Adding value beyond device selection – the true worth of a specialist MSP

It may be stating the obvious to say that technology continues to evolve rapidly.

Advances in capability and functionality abound in every facet of technology, both at home and in the workplace, claiming to offer us faster connection, better and more secure access to data, and new or improved ways to communicate.

What that means is that even the most well-informed experts will find it almost impossible to keep pace with every development and update in every type of technology, particularly those outside their own specific areas of responsibility and expertise.

That’s especially the case when it comes to in-house IT.

Typically, trained IT professionals will have their finger on the pulse when it comes to updates to cloud-based technologies such as Windows 365. Ensuring laptops and other computers are updated and functional so that colleagues, whether office-based or remote, can get on with their key tasks, is very much their bread and butter.

The challenge comes when these IT teams are tasked with looking after an organisation’s mobile devices too, usually on the basis that it’s all ‘tech’.

Mobile devices these days are not limited to smartphones; tablets and other devices are in widespread use across a vast array of sectors and applications. The fact is that most IT specialists are not experts in mobile technology too, and nor should they be expected to be.

Mobile device management is a specialist field and needs to be treated as such, meaning it needs to be undertaken by specialists who operate in that field all the time.

After all, you wouldn’t ask your HR team to write press releases, or your health & safety manager to run your monthly payroll.

And the need for specialism is heightened when it’s remembered that mobile technology moves on far more quickly than PC and laptops too.

Major updates from Microsoft generally take place only every few years. There’s plenty of time to prepare and mitigate the impact.

But things are very different in the mobile world. Apple releases new iPhone generations almost annually, often with several versions in each platform, each claiming to offer breakthroughs in performance and functionality in different areas. So there are regular decisions to be made about when, and whether, to upgrade. And of course, this rapid evolution isn’t limited to Apple. Android also release major OS updates annually, while Android manufacturers then have their own patch releases, some as often as monthly.

This is where a specialist provider of mobile device management (MDM) services can save time and money, provide peace of mind, and add real business value, while freeing up internal IT resources to focus on core business systems, projects, and strategy.

Specialist managed service providers (MSPs) typically handle Android, iOS, Windows, and rugged devices, making them a true “one-stop shop” for mixed-fleet environments. They are generally vendor-neutral too, allowing them to advise on the best MDM platform for your needs, not just what internal teams are familiar with.

Most MSPs also typically have refined processes and scripts for mass deployments, reducing delays and configuration errors. They’ll also often maintain licences for top-tier tools and integrations that might be too costly or complex for internal teams to manage on their own.

MSPs stay current with industry compliance and best practices such as ISO and GDPR – reducing the risk of misconfigurations or audits. And their direct relationships with MDM vendors such as SOTI, 42Gears and Microsoft gives them faster access to Tier 2 and 3 support, as well as lower costs than an internal IT team would be able to access.

And with their experience across a broad range of client environments, MSPs typically diagnose and resolve issues more efficiently than in-house teams with narrower exposure.

The flexibility and scalability are far greater too. Internal IT might enrol one device at a time, but an MSP can ship multiple devices pre-enrolled, provisioned, and staged, ready to use with “True Zero Touch”. They can also manage version rollouts (OS updates, app releases, and so on) in a controlled, staged way, minimising risk and ensuring compatibility across all devices.

All of this is based on vast experience with the likes of Zero-Touch, KME, or Apple ADE, meaning an MSP can provide systems that work out-of-the-box, tested across thousands of devices and configurations. And for those clients managing multiple sub-organisations, an MSP can structure your MDM with proper separation, policies and reporting.

MSPs continually refine configurations based on device performance, user feedback, and vendor updates, ensuring long-term health. A further advantage comes when it comes to harnessing the full benefits of ‘kiosk mode’. This is a feature which restricts a device (like a computer, tablet, or phone) to a specific application or set of applications, whatever is actually needed by the user for their role.

Internal IT teams can often enable kiosk mode, but MSPs can provide a fully branded kiosk user interface, as well as dynamic kiosks for field workers, updated remotely and even Lost & Stolen kiosks.

Clear performance commitments (for example around response and resolution times) ensure accountability for the MSP, something which is hard to guarantee with internal teams.

In short, with tools, processes, and expertise already in place, MSPs can get your MDM solution delivering value far faster than if you built everything from scratch internally.

If you’d like to know more about how this can work for you, then please get in touch!