Jamf and Oomnitza: Elevating the deskless workforce

In today's business environment, the rise of remote work across industries such as healthcare, retail, transportation, hard hats and manufacturing has introduced significant challenges for IT departments managing a diverse fleet of mobile devices. These range from laptops, tablets and mobile phones to point-of-sale (POS) devices, each crucial for daily operations. Effectively managing, securing and optimizing these devices is essential, as failure to do so introduces severe operational, security and financial risks.

"80% of the global workforce does not sit behind a desk to do their jobs." — Emergence, The State of Technology for the Deskless Workforce

However, these 2.7 billion employees can feel unsupported by the tech they use. In fact, more than 60% of deskless workers report a lack of satisfaction or feel the need for improvement in the tech they use.

Businesses that want to reduce administrative overhead for these deskless, mobile workforces need purpose-built tools that move with them throughout the day—and sometimes change hands multiple times—while remaining secure.

Supporting deskless workers

Needs specific to deskless use cases include:

• Shared device use: clinical communication devices in a hospital, shift workers on a manufacturing floor
• Customized device provisioning to role-specific configurations: ability to understand the device’s state and distinguish it from others in the fleet
• Workflows to verify device compliance for regulated industries: retail store devices support the correct version of iOS or iPadOS and POS app
• Meeting industry-specific security requirements: PCI DSS in retail, HIPAA in healthcare
• Content filtering and data capping: control types of data accessed, manage cellular data consumption
• Ability to operate in environments with connectivity issues: minimize disruption to application connections
• Integration with other platforms, tools and workflows: help connect employees to all their work resources
• The organization’s desired result: The ability to provide an employee-friendly experience that promotes productivity and streamlines IT administration

How can organizations better support employees and their devices?

This is where the partnership between Jamf and Oomnitza becomes pivotal, offering organizations innovative solutions to manage assets for their remote workforce effectively.

Challenges in managing large mobile device fleets

Managing a large fleet of mobile devices presents a range of unique challenges for IT departments, particularly in terms of tracking, security and lifecycle management. These challenges include:

• Physical tracking: Knowing the precise location of mobile devices like tablets, phones and point-of-sale systems can be difficult, especially if they are used by employees in the field or in a remote work setting
• Security updates: Ensuring that security software on all devices is consistently up to date is challenging, especially when dealing with a variety of device types and operating systems
• Lifecycle management: Keeping track of the lifecycle stage of each device to determine when it's nearing the end of its useful life requires meticulous record-keeping and monitoring
• Device provisioning and de-provisioning: Properly setting up devices for new employees and wiping them clean when employees leave, or devices are retired, is an ongoing process that can be quite complex
• Compliance management: Ensuring all devices comply with relevant industry regulations and company policies can be a moving target as both technology and regulations evolve
• Support and maintenance: Providing timely support and maintenance for many devices can be resource-intensive
• Software licensing: Keeping track of software licenses, particularly ensuring compliance and managing renewals across the fleet, adds another layer of complexity
• Data security: Protecting sensitive company data that is accessed and stored across multiple devices is a paramount concern
• Remote troubleshooting: Addressing technical issues on devices that are not physically present requires robust remote support capabilities

Consequences of ineffective management

If these challenges are not managed effectively, there can be significant consequences for the organization:

• Increased vulnerability to security breaches: Untracked devices or those with outdated security can become entry points for malware and cyberattacks
• Data loss: Without proper backups and security, there is a risk of losing critical business data or exposing sensitive customer information
• Compliance violations: Failure to manage devices according to regulatory standards can lead to legal issues and hefty fines
• Reduced productivity: If employees are working with outdated or malfunctioning devices, their productivity can be significantly hampered
• Higher costs: Poor lifecycle management can lead to unnecessary purchases, failure to capitalize on warranties and increased costs due to inefficiencies
• Reputation damage: Security breaches or poor customer experiences due to device failures can harm the organization's reputation
• Resource drain: IT departments can become overwhelmed with maintenance issues, diverting attention from strategic initiatives

Navigate these common problems by leveraging Jamf Pro and Oomnitza ETM together

To address these challenges, IT departments are increasingly relying on the combination of Mobile Device Management (MDM) and Enterprise Technology Management (ETM) solutions.

MDM tools, particularly Jamf solutions for Apple devices, allow IT teams to remotely manage devices, ensuring security and streamlined provisioning. Jamf's comprehensive suite covers device management, endpoint protection and integration, facilitating seamless management of Apple technology.

Oomnitza's ETM solution complements MDM tools such as Jamf by automating IT processes and providing a reliable data foundation for technology assets. With its ability to automate workflows through pre-packaged workflow applications, Oomnitza enhances the efficiency of IT operations across organizations of all sizes by delivering a single source of truth across an organization’s entire landscape of technology assets.

The future of work is mobile

The collaboration between Jamf and Oomnitza is shaping the future of work by focusing on the needs of the deskless workforce. This new era of workplace mobility promises empowerment, security and seamless management.

By merging Jamf's expertise in Apple device management with Oomnitza's delivery of IT process automation through its ETM solution, organizations are not just adapting to current trends.

They are preparing for the future!

One that ensures that workers have the tools they need to succeed in an increasingly mobile world.