Before comparing MDM options, agree three things inside your organisation: what the fleet actually is (platforms, OS versions, ownership and the tasks devices perform), which workflows are mandatory, optional or out of scope, and what you expect a supplier to own for hosting, support and migration. This checklist helps you write those down in one requirements document for phones and tablets. Every supplier should answer it in writing, per workflow and per platform. Otukan does exactly that, which makes its answers easy to compare and easy to hold to.
Fleet inventory
Record the fleet as it is today and as it will be over the contract period. Numbers can be rough; categories cannot.
Platforms and versions
- Number of Android devices, by manufacturer and model
- Number of iPhones and iPads, by model
- Oldest Android version and oldest iOS or iPadOS version that must stay in service
- Whether Android devices ship with Google Mobile Services, since some Android Enterprise features depend on them
- Other endpoints (laptops, desktops, wearables) and whether they are in scope for this purchase
Android and Apple devices are managed through different frameworks, Android Enterprise and Apple device management, so record them separately. A requirement met on one platform says nothing about the other. Otukan configures and tests each platform on its own terms for the same reason.
Ownership
- Corporate-owned devices issued to one person
- Corporate-owned devices where personal use is allowed
- Personally owned devices that need access to work apps or data
- Shared or single-purpose devices, such as kiosks, scanners or terminals
- Devices your organisation supplies to its own customers
Ownership decides how much control is possible. On personally owned devices both platforms limit administrator reach by design, which protects staff privacy.
Operational tasks
- How devices are bought today, and whether they come through channels that allow automated enrolment
- Which apps must be installed, and whether any are built in-house
- Which settings must be enforced: passcode, encryption, network, certificates, restrictions
- Which remote actions are needed: lock, wipe, restart, locate
- Who administers devices, in how many sites or regions
Requirements matrix
Turn the inventory into a matrix. For each workflow, mark whether it is mandatory, optional or out of scope, and for which platform.
| Workflow | Android | iOS and iPadOS | Notes to record |
|---|---|---|---|
| Automated enrolment for new devices | Purchase channel, reseller, reset needed | ||
| Enrolment of personally owned devices | Privacy expectations, works council or staff consultation | ||
| Policy and restrictions | Minimum OS version for each setting | ||
| App delivery and configuration | Public store, private or in-house apps | ||
| Kiosk and dedicated devices | Single-app or multi-app, exit and recovery needs | ||
| Remote actions | Who may run them, and with what approval | ||
| Inventory and reporting | Which fields, how often, who reads them | ||
| Data location and administration | Hosting, jurisdiction, supplier access |
Fill each cell with M (mandatory), O (optional) or X (out of scope).
- Every mandatory item has an acceptance test you can run on a pilot device
- Every optional item has a reason, so it can be traded off later
- Out-of-scope items are listed, so suppliers do not plan for them
- Requirements are written per platform, never as “mobile” in general
Keep the matrix short. A long list of optional items makes options look alike and hides the few mandatory workflows that decide the choice. Otukan works from this kind of matrix: each mandatory item becomes an acceptance test on your pilot devices.
Supplier responsibilities
A management service can combine a supplier’s own software, integrated products and partner services. Ask who owns each part, and expect a written answer.
Partner and technology ownership
- For each mandatory workflow: built by the supplier, integrated from another product, or delivered by a partner
- Which platform services each workflow depends on, such as Apple’s push notification service
- Where the service is hosted, who operates it, and whether your hosting requirement (for example on-premises) is confirmed in writing
- If you supply devices to customers, the written terms on which you may offer management to them
Otukan states per workflow what it builds and operates and which platform services it relies on, and lets you choose where management data is hosted.
Support
- Who your administrators contact, in which language and hours
- How supplier staff reach your tenant, who approves it and where it is logged
- Who checks management behaviour when a new Android or iOS version is released
With Otukan, support reaches your tenant only with your approval, and each access is logged where your auditors can read it. Otukan checks management behaviour when new Android and iOS versions are released.
Migration
- How devices move from your current management service, and whether each needs a reset or re-enrolment
- Order of migration by group or site, with a rollback plan
- Export and deletion of data at the end of the contract
- Ownership of platform accounts, certificates and tokens used by the service
Otukan plans migration from your current service in staged groups, with a rollback plan for each stage.
For planning a move between services, see MDM migration. Device makers offering management to their customers should read OEM mobile device management. The product overview is mobile device management.