Mobile Device Management (MDM) Is Dead
Mobile Device Management. It’s a fast-growing market and a hot topic of discussion for managed services providers. Still, I think a major portion of the mobile device management (MDM) market is already dead. That’s right: Traditional MDM is dead and buried. So here we are: You’re just getting started with MDM. But you already have to change your strategy — if you’ve got one. Here’s why.
First, please note: This blog entry does not focus on the enterprise mobile device management market. Rather, I’m referring to MSPs and VARs that support SMB customers — where iPads, iPhones, Android devices, tablets and smartphones are running in the wild.
Call Me Crazy (But Keep Reading)
I have two beliefs about the market:
- Standalone MDM platforms are dead. MSPs want mobile device management (MDM) integrated into their existing managed services dashboards. That’s why most of the major RMM (remote monitoring and management) software providers are introducing plug-in MDM modules. Or maybe it’s “just there” — without any extra modules to install. Plus, security companies like Symantec and Sophos are buying up MDM vendors. The MDM market is growing (in sales) but consolidating (through big fish-little fish M&A).
- MDM per-device pricing is dead. I’ve had an iPad for two years. It just works. As a small business co-founder I can’t imagine paying someone a per device “fee” to take care of my company’s iPads and tablets. I think I’ll get some strong debate on this point. Some MSPs are succeeding with per-device MDM fees.
My thoughts above have been brewing for a few weeks. But they came into focus when I spoke with Dave Sobel, a former MSP who recently joined Level Platforms. I won’t spill our conversation into this blog since Sobel was speaking to me based on his MSP mindset rather than based on any statements from his employer.
MDM Will Become Part Of…
I firmly believe MDM will just become another capability built into RMM software, or built into broader IT management platforms. And I do believe MSPs will profit from MDM — perhaps in a “total user pricing” model, where the per-user fee covers every device and application a user touches. It’s all part of the total user experience.
For instance, if John Doe has a PC, tablet and smartphone, the MSP would charge one flat monthly fee to maintain all those devices while also ensuring Doe has corporate application access, backup, security, across all devices.
The goal: Give your customers an awesome user experience, regardless of device, location and application.
Indeed, standalone mobile device management is dead. Long live total user experience management.
Joe, Nice article, and I think you are spot on.
While it will be possible to get a per device fee for some companies for some customers, I don’t see the per device pricing being the long term winning play. You cant ignore the mobile/tablet devices though, and the security, availability, and accessibility implications they present. MDM is necessary in that respect. That, and the uniform configuration and app deployment options they provide for mobile/tablet fleets. Seems similar to the manageability difference between Windows workgroups and Active Directory (permissions, GPO, etc), only now it’s mobile.
“Long live total user experience management”
This is all that matters, and successful companies must adopt the people, systems, and processes to deliver this. As service organizations, this should be what MSPs focus on, and they don’t have to re-create the wheel to do so. There are great role models in other industries that focus on the end user experience – Zappo’s, Amazon, 37Signals, Apple, getSatisfaction (among other darlings) that focus on the end user experience, and earn repeat business, great word of mouth, and raving fans.
Simplifying, the customer doesn’t care what underlying solutions empower the service provider to wow them, but they certainly appreciate and remember being wow’ed – then they tell everyone.
Disagree – it’s a big market with a long tail.
I only see MDM for company assigned devices, executives want their enterprise apps running on ipads but they aren’t always willing to give control for their personal devices, in those terms desktop virtualization works better
Joe,
Let me prefix this with the fact that I write for InformationWeek for the MDM space and have a security consulting firm that has been deploying MDM for 2+ years.
I think you are right about the death but get the future partially wrong. The issues people are trying to solve with MDM is two fold: 1) Device Management (asset inventory, etc just like PC management the RMM world does) and 2) Secure access to documents/data.
I think you are spot on for item #1, but for item #2, MDM has failed and will continue to fail because MDM can only implement the security the Mobile OS allows it too. We need to secure access to documents and data and the best way to do that is to secure the data, not the device, so that no matter what device is used the documents/data is secure so I believe that the future of MDM is a split with RMM taking the device management part and companies such as WatchDox and others taking the “Secure data access” part.
Furthermore, most MSPs and RMM providers don’t provide security services so there will be a continued need for “mobile security” after MDM dies.
