Mobile devices are a critical part of your organization's strategy. Whether supporting corporate hardware or managing the use of the new BYOD policy, IT departments need the right tools to manage phones, tablets, laptops and hybrid devices. This is where mobile device management (MDM) software comes into play. Installé sur chaque appareil et lie à une application d'administration centrale based on a server, MDM doit permettre aux équipes informatiques de surveillance les autorisations, de contrôler l'accès des utilisateurs, de suivre l'emplacement des appareils, de superviser les applications installées , and more. There are several MDM suites available for forward-thinking companies. Among them is Systems Manager, one of the business-focused tools of the Cisco Meraki family. Providing laptop delivery, monitoring and security across your organization and beyond, does Systems Manager have what you need to monitor your team's mobile hardware? This exam will assess the features and other aspects of Systems Manager to help you decide if it provides the MDM tools you need.
Cisco Meraki Systems Manager enables organizations to provision new devices, monitor and protect laptops and smartphones (Image credit: Cisco)
Features
The main goal of MDM software is to ensure that all mobile devices work safely, securely and optimally. To this end, Cisco Meraki Systems Manager offers customizable security policies, certificate-based logging, and can manage encryption. Device settings, apps, and content access can be managed, privileges can be revoked for policy violations, and diagnostic tools help with troubleshooting and device management. Meanwhile, third-party cloud apps can be blocked (or disabled on BYOD devices) to protect corporate data. Profiles can be configured for the hardware and a variety of settings can be managed, from blocking screenshots and using the camera to disabling untrusted games and apps. Cisco Meraki Systems Manager monitoring and tracking tools allow you to remotely view the location of the device, as well as remotely wipe it if it is lost. You can see the network a device is connected to, current battery charge and encryption status, as well as useful information such as update status and remaining storage. As with most MDM solutions today, Cisco Meraki Systems Manager also works on desktop computers.
Installation and configuration
Cisco Meraki Systems Manager requires installation on your corporate network with dedicated hardware (see below). From this server, mobile device administrators can access the organization's cloud-based control panel. Registration can be done in three ways: fully automated, partially automated, and manual. Fully automated enrollment prevents the process from being cancelled, but this method is only compatible with iOS and macOS devices that are eligible for Apple's Device Enrollment Program. Partially automated registration offers broader support and is supervised by a technician or end user. Apple devices that are not part of DEP can use this method, as can Android hardware. Registration involves installing System Manager on the device, as well as applications, settings, and access controls. Manual enrollment puts the process in the hands of the end user, which may be preferable if MDM is a new development in your operation. Suitable for BYOD agreements, it requires the Systems Manager Network ID to be available to the end user for registration via a dedicated website.
Cisco Meraki Systems Manager works with Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Chrome OS devices (Image credit: Cisco)
Compatibility
An MDM system capable of managing and auditing all mobile hardware needs to support multiple operating systems. Cisco Meraki Systems Manager supports Android and Chrome OS, iOS mobiles, Windows tablets, laptops, and hybrids, as well as desktops and macOS. In addition, Systems Manager can operate on any network, be it an internal corporate infrastructure (intranet), the Internet, and even the mobile Internet. So your organization's mobile devices can be managed from anywhere. These devices may receive software patches, new security policies, and record important usage, access, and location data.
Cisco Meraki Systems Manager provides a wealth of information about an organization's devices, including their location, operating system, and recently installed applications (Image credit: Cisco)
Amiability
Since Cisco Meraki Systems Manager can be deployed with minimal impact to the end user, the usability factor is purely from the perspective of the MDM administrator. The registration screen is organized by device type for ease of use, while the device management screen can display version, operating system, device location, etc. The location is displayed thanks to the integration with Google Maps. Device security controls are also available and easy to find, along with profile configuration tools. Overall, the user interface can best be described as functional, rather than boasting the cutting-edge intuitive workflow of some competing MDMs. He feels right at home in the Cisco Meraki family, of course.
Although you will need to contact Cisco for a quote, a free trial is available on their website (Image credit: Cisco)
Award
Cisco Meraki Systems Manager relies on your organization having Cisco Meraki hardware and network infrastructure already in place. As such, the costs of adopting Systems Manager could be astronomical if Meraki is not already in use on your premises. Systems Manager is an additional €40/year per management system on top of existing Cisco Meraki license agreement. In terms of device management, this is extremely favorable. Most MDM services offer a standard license of around €5 per device per month. Obviously having a pre-installed Cisco Meraki environment is a huge plus. However, given the costs of moving to Meraki from its current network configuration, implementing Systems Manager seems prohibitive unless other migrations have been considered and approved. Optimal operation requires MX dongles, MS switches, and MR wireless LAN hardware.
Final verdict
Though feature-rich, Cisco Meraki Systems Manager offers its collection of smart mobile device management tools through an unattractive user interface. The useful registration options trump this somewhat, but some aspects of the admin UI seem somewhat related (for example, the device location screen). However, Cisco is a trusted name and Cisco Meraki has a good reputation. As such, there is a lot to consider. However, the heavy reliance on Cisco hardware makes adoption costly, both in terms of the financial cost and the additional time to implement the new hardware.