What is the difference between MDM and UEM? 

In your quest to find a device management solution, you’ve probably encountered the terms MDM (mobile device management), UEM (unified endpoint management), and EMM (enterprise mobility management). 

Are these acronyms just jargon for the same thing? Not quite. Let’s explore the similarities and differences between each approach and why UEM might best fit your organization’s needs. 

Types of device management solutions

Evolving business needs are the drivers behind the umbrella of endpoint management solutions available today. MDM, EMM, and UEM all follow the same objectives: monitoring, managing, and securing an organization’s devices. The differences lie in the scope of their management capabilities. 

What is MDM?

MDM (mobile device management) software enables organizations to gain visibility and control over company and privately owned mobile endpoints such as smartphones, tablets, and laptops. MDM platform support varies by product, but there are MDM frameworks for macOS, iPadOS/iOS/TVOS, Windows, Android, and to a lesser degree Chromebooks.

With MDM software, IT teams can…

• Minimize manual configuration of new devices and provision and deploy them remotely.
• Enforce company security and access management policies in a standardized manner.
• Restrict application access to a pre-approved selection and keep apps up to date across the mobile fleet. 
• Remotely wipe sensitive data or lock devices in case they get lost or stolen. 
• Keep an overview of the device fleet through location tracking, usage, and device health monitoring. 

Also read: The Ultimate Guide to Windows MDM 

What is EMM?

EMM (enterprise mobility management), the successor of MDM, initially emerged in the market with the boom of smartphones and the increasing need for organizations to regulate the use of personal devices in the workplace. MDM software didn’t initially support BYOD management, so an opportunity arose for a new mobile management solution. 

EMM software expanded MDM’s scope even further, enabling IT teams to: 

• Roll out and regulate BYOD programs.
• Manage and distribute mobile applications (MAM). 
• Manage and distribute company content (MCM).
• Ensure compliance with established data and cybersecurity standards. 
• Manage user access and verify their identity across their hardware and software fleet.

MDM vs EMM

Despite initially being a device-led solution, MDM software has evolved with changing market demands. Currently, MDM and EMM are used interchangeably to mean the same thing — the more widespread term being MDM.

Modern MDM solutions not only enable device management but also offer features historically reserved for EMM, such as BYOD management or MAM and MCM. So, you could go as far as to say that a difference between MDM and EMM no longer exists.

What is UEM?

UEM (unified endpoint management) is an all-in-one solution for endpoint management. It builds on MDM’s (and EMM’s) capabilities, incorporating all its features, but can expand the scope to include the management of PCs, IoT devices, wearable gadgets (such as smartboards, smartwatches, or smart speakers), and rugged mobile devices across all operating systems. 

By using UEM software, IT teams get to:

• Manage, configure, and secure all company and privately owned devices in one centralized dashboard. 
• Automate IT workflows by integrating different operating systems in a unified console. 
• Leverage more customizability, such as custom scripting and customized scripting and user interactions/workflows.
• Prevent data breaches and potential risks through patch management and self-healing technologies. 

How to choose the right device management software for your organization

Choosing the right device management solution for your organization will depend on your use cases and needs. Considering your needs before procurement is key.  If you have quite simple workflows and requirements an MDM-only solution may be enough for you.  For instance, if you manage only Apple iPads, than an MDM solution would be sufficient.  However, if your environment is more complex, especially for those managing Windows and macOS devices, a UEM (including MDM) is likely a better fit.

You can start by asking yourself:

• What kind of devices does your organization need to manage? Mostly tablets? Do you need to manage smartphones? Or PCs? Other IoT gadgets?
• What is your work setup? Remote or hybrid? Working with kids?
• How many different operating systems do you need to manage? 
• Does your organization have a 1:1 or BYOD technology program?
• What’s the budget for IT management?
• How mature is your organization? How complex is your IT environment?
• How flexible and granular do you need your software to be?

For instance, if you work in a school that provides students with technological devices, you’ll likely want to focus on device restrictions (apps and content), geo-location functionality, classroom enablement, and student self-service capabilities.

As for businesses with a remote or hybrid working style, BYOD is likely to be more of a consideration, with less focus on device restrictions, but more focus on security and patching.  Of course employee self-service is still very important in this vertical. 

Thus, an MDM solution might be the right choice if you’re:

• A K-12 school with a mobile tablet technology program that needs device restrictions, app and content management, and requires identity and access management to ensure the safety of sensitive school data (like student information)
• A streamlined business with 500 tablets in a fleet of delivery vehicles where you want to focus on geo-location, appropriate device restrictions, and likely a company-specific application that you need to keep up-to-date 

However, in the same verticals, more complex environments may find that UEM (including MDM) is a much better fit if:

• You are a school with the same content, app, and access management needs for tablets as above but your device fleet also includes PCs in the library, smart boards in the classrooms, and tablets or laptops for students and staff members
• You are a business with that same remote fleet, but you are also ISO compliant or have a need to prove system status for a cyber-security policy that also encompasses the PCs in the back-office environment.  In such an environment you are much more likely to have granular data and compliance needs that only a UEM solution can provide.  

Remember that if your current setup only includes tablets but you know that more devices, like a few PCs, might soon join your fleet, it’s worth considering a scalable endpoint management solution that will grow with you as your IT needs evolve. That would be, of course, UEM. 

So, when should you choose MDM vs UEM?

• MDM is the ideal solution for companies and schools with simple use cases that need to automate IT workflows related to mobile devices. 

UEM is the best choice for companies and schools with complex and growing IT setups, including mobile devices, PCs, and IoT hardware, as well as access, identity, content, and application management needs.

Why UEM is the superior device management solution

There’s a time and place to choose MDM as your device management solution. But we believe UEM will almost always be a better bang for your buck. Here’s why. 

• You can manage all kinds of devices in one place: Regardless of the type of endpoint you introduce in your organization —from smartphones to tablets, laptops, PCs, and whatever else you can imagine— with a UEM solution, you’ll be able to manage them all in a single interface. This simplifies and eases the workload of IT administrators.
• Implement more robust security measures: Since you can manage and configure all your devices in a single platform, you can also ensure the same security measures across all devices. You can stay on top of any risks or threats to sensitive data and guarantee compliance with identity and access management policies across the board.
• You can manage multiple operating systems simultaneously: A diverse device fleet comes with a diversity of operating systems, such as macOS, iOS, Android, ChromeOS, Windows, and Linux. With UEM, you get access to seamless cross-platform management. UEM solutions typically provide some degree of cross-platform support, but what operating systems are covered does very from solution to solution.
• Ensure infinite scalability as your business grows: An organization’s tech needs are ever-evolving. It could be that the student body keeps growing, and you need to find new ways to grant access to technology. It could be that a bigger IT budget gets approved, and you can acquire a broader spectrum of devices. Regardless of the reasons behind your growth, you need to partner up with a provider that can scale alongside you — and that’d be UEM.

Stay on top of your devices with FileWave

Now that you know whether you’re in the MDM or UEM software market, it’s time to find a service provider that ticks all the boxes you require. 

FileWave is your one-stop shop for all your device management needs, from essential mobile management to highly customizable endpoint management — all in one platform. 

Unlock the power of Unified Endpoint Management with FileWave:

• Manage thousands of devices across multiple operating systems. 
• Safely distribute software and company content from anywhere to anywhere. 
• Forget about manually troubleshooting devices thanks to self-healing and booster technologies that automatically repair and reinstall corrupted software.
• Leverage affordable pricing adjusted to your IT needs. 

Ready to optimize your device management? Try out FileWave for free.