Amos@1: Let me know how you simplify for customers, and thanks for reading MSPmentor.
MDM SMB@2: It could be a long tail market but most MSPs I’ve heard from have yet to sort it out.
Juan@3: Thanks for your thoughts but I somewhat disagree. I think Mobile Application Management, in particular, will be universally applied to corporate-purchased devices and employee-purchased devices.
Michael@4: I worked for InformationWeek 1992-1996. Great brand, great team. Thanks for visiting MSPmentor. Great to see your thoughts on April 8. Do me a favor: Come back to this comment string in a few months and let us know if your views remain the same or if your views changed.
-jp
@Joe, @Amos – I would agree with you.
The MDM feature set is being democratized by vendors such as Centrify, whose product suite has recently added ioS and Android as two new platforms that can now be “centrified” into Microsoft Active Directory and managed with Group Policy. This is a freemium offering that empowers enterprise customers and MSP providers to manage a diverse set of devices/systems like *Nix servers, Apple Macs, iOS amp; Android — all from Active Directory!
This eventually paves the path for your so called “total user pricing” model, where a per-user fee covers every device and application a user touches — the MSP would charge one flat monthly fee to maintain all those devices while also ensuring the user has corporate application access, backup, security, across all devices.
Shreyas, Thanks for jumping into the conversation. Can you disclose to readers if you work for/with Centrify?
-jp
I think you have it backwards. It is going to grow for several reasons.
1. We need a way to remotly provision all the tools that are going to be added to smart devices over the next few years, like VPN, exchange and google provisioning, data plan provisioning and the like, for when users get new devices and need them connected to everything the company has to offer.
2. We need a way to enforce security with SOX HiPPA and other standards, we need a way to wipe, find, ensure security, etc. for these devices.
3. We need a way to lower costs for these service delivery points. We cannot touch every iphone. We need to be able to get to it remotely, or to push a provisioning profile to it automatically.
Desktop as a Service (DaaS) providers have already moved to the per user model. Using Citrix technologies, we are able to provide secure data and application access to any device, any where. Companies are looking for ways to reduce their complexity/reduce management costs. MDM runs contrary to this by raising the number of devices that need to be supported/approved by the IT organization. Citrix receiver is available free for practically every OS (Windows, Max OS, iOS, Android to name a few) and can be quickly installed and configured with only basic information that can be provided by the IT group. Regardless of the device, the user experience is the same whether they are on and iPad, PC or smartphone.
Sunny@8: Thanks for jumping into the conversation with some great points. I will keep them in mind as we plan future coverage. I’m still not convinced per-device pricing will catch on. But it’s hard to debate your points on SOX, HIPAA, etc. I agree with them.
Chris@9: Citrix seems to be sitting at the middle of several converging trends. DaaS, open source cloud (CloudStack), virtualization…
-jp
As an MSP for the past 10 years, we find that our challenge is that we supported these devices so long for free, it is difficult to step into the fray and start charging for it. Thankfully, as you say, the fact that we have baseed our product around total user experience will probably just constitute a small price increase to accomodate this sometime down the road. Charging the right price for total experience gives you the freedom to upgrade, change, and grow that experience on the fly.
Joe:
I agree that trying to isolate mobile devices as individual $ per month fees is probably a failed strategy. Also very difficult to manage.
There is, however, an opportunity to bundle the management of these devices within or on top of existing managed service offerings.
The real opportunity, in my mind, is using the management of these devices as an opportunity to have the discussion with clients around device policy, data security, data protection regulations, etc.
The value of the management of mobile device can vary greatly from client to client. Understanding that value, is key to how you will position your offering with the client.
Shael@11: Thanks for adding perspectives based on 10 years of experience. Let us know how your own efforts evolve amid the BYOD craze.
Rick@12: Customer conversations = discovery = revenue opportunity. You’re right on the mark.
Best
-jp
Hi Joe,
Interesting post – I agree that separate tools for MDM will make an MSPs life harder rather than easier so most RMM vendors are working on solutions that will integrate into their platforms – it seems to me like the only way that it can be a profitable service element for an MSP (full disclosure – I run the GFI MAX business).
