What You Need to Know About MDM
Over the past two decades, mobile devices have become mission‑critical tools across nearly every industry. In fact, Worldmetrics estimates that 65% of the global workforce uses mobile devices for work.
As device fleets grow, systems and tools become integrated and cyber threats intensify. As a result, organizations must use Mobile Device Management (MDM) software to maintain visibility, security and operational control. Yet despite the growing reliance on mobility solutions, only 40% of organizations currently use MDM, leaving a significant portion of endpoints unmanaged.
By understanding the advantages of MDM – and how they benefit specific industries – businesses can better secure endpoints, simplify administrative tasks and improve both backend and frontline productivity across their environments.
This blog showcases in practice how the following key industries can use MDM to optimize their device fleet:
Diving into the Benefits of MDM Across Key Industries
As mobile device fleets continue to grow, organizations without an MDM solution will face increasing operational challenges and security risks. For example, millions of mobile attacks occur each month, and the majority (83%) of phishing attacks specifically target mobile devices. Without centralized management and visibility, businesses will struggle to secure sensitive data, maintain device performance and support users efficiently.
So, how do MDM tools help mitigate these risks? Explore through real-world cases how effective MDM tools helped to enhance the operational efficiency of businesses within three key industries.
Benefits of MDM in Transportation & Logistics
The benefits of MDM are particularly valuable in fast‑moving transportation and logistics (T&L) environments, where device downtime can delay operations, impact productivity and disrupt customer service.
A strong example is iDC Logistics (iDC), a third‑party logistics provider supporting major carriers across retail, consumer electronics, food and beverage and industrial sectors.
The Challenge
iDC struggled with minimal device visibility, manual device configuration, slow troubleshooting, costly onsite support visits and limited insight into battery health and app usage. These challenges created unnecessary downtime and made mitigating mobile device risk increasingly difficult.
The Solution
To improve operational efficiency, iDC implemented SOTI MobiControl XS – a solution powered by the combination of SOTI MobiControl and SOTI XSight. It provided:
Real‑time device visibility
Remote troubleshooting and support
Faster device enrollment and configuration
Battery and app performance analytics
Improved incident management workflows
The Results
With SOTI MobiControl XS, iDC significantly reduced device downtime and improved operational efficiency:
Troubleshooting times dropped from days to one hour or less.
Device configuration time decreased from one hour to approximately 10 minutes.
IT teams eliminated the need for onsite visits, reducing travel time and support costs.
Employees experienced fewer operational disruptions.
This real‑world example demonstrates the measurable benefits MDM provides T&L through improved visibility, remote support and centralized device management.
Learn more in the full iDC Logistics customer story.
Benefits of MDM in Healthcare
In healthcare environments where every moment is critical, even minor device disruptions can slow workflows, delay access to patient information and increase pressure on frontline staff. An MDM benefits healthcare organizations by maintaining secure, reliable and always‑available mobile operations.
For instance, The Steve Holmes Group is a North American organization that helps hospitals optimize MEDITECH software and trains staff on Zebra mobile devices.
The Challenge
The Steve Holmes Group struggled with several issues, including time‑consuming device upgrades, excessive travel for onsite support, slow device turnaround times, limited remote troubleshooting capabilities and concerns around deployment complexity and ongoing support.
These challenges increased costs, prolonged downtime and created operational inefficiencies for both healthcare staff and IT teams.
The Solution
The Steve Holmes Group implemented SOTI MobiControl to centralize device control, improve operational efficiency and enable IT to:
Update and troubleshoot devices remotely
Seamlessly configure and deploy devices
Improve onboarding
Automate provisioning
The Results
After implementation of SOTI MobiControl, the Steve Holmes Group saw significant improvements in operational efficiency, device uptime and costs.
Hospitals saved more than $8,500 USD per device for configuration upgrades and staff training.
Device deployment time was reduced from several hours to less than 10 minutes via remote setup.
Device downtime decreased significantly.
Healthcare teams experienced improved onboarding and faster support.
This example shows how MDM can help healthcare organizations reduce operational friction while improving device management, support and mobility.
Read the full Steve Holmes Group customer story here.
Benefits of MDM in Retail
Retail organizations rely on devices to support inventory management, payment processing, employee communication and customer experience. An effective MDM helps retailers maintain visibility, security and operational consistency across every store location.
Let’s explore Cheap as Chips, an Australian discount retailer that operates more than 50 stores across regional and metropolitan locations.
The Challenge
Cheap as Chips implemented over 100 devices across its stores. Due to the logistical challenges surrounding managing technology over such a dispersed workforce, it needed a solution with remote support and troubleshooting capabilities.
This company struggled with:
Limited visibility into device health and performance
Difficulty troubleshooting devices remotely
Complex device deployment and maintenance processes
Ongoing security and update requirements
Without centralized management, maintaining device performance and supporting stores efficiently required extensive time, effort and financial support.
The Solution
With a focus on improved visibility and simplified device management, Cheap as Chips implemented SOTI MobiControl, which enabled:
Centralized device management across all stores
Remote support and troubleshooting capabilities
Device monitoring and performance visibility
Security policy enforcement and data protection
Full lifecycle management from deployment to retirement
The Results
With the help of SOTI MobiControl, Cheap as Chips improved operational efficiency and strengthened device oversight across its retail environment:
IT teams can monitor and resolve issues remotely.
Device security and compliance were improved.
Device downtime and disruptions decreased.
Support became more efficient and cost‑effective.
This example illustrates how retailers can leverage MDM to improve support, streamline management and maintain secure, reliable device operations across every location.
Check out the full Cheap as Chips customer story.
Conclusion
According to market research, the Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM) market reached $37.5 billion in 2026 and is projected to surpass $90 billion by 2030. By implementing modern mobility solutions, businesses can elevate and streamline their mobile operations, maximize their ROI and reduce device downtime.
Solutions like SOTI MobiControl give organizations total visibility and control over any device, any form factor and any operating system, making business mobility easy and minimizing downtime.
Check out this blog to compare top MDM solutions and find the one that’s right for your business-critical needs.
Ready to see how MDM can improve your mobile operations? Book a demo today.
