Smartphones are everywhere these days and it’s growing common for a household to have at least two if not more smart devices lying around. Businesses are starting to depend on smartphones to get more work done while away from the desk or if required to be on the go.
Takeaway:
If the admin of the mobile device manager we are going to tell you about below is able to stay on top of servicing the managed phones one could prevent a buildup of unused apps, secure and track devices as necessary all from the convenience of a web browser. You can’t always rely on the user to keep their smartphone or tablet secure at all times. Sometimes it’s out of their control and a phone goes missing or gets stolen. After a while and with little upkeep, a smartphone can become low on usable storage space and it could start to cause problems.
What is the 3CX Mobile Device Manager and what does it do?
The 3CX Mobile Device Manager is a suite of tools that when accompanied with the mobile app gives the admin a large amount of control over registered devices. 3CX Mobile Device Manager allows one account to support up to five Android or iOS device for free, making it a very affordable option for families or small businesses. The thing to remember when using this management tool is that you do not have a mobile interface to mess with. Users install the mobile client and basically forget about it. The most use of this service comes from the web interface or a local version for enterprise instances. With some simple configurations like requiring a password to unlock and some geographical tweaking a user’s phone can become a fortress for the handling of internal information and location reporting tool for added value to the company or just a happy parent.
The mobile device manager offers an app for two major mobile operating platforms, Android and iOS which means the office can quickly save some money by rolling out a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) strategy or the trusted family techie can easily support the whole family and look slick doing it. Not to worry if you do not see your OS in this review, because we discovered the group behind this service is working on a Windows 7 & 8 app.
Some of the primary actions on a selected device are listed below:
- Assign phones to groups for organization and easier management in a work environment.
- Distribute text messages, web addresses, or physical addresses to users.
- Remotely lock a device to prevent tampering.
- Remotely wipe a device if the prevent any company information from being retrieved.
Setup process:
Install and setup was pretty simple. Registration required authorization (by the service provider) and then approval (by me). Adding devices is very easy, even for remote users. Simply have them add the account name and the administrator has a device listed in the pending approval section of the management console. I downloaded the app first by going to the Google Play Store and searching for “3CX mobile device manager.” I followed the steps to register for an account and waited a short while for the new account to be approved, and then I went to the web interface on a PC to approve my first device. I registered other devices by installing the app, adding my account name, and approving each device through the web interface.
The steps for installing on an Apple device are a little different, but not too complicated for the average iPhone user.
If you prefer you can issue an invitation to install the app to your users instead of going the traditional route and having a user go to the Play or App Store to download the mobile client.
Functionality:
During my evaluation I used 3CX MDM to make sure my wife traveled safely during her daily three hour round-trip journeys to school and back. I sent some basic messages to several devices, searched my call history to find the number to a business contact when my phone was in a different room. I performed a little bit of space clean up on my wife’s phone since she doesn’t usually have the time to keep up with it. The thing to remember when using this management tool is that you do not have a mobile interface to mess with. Users install the mobile client and basically forget about it. The most use of this service comes from the web interface or a local version for enterprise instances.
While in the web interface, you find your most useful services are the tabs in the middle of the page after you select Devices from the panel on the left. You can see a map with location of all your approved devices, detailed information about the phone like IMEI, IP, and which version the operating system is on, you can see a list of all the apps installed on a phone or add apps from three different sources, you can view the location and call history, enforce group policies, and you can even request the list of wireless access points the device has stored.
For personal use this is a great tool to support your family. As a matter of fact, I am going to use this to assist family members all over the US. Both of my parents use Android phones, my brother and sisters have iPhones and when I am home I am like their personal consultant for application management and best methods of use. Another way the mobile device manager will work for me is I can install useful apps I want my wife to try, because I sometimes have a hard time remembering to get her to install them or she may not be that motivated to download it herself.
For business use 3CX MDM can be used to track phones loaded with internal corporate documents if they go missing or to manage a set of private mobile applications developed in house or specifically for the company. For use in the office, this is an all-in-one package that requires little setup and gets an administrator up and running very quickly. For those managing a mobile workforce, 3CX MDM can be used to review traveled paths and help adjust travel patterns for better fuel efficiency if needed.
Likes / Dislike:
I noticed my phone’s GPS became way more active during the review, but I read that this can be disable only to rely on the mobile network for tracking which will preserve more battery juice. My primary phone used sacrificed about 16 MB of data; eight on WiFi and eight on my mobile network for the good of the management tool and I have to say that I did not notice a big bump in battery usage.
I like how easy the 3CX Mobile Device Manager was to setup and I almost had an opportunity to use the service to track my wife’s phone, because she left it on a bench at school the same day I installed the mobile client on her phone. When she realized it was missing she traced her steps only to find out that someone had turned it in to the lost and found and after giving a description of her phone she was able to retrieve it.
One thing that bothered me was the timeout rate on the web interface, because I kept my browser open most of the day, but when I went back to my tab with the manager on it I had to log back in before I could check on the status of my users. I would like to see a mobile management option where the admin could use a phone or tablet to keep an eye on the active mobile clients instead of being refined to a web browser. Another feature I felt was missing was notifications. I half way expected to get a notification when I had a device pending activation, but unless I checked my browser I had no way of knowing. I did read that there are more options in a paid service and I think this was included.
Closing:
The time I spent reviewing the 3CX Mobile Device Manager was an enlightening experience. I am very intrigued with the growing popularity of the BYOD concept. Securing and managing the new work space is a challenge that a company needs to consider before allowing users to receive corporate email or store work related documents on a personal mobile device. Whether you are the techie of the home of the mobile device admin at the office; 3CX Mobile Device Manger is a great tool with quick roll out options to lock down and track your family members or mobile users. There are other tools on the market that allow you to track and remote wipe a device, but this is the first I have used that offers multiple device support with a single account.
Source: 3CX Mobile Device Manager
