Mobile Device Management and Microsoft Exchange
MDM and MS Exchange:
There are many Mobile Device Management (MDM) software options available to companies looking to deploy work phones, tablets, or laptops to their employees. Whether you intend on handing out iOS or Android devices, you need to set up an integration with your Microsoft Exchange Server to roll out user profiles and company data.
Microsoft Exchange allows companies to utilise the features of the Microsoft application suite to empower their employees. Microsoft Intune is available for different customer needs and organization sizes, from a simple-to-use management experience for schools and small businesses, to more advanced functionality required by enterprise customers. Most licenses that include Microsoft Intune also grant the rights to use Microsoft 365 business Premium Endpoint Protection Configuration Manager, as long as the subscription remains active.
For remote and off-premises employees, Microsoft Exchange provides a simple email- and document-focused approach to creating shared business spaces. On its own, however, it does not offer the high levels of device controls that dedicated Mobile Device Management (MDM) software comes with. Best to integrate both.
The level of file sharing and remote work email access offered by MS Exchange or Exchange Online will be enough for many small businesses.
But, for a more complete MDM experience, businesses will opt for the Microsoft 365 Business Standard package.
MS Exchange and MDM - What’s the Difference?
Whether it's a matter of security updates or locking a company cell phone in the event of loss, external access to the mobile devices in circulation among employees is necessary for security reasons alone.
Microsoft Exchange, ActiveSync, and the company's mobile device management system work hand in hand to achieve this. But what does that mean exactly? Let's take a closer look at this somewhat complicated-looking construct: Exchange ActiveSync is the protocol that connects mobile devices to the managing Exchange server.
Among other things, the Exchange server stores employee emails, tasks and calendars via the respective email account. Basically, this data can be accessed via ActiveSync, via IMAP or via POP. The company's Exchange Online MDM software docks onto this and, based on these accesses, enables device distribution within the framework of COPE (corporate-owned, personally enabled) or COBO (corporate-owned, business only) allocation models.
Microsoft Exchange: On-Premise or Online Solution?
Exchange is a viable option for many companies. There are basically two options: using an on-premise Exchange server or the “Exchange Online” solution.
For businesses that require only on-premises device management, Exchange Online is not necessary. Instead, devices can connect directly to the Exchange Server and are managed via the Configuration Manager console.
While Exchange Online by itself does not provide complete control over an employee’s company-issued device, it does provide a secure pathway to the Exchange Server, on which company emails, documents, and shared spaces can be accessed.
Microsoft 365 Business Standard includes:
-All Exchange Online features
-Full Microsoft Office mobile and desktop apps as standard
-Custom email address
-Video conferencing for up to 250 participants
Exchange ActiveSync
Exchange ActiveSync is the means by which mobile devices can access information stored on your company’s Exchange Server, even when they’re offline. Any employee or manager with an Exchange mailbox can synchronise their account with their mobile devices using this tool, but IT heads have the ability to restrict individual users and devices as well as device types more broadly.
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