For the IT services channel, the steady increase of mobile devices in the workplace, often referred to as BYOD, or “bring your own device,” will open plenty of opportunities to make a great revenue. It has been reported that managed services providers (MSPs) and remote monitoring and management (RMM) vendors will be pushing mobile device management (MDM) as an important value-added service for end customers. With a projected 362 million mobile connections in the United States by the end of 2012, according to IE Market Research Corp., MDM is becoming an acute need in companies.

It is incumbent on the IT services community, including MSPs and cloud service providers, to guide their clients away from potential disastrous situations by developing and implementing MDM policies and technology. These IT service providers will surely get multiple eager helping hands from vendors that will be introducing mobile management tools.

Howard Cohen, senior resultant at The Tech Channel Partners Results Group, talks about emergence of a “mobility management service provider (MMSP)”. The MMSP will advise clients and deliver services around managing and securing mobile devices in the workplace. In 2012 BYOD’s momentum will continue to create network security and management needs for which businesses will need an IT services firm.

MDM is an immature market, with plenty of room for innovation, which means that service providers and their clients should proceed with caution as they develop strategies to manage their users’ devices. Now we have to convert the challenge into a profitable opportunity.

Source: http://www.channelinsider.com/c/a/Commentary/Why-You-Need-to-Make-Mobile-Device-Management-a-Priority-in-2011-490896/