Mobile application management (MAM) software manages the security of company data accessed via a mobile device by delivering to and managing enterprise software on users’ smartphones and tablets. Though named similarly to mobile device management (MDM) software, which focuses on the administration and management of an employee’s entire device, MAM software focuses on the applications on that device.
Mobile application management tools aligns an employee’s mobile device to corporate IT policies by allowing employers to transparently install and maintain corporate-specific applications without impacting usability on both personal and corporate devices. MAM solutions offers the user more granular control over their own device while at the same time allowing admins to create a catalog of safe, corporate-approved apps for employees to download. Some MAM platforms provide a platform for admins to track app downloads and ongoing usage, as well as to audit device settings. MAM software can integrate with MDM tools so that administrators can handle application deployment and updates.
To qualify for inclusion in the Mobile Application Management (MAM) category, a product must:
Cordon off corporate applications from personal ones
Control the provisioning, updating, and removing of mobile applications via an enterprise application store
Monitor app performance and usage
Remotely wipe data from company-specific applications
Require user authentication before access to applications
Allow IT administrators to secure, encrypt, and control mobile apps from a unified platform
