Securing Your Mobile Workforce With MCM Clients

Remote work. BYOD policies. Sensitive data on mobile. The rapid pace of digital transformation introduces new business risks. As an IT leader, this keeps you up at night!

What if endpoint devices get compromised? How do you secure sensitive data once it leaves your protected network? Can you support a remote workplace while ensuring compliance?

This is where Mobile Content Management (MCM) comes in…

The Rising Imperative for MCM Solutions

Consider these trends:

  • 73% of organizations already support Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policies for mobile access (Cisco)
  • Bad actors release over 1 million new mobile malware packages every year (PurpleSec)
  • 53% of companies had a mobile security breach attempt over the past year (Verizon)

This new normal demands a Modern Workplace where your teams can securely access tools, data and apps from any device, anywhere.

Simultaneously, you need complete visibility and control to minimize business risk as devices leave your corporate network.

This is what Mobile Content Management (MCM) enables.

What Exactly is MCM?

MCM refers to a category of software solutions that:

  • Secure corporate documents and data across mobile devices
  • Control access to this content based on granular policies
  • Remotely manage data on devices even when they are offline

MCM platforms achieve this by working with Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM) tools that connect and safeguard mobile endpoints like smartphones, laptops and tablets.

Enterprise-Mobility-Management-Solutions

MCM platforms integrate with broader Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM) tools (Image source: CMSWire)

Together they provide capabilities spanning:

  • Multi-platform support across iOS, Android, Windows 10
  • Context-aware access controls checks based on user, device, location, network signals
  • Granular document permissions to balance productivity and risks
  • Encryption, containerization and data loss prevention
  • Analytics on usage, threats and user behavior

This gives IT leaders a robust toolkit to embrace digital transformation securely while preventing leakage of sensitive information.

According to MarketsandMarkets, the MCM market size is projected to grow from $2.1 billion in 2020 to $11.3 billion by 2025 at an astonishing CAGR of 41.3% as more distributed and mobile initiatives take hold across sectors.

Introducing MCM Client Apps

MCM solutions provide a management portal to define security policies and access rules. These are enforced using MCM agents aka MCM clients installed on each mobile device.

Think of MCM clients as secure mobile browsers tailored for enterprise access needs. Based on central policies, these apps become the gateway for users to:

  • Search, browse and edit corporate documents
  • Annotate and collaborate on sensitive files
  • Securely sync content from cloud storage systems
  • Connect to intranet sites and tools

MCM-Client-Capabilities

MCM Client App Secures Access and Enables Productivity (Image source: Orchestra)

The MCM client applies context-aware rules to dynamically control document interactions based on:

  • Authorized user identity and role
  • Endpoint security posture assessments
  • Content sensitivity labels
  • Access context like location, network etc.

This enables productive mobile usage while limiting business risk.

Why Are MCM Clients Valuable?

Let‘s explore key advantages driving adoption of MCM client apps across enterprises:

1. Unified Data Security

MCM clients enforce centralized data loss prevention (DLP) policies consistently across devices managed via an MCM platform.

Multi-layered security capabilities encompassing identity, access and apps controls radically reduce your breach exposure.

With MCM, you can remotely lock access or wipe content when devices are lost or employees leave. This full lifecycle approach is critical as more mission-critical apps and proprietary data move to mobile scenarios.

2. Frictionless Productivity

PURPOSE BUILT: MCM apps PROVIDE SECURE NATIVE VIEWING, EDITING AND COLLABORATION OF BUSINESS CONTENT ON MOBILE DEVICES. nO NEED FOR USERS TO TOGGLE BETWEEN PERSONAL AND WORK CONTEXTS.

3. Regulatory Compliance

Stringent industry regulations like HIPAA demand strong safeguards around sensitive patient health records. MCM capabilities like encrypted offline storage, remote wipe and copy-paste restrictions address many compliance needs straight out of the box while simplifying audits.

4. Platform Consolidation

MCM clients connect disparate systems across mobile, cloud, SaaS and on-premise environments. This breaks down data siloes and reduces app sprawl.

Through unified controls and policies spanning devices, apps and documents, you move closer to a seamless Modern Workplace.

This enables employee productivity while optimizing costs.

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