System Center Mobile Device Manager
System Center Mobile Device Manager (formerly Mobile Device Manager 2008 ) is a software solution from Microsoft for mobile device management and software distribution on mobile phones and PDAs based on Windows Mobile , with which companies can manage a large number of such devices.
The SCMDM integrates mobile devices such as PDAs and smartphones into Microsoft's Active Directory, Microsoft's directory service. The users of the mobile devices are managed there. The software supports mobile devices based on Microsoft Windows Mobile from version 6.1.
The MDM system includes: a device management server, an enrollment server and a gateway server. The gateway server is in the DMZ , while the other servers are in the company network itself. There are also solutions in which the gateway server is also in the company network. However, these are not considered so safe.
functionality
In order to authenticate a device, an "enrollment password" must first be created for this device. This password is only required once when the device wants to log into the company network for the first time. To do this, the company's email address should be entered in the device. The server is then automatically searched for using the domain name. For example, at the address: max.mustermann@musterfirmenurl.de, the domain “musterfirmenurl.de” is searched for.
After a device has been authenticated at the management console, it can connect to the gateway server via the wireless network or via Wi-Fi. This VPN connection represents an end-to-end connection in which the data stream in the tunnel is encrypted using the IPSec protocol. From the mobile device, the user can now connect to the company domain at any time (if he is in the wireless network). The administrator can set the authorizations for the user in the Active Directory via organizational units and GPOs .
advantages and disadvantages
A major advantage is the ability to centrally manage smartphones via the Active Directory and the MDM Management Console. Since this management solution is very extensive, it is not very suitable for small and medium-sized companies.