Security, Fast Deployment and Managed Services – the Benefits of Using the Cloud for MDM; Interview with Amtel CEO Pankaj Gupta Part II

In the arena of mobile data storage a business has a few options. In choosing which solution is best a company may ask itself, “Is keeping data on premises or putting it in the cloud more cost-effective?” and “Do we feel comfortable using the cloud for our storage needs?” During my first installment with Amtel, Inc. CEO, Pankaj Gupta, we chatted about how companies can adopt an open attitude in the corporate world of bring your own device (BYOD). Now, in my second segment with Amtel’s CEO, we discuss the benefits of storing data in the cloud, how secure cloud storage really is, and how accepting midmarket companies and larger enterprises are of putting their data in the cloud.

Howard: Amtel can deploy in both a cloud and/or a hybrid model delivery solution?
Pankaj: Correct. The predominant data is still in the cloud where the business can get in. Amtel has a virtual appliance that sits behind the corporate firewall in the company.
Howard: How is Mobile Data Management (MDM) in the cloud gaining acceptance? I am hearing differing viewpoints.
Pankaj: That is a good question. When a company talks about 50,000 lines and deployments, they look at the cost of on-premises deployment versus putting it in the cloud. The cloud is gaining a lot of traction. We see even in the government space they are moving toward the cloud. Also Office 365 is getting traction.
The cloud is getting a lot of midmarket business which have been some of the first to move. Midmarket does not have to maintain a lot of servers; too expensive. It is not cheap paying full-time employees to manage Apple or Android related services, certificates and updates. A midmarket company will has at least one or two Apple updates per year while Android will require multiple updates per year. If a company is putting everything on the premises, it is a very expensive proposition. Bigger companies can still do this – the economy of scale. But the mid companies are moving toward the cloud and seeing the most value.
Howard: Is Amtel seeing movement from larger enterprises going to the cloud?
Pankaj: Larger enterprises are opening up to the cloud. For instance, Amtel recently signed a large oil company. I was surprised actually, when I found out the company was moving everything to the Office 365 environment. The company has 25,000 employees worldwide, so they adopted the system. Once the company started moving bigger data onto the cloud there was the initial fear of insecurity. I think that feeling does go away when everything else opens up. So that particular company mentioned is now adopting an MDM and Mobile Applications Management (MAM) solution on the cloud. And they feel very comfortable.
Because we also have integration to Office 365, we can make all the emails secure on the mobile devices, etc. for such companies. It is just a matter of time when most of the servers – big company servers – move over to the cloud.

Howard: Fear is the biggest challenge?
Pankaj: Correct.

Howard: Any steps to help customers choose what is right for them, whether a hybrid or a cloud solution?
Pankaj: Yes. First of all, Amtel does not put a company’s data into a public cloud. Our cloud is private. We have built on rack space, which is Statements on Standards for Attestation Engagements (SSAE) type certified. Therefore, all the security requirements are very well taken care. The client gets the benefit of cloud and hybrid: Fast deployment, security and all the managed services. Amtel also has a virtual appliance on the company site. Amtel can integrate a company’s Active Directory and Exchange ActiveSync through that virtual appliance or to the cloud. That way, we can real time manage the information on the devices.
At the same time a company can keep the cost low. That is Amtel’s preferred way of giving our mobile device and apps management solution to our clients.

Howard: Can Amtel provide a single sign onto the cloud?
Pankaj: Correct.

Howard: Amtel is Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML) 2.0 compliant, would that be fair to say?
Pankaj: Right.

Howard: Do you provide any type of SSAE 16 Service Organization Controls (SOC) 1 or SOC 3 type data center report?
Pankaj: Yes. We provide SSAE type 2, the SOC 2.
In Part I of this interview series, we talked about how companies can adopt an open attitude in the corporate world of BYOD.
In Part III
of this interview series, we discussed the aspects of a company
implementing Mobile Data Management MDM for bring your own devices
(BYODs).
In Part IV, we will discuss how the
combination of MDM, MAM and the cloud make for smooth mobile management
for willing businesses.