Our customer came to us and asked if there was a viable replacement for the current MDM. Their primary requirement was to support S/MIME email which allows transport of signed and/or encrypted email from a mobile device. In the span of two weeks, ActioNet was asked to deliver the best solution, after evaluating leading vendors and their ability to effectively achieve the requirements on time and on budget.
The Project
ActioNet was tasked with investigating the various software solutions for the MDM. All of the technologies ActioNet researched manage the Apple, Windows and Android devices in the same way due to the API’s which are open allowing management of the mobile devices. All of the vendors incorporated Mobile Application Management into their solutions as well. Some offered better tools than others to “mobilize” applications for use on such devices. Storefronts were also offered which allow the agency to purchase and push those approved applications to the users’ devices or users can download approved applications by visiting the agency app store.
In addition, ActioNet was asked to investigate BYOD and needed a FIPS certified container to protect the agency data at rest and in transit on the device. This would allow personal devices onto the agency network but keep the data separate from personal applications, email, photos, etc.
The MDM capability needed to be able to wipe the entire device and/or the secure container. ActioNet also investigated the GeoFencing capability which would allow an agency to manage a device based on proximity. For example, should a user enter a SCIF or secure conference room the capability would disable the user’s Wi-Fi, camera, voice recording, etc. until the individual left the secured area.
The Solution
We began by looking into Gartner Magic Quadrant in the Leadership category for MDM software solutions. We invited all of the vendors in for demonstrations, wrote a requirements document for the Agency, reached out to other civilian and DoD agencies to gather input and decided on a viable candidate to pilot.
We chose to pilot MaaS 360 due to the small footprint needed, single Windows 2008 Server and its a cloud-based solution providing SaaS to the Agency. MaaS 360 is currently the only MDM vendor which will be FEDRamp JAB, certified MODERATE. This allows ANY agency with a MDM moderate qualification to leverage the MaaS 360 FEDRamp documents and incorporate them into the agency C&A for an MDM system that ranks a FIPS MODERATE.
Further, ActioNet offered full ActioNetCloud®, a service-oriented approach to meeting customer Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM) Requirements. It focuses on virtualized cloud-based solutions that provide Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA) authorized security and FEDRamp certification that an Agency can leverage to meet their mobility requirements.
Utilizing our proven methodology, ActioNet was able to meet this challenge and deliver a fully developed requirements document in response to this need. Most agencies simply do not have the resources to research, procure, and implement mobility solutions in today’s changing mobile environment. ActioNet assists the customer with establishing the connections from the Mobile Device Management (MDM) solution into their network and obtaining their Security Assessment and Authorization (SA&A). Additionally, ActioNet works with the customer to implement ITIL based service desk management, either integrated with the existing system, or hosted in our ActioNetDesk service desk operations center.
