We’ve talked before about mobile device management (MDM), enterprise mobility management (EMM), and even unified endpoint management (UEM). But have you ever heard of workplace device management (WDM)?
Writing for Forbes, industry insider Prakash Gupta recently talked about workplace device management, which he thinks is poised to eclipse MDM and other forms of enterprise mobility management.
So what is it, exactly?
According to Gupta, it makes sense to start by examining MDM and EMM (which in his opinion fall short) as well as UEM (which is too broad). (For a reminder on the difference between various industry terms, including MDM, EMM, and UEM, read our blog post from 2019 here.)
Gupta proposes WDM as “a more accurate label for what modern device managers want and need… [it’s] the technology needed to manage everything within your workplace.” Put simply, he thinks that UEM is too open-ended, as technically UEM would need to include, for example, IoT devices and sensors in warehouses that, while part of the network, aren’t connected to employees’ device needs within the walls of the business.
Gupta defines “within the walls,” or the workplace, as “the sum total of the spaces where all employees work.” As such, WDM would cover corporate- and employee-owned devices, whether they are in the office or on the front lines in the field.
Really, we see WDM as new terminology for something that’s already happening in many workplaces. Even Gupta admits that WDM is more of a label than a new cutting-edge technology. Still, he argues that adoption of the terminology would help businesses selling enterprise mobility solutions as well as customers looking for something to help them work more efficiently.
So, what do you think? Is workplace device management the future of enterprise mobility? Or, do current terms accurately capture what employees and businesses need? We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.
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Photo by Austin Distel on Unsplash