Your other point about pricing models is also good I think. Some MSPs do take the approach of slicing up the services they offer and marking up their cost price form their vendors based on the pricing models the vendor provides but I think it is a better approach to offer service bundles that make sense to the customer. Your example of a fee per user regardless of the device they are using is a good approach I think. A similar example is rather than trying to sell an AV solution and a patch management solution on the same device, sell a workstation security service that blends these two, offers more complete peace of mind to the user, and appears on their bill as a single item. Defining and delivering services that are focussed on the user need rather than marking up solution components and selling the individual bits of technology makes far more sense I think.
Regards,
Alistair.
Alistair,
Good to see you in NYC recently. In addition to the points you mention, I think a lot of MSPs forget to factor in their own costs (over and above the vendor costs) when setting pricing.
Instead of “marking up” services, MSPs should be pricing high to see what the market will bear, adjusting prices for various vertical markets based on sensitivity of information, importance of app/data, etc.
-jp
@Joe @all
I disagree with your assessment but you do have a good point about the plug in and integration that existing security platforms will be offering. I think MDM is here to stay and each company will adopt based on their requirement and budget. If your main concern is security to your business and want to bring smart-devices to your network, MDM is a must have in order to mitigate the security risk this devices bring to your business. I believe the best approach should be to have a holistic approach to secure mobile devices. Secure your device, app, data and at the same time stay flexible enough not give a brick to your users.
-S
Intersting conversation here. I’m kinda on the fence in that I think (maybe hope) that MDM SMB is right, but standardisation, especially in light of BYOD, is going to be difficult (therefore going against the grain for MSPs). RMM providers need to up their game in this space.
Mark Williams
CEO, Pensar
(London, UK)
Joe:
Looks like you’ve got a lively one here. The conversation you and I had is certainly part of my role at Level Platforms. We’re spending considerable time with our Partners talking about how to best use MDM within their practices, as we think this is critically important to an MSP’s future.
You and I talked about my thinking both as an MSP and within Level – that solution providers are not looking for a second management tool, but instead are looking for their existing single pane of glass to be extended to cover these new devices. For exactly the same reasons that your centralized RMM needs to monitor and manage backups, patching, and provide alerting on desktops, servers, printers, switches, and all devices on the network, it needs to also handle mobile devices. Those integrations need to be rich, providing ways to not only be alerted but to make changes to configurations. We believe that having a fully functioning product in market allows our Partners to get into the details of implementation, building their business model in practice rather than in theory, and begin implementing MDM in their MSP organizations.
Pricing models are changing. Our most successful partners are embracing models like “per user” and “value pricing” to move away from a device model, focusing instead on a consistent user experience. Because of this, operational efficiency for the MSP is critical, and separate tools slow that down. Amos@1 and Rick@12 are right, I don’t see per device pricing dominating here, and Chris@9 shows how the per-user model is already established. You (@15) are right in that MSPs are not always factoring in their costs, but this is not specific to MDM. Maturing MSPs learn quickly that they need to define their cost models in detail, and often haven’t done a good enough job of this.
It’s an exciting time – mobility is one of the reasons I joined Level, and this is a new, emerging opportunity. The Level Platforms team is focused already on our ongoing enhancements to MDM, the need to continue these discussions to help our Partners and all MSPs take advantage of this now critical part of the user experience.
Dave Sobel
Director of Partner Community
Level Platforms
Hey Dave, Folks:
Greetings from the road. I’m checking in on this comment thread regularly to take some notes… perhaps for future coverage.
Overall, I think the thread above suggests at least two things:
1. We’re still early in the MDM market
2. There will be multiple successful models, but a lot of MSPs are going to make a lot of mistakes before they get MDM just right…
-jp
I agree with the points on selling a “workstation service” rather than billing for each product.
What makes this difficult though is when the likes of Microsoft insist in directly billing the client.
You go to the client with a package to solve all their security and management issues only to then have to explain that they will have to pay two bills, one to you and one to Microsoft.
The problem then is that the client loses focus on the overall value of the package and can see the price of individual components and perhaps then decides that paying for Intune isn’t what they want to do and so ditch it.
I’m sure there are ways to solve this sort of issue but for me at least, I want to send my clients one bill each month and for it to be as simple as possible.
Damain,
If you don’t want Microsoft billing your customers directly there are plenty of market alternatives…
-jp
Hi, just wanted to mention, I liked this article.
It was funny. Keep on posting!
Willie: Sometimes humor is a great way to focus on key trends.
-jp