data usage restrictions, misuse of devices or data/ device theft.
  • System level architecture to provide centralized identity, device management, integration or APIs.

The lack of these functionalities would pose several challenges that will impede the long term success of a large scale project such as this. This blog provides a step-by-step guide on how government agencies can implement a device strategy that addresses these functionalities and simplifies data collection whilst saving costs in the long term.

Device Strategy and Ecosystem: A Step-by-Step Guide

The device strategy and ecosystem must address each of the following considerations before devices are used in the field.

Device functionality

Takes into account issues such as device robustness, how they would work in the field seamlessly, battery life of each device, and device weight.

Device specifications

Operating system used by devices (i.e. OS or Android), scanning requirements, whether or not devices are able to connect to printers, and the warranty period of devices.

Device ownership and user policies

Privacy and user guidelines are central to a project such as this. The device strategy must address who exactly will be given access to use devices in the field, guidelines for doing so, and the policy adopted for usage outside of official duties.

Identity and access management and storage

Security and identity management (IAM) are often the cornerstones of a sound device management strategy. A successful IAM system consists of single sign-on (SSO), self sign up, password set ups, and password resets. This system must decide on whether OTPs for sign up will be sent via SMS or email for secure signing in and the official verification/approval process.

Device configuration

Test devices, check runtime usage, and ensure that onboarding configurations are functioning as intended and device apps work in offline mode.

App development

Apps must incorporate user behavior, use the mobile device management (MDM) app store, sandbox environment in place, and kick start beta testing.

Device distribution and education

Once all of the above are in place, the relevant government agencies must prepare lists of device recipients, map serial number ID with employee IDs, decide on a complete support structure (i.e. who will provide 1st and 2nd level support), prepare instruction manuals to educate users, and organize device delivery to the field force. This is also the ideal time to formulate the device roll out plan and scale the device system with the expected support load.

Run a pilot and deploy devices to the field

This is the ideal moment to define the defect reporting process and the warranty claim process.

Pre-work device check and monitoring

Finally, before devices are in full use, assess the level of support needed, how alerts/escalations are reported, and app functionality.

Data Analysis and Visualization to Aid Policy Makers

A project such as this will require particular attention paid to methods of data storage and visualization to facilitate analysis by policy makers. The device strategy requires a central data storage mechanism – by ‘data’ we refer to both citizen data and device functionality data. Data visualization will be enabled in the form of dashboards to aid government employees and policy makers.

By implementing a device strategy with these considerations in mind, government agencies are better able to lower costs through greater control over device usage, plan for the long term, and start digitalizing services for the benefit of citizens, policy makers, and public field officers alike.

Entgra provides has worked with many public agencies and private sector organizations to implement robust device strategies. Learn more here.

A 7-Step Device Strategy To Succeed With IoT Technology and Create Flexible Organizations

2 Comments / Blog, Tech / By / January 11, 2022 / , ,

A device strategy must take into consideration business planning, product building, operational efficiency, scaling, tech support, value creation, and sustainability to thrive

Photo by Benjamin Smith on Unsplash

With the ongoing pandemic creating many upheavals, organizations are increasingly grappling with a monumental challenge – creating seamless workflows and remote working environments whilst staying resilient, relevant, and flexible to respond to present and future changes. These changes are also taking place against a backdrop of evolving technology usage, both by organizations and individuals. Industry analyst Gartner identified Internet of Behavior (IoB) as one of the strategic technology trends for 2021. Explained simply, IoB is a data-driven approach to guide behavior. Data is gathered from many different sources and IoB will increasingly shape interactions between people and organizations. Using data from multiple sources and devices to gain insights into business operational processes and productivity is of course not a new phenomena. Organizations across industries have been moving towards deploying connected devices and Internet of Things (IoT) enabled business environments for quite some time.

Successful use of IoT technology requires a device strategy, regardless of the type of organization. When I use the term “devices,” I refer to both mobile devices and IoT enabled devices. A device strategy must take into consideration 7 important factors to thrive: business planning, product building, operational efficiency, scaling, tech support, value creation, and sustainability.

Business Planning

Organizations that require a device strategy fall into 4 broad categories – device manufacturers, application developers, system integrators, and device users. Each of them have different needs and priorities when formulating a device strategy. As a starting point, ask yourself some crucial questions about your organization – which of the above 4 categories you belong to and what your organization envisions for itself.

Here is an overview of the different technology requirements for these organization types:

  • Device manufacturers – to develop devices and basic software (such as an API) to showcase device capabilities
  • Application developers – need to build IoT applications on top of their existing hardware
  • Systems integrators – to integrate several IoT applications and create value in a particular industry
  • Device users – provide devices to their employees to be used for specific purposes

Product Building

All of these organizations must then identify the specific market requirements, target customers, and the expected types of device engagement. These are the things to keep in mind for a product building strategy.

A generic guideline is as follows:

  • Device manufacturers consider where and how the devices are to be used, taking into considerations issues such as device robustness, protocol use (existing or new protocols), chipset usage (existing or new chipsets), device security, and power consumption.
  • Application developers are mainly concerned with the types of devices that will be used, the type of software platform to use, application distribution, and how the application logic compares with power consumption.
  • Systems integrators’ main concerns are with integration – which platform to use, the need of new platforms, security, protocols, analytics, dashboards, and how they can expose APIs with external parties.
  • Device users need to understand if they’re using the right type of device, whether or not these devices are user friendly, data security and storage, and device ownership (who owns the devices – the organization, device manufacturer, or the employee).

Operational Efficiency

Once you build your IoT applications and deploy your devices, then it’s time to think about operational efficiency. Your key concerns at this stage would broadly consist of detecting device failure notifications, identifying device anomalies early so as to minimize operational disruptions, pushing software updates to all your devices in your ecosystems, and how you can reset your devices in the case of a security breach.

Scaling

Any organization must first have a thorough understanding of their IoT deployment so that they can formulate and implement a scaling strategy. A starting point for this exercise would be to first identify which architecture layer within your IoT deployment needs scaling and how this can be done, recognize usage and failure patterns, consider questions around device throttling, and finally, if your organizations will use server or edge computing capabilities.

Support

When we talk about technology support, the biggest issue is what actions an organization will have to take when a remotely installed device fails. Using backup devices is an option (although this is often not the most cost-effective choice).

Value Creation

Devices and their deployment are expensive. Long term value creation must therefore be a cornerstone of your device strategy. Measure the impact of device integration and understand what steps your organization can take to prevent your devices from becoming less valuable over time, how your organization can gain a competitive advantage through your devices, what type of data can be generated from your devices for business insights, and how you can diversify your business offerings and processes.

Sustainability

A discussion about value creation naturally leads to questions about sustainability. Sustainability focuses on 3 areas – technology, data security, and legal challenges.

On the technology front, devices and platforms used today may not be valid in several months’ time. As such, organizations must address any vendor lock in issues with your devices, whether or not your platform can be scaled with other devices and applications, and any license fees and data ownership concerns that you will encounter.

When considering data security, any breach impacts consumer trust in your organization which in turn affects sustainability. Pay particular attention to how your data is stored, whether or not you use a managed cloud service, who will be given access to the data, whether or not a data filtering mechanism exists within your organization, and how your mobile apps were developed. 

Finally, on the legal challenges front, many regions have introduced data privacy and security laws, for example, GDPR in the EU, CCPA in California, USA, and CDR in Australia. With these regulations, there’s a chain of liability, many different and complex data ownership scenarios, and automated contracts. Any questions on a sustainable device strategy must look into the intricacies of these regulations and even in the absence of formal regulations, pay heed to privacy concerns of individuals and device users.

Learn more about our Mobile Device Management (MDM) and IoT technology. Our customers span the Android device manufacturing, original design manufacturing, government, education, pharmaceutical, healthcare, insurance, and service industries.