Cisco offers Meraki Systems Manager (SM), an enterprise mobility management platform supporting the monitoring, provisioning and securing of mobile devices across an enterprise network.
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IBM MaaS360
Score 8.5 out of 10
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IBM MaaS360 is a mobile security offering developed by Fiberlink, acquired and owned by IBM since early 2014.
The free tier of Meraki SM was excellent and we used it for a few years. We now use the paid version. Meraki SM is excellent for schools that need to manage large amounts of iPads without needing to maintain physical contact with them. We are a small primary school on a single site however Meraki SM is able to handle larger sites. Devices are able to be configured so that the permissions are automatically set depending on the current user, or the current location. This allows for excellent customization. In my experience, Meraki SM works best when used with iPads. It does have some features for managing other devices but I have not used it for this.
Enrolling bulk devices through the Device Enrollment Program (DEP) is simple, straightforward, and quick. Multiple methods for device enrollment are available, including barcode scanning, email, and manual entry via the platform. App synchronization between Apple Business Manager (ABM) and the MaaS360 platform occurs swiftly. Additionally, app distribution and removal are efficiently managed on the platform.
Currently the application addition to Meraki has gone through some changes that make it not as user friendly as it used to be but has improved some areas of the function such as easy of deployment.
It would be nice to have the ability to reset a users password from the control panel. This function is currently missing.
Some of the navigation within the panel is not the best. It is a little obscure at times where you need to go for certain functions. For instance, to manage users, instead of a nav feature just saying, Manager Users, you have to know to click on a link simply called, "General". This could be improved.
After attempts to reset a passcode sometimes a phone will become disabled. When a phones IOS is locked their is no way to successfully send a passcode without wiping the phone
Need an easier way to change the email if you create it wrong and the phone is already deployed. Sometimes the selective wipe does not always work as it should.
Rock solid solution with highly accessible support when needed. We do not want to interact with MaaS360 on a daily basis but when an issue occurs we are always able to find resolution due to the various support resources we have access to
It has is easy to use overall and is very powerful. The learning curve for the system is very small and I have found it easy to train members of our team to use it. It can fit any size organization and the support is excellent. The ROI is well worth it. If you have a multiplatform ecosystem, this tool is near perfect.
Having years of experience with MDM and experiencing the evolution of the granularity of the functionality MDM's have had to evolve, no MDM is ever "easy" to use. MaaS360 rises to the top however, because zero day changes are always ahead of the competition. A huge benefit with MaaS360 and IBM's approach to supporting these changes is that they seldom change configuration work flows. Competing Vendors always arbitrarily change workflows which requires a significnat ongoing learning curve in order to maintain technical competence
We have found that Cisco Meraki has always had very good customer support. In the rare case, when we have needed assistance they have always been quick to respond and solve the issue.
MaaS360's phone support has been decent the few times I have used it. In addition the person who on-boarded us has been available for additional questions after the process was over. However IBM could do a much better job in creating a user-friendly search engine and white-paper database to help people find topics. Right now finding info is more based on searching through white papers themselves.
To implement IBM Security MaaS360 with Watson, follow these steps: Set up the platform, enroll devices, configure policies and settings, monitor and manage devices. Implementing it can help organizations to securely manage and monitor the use of mobile devices and related resources in their networks, improving security and productivity for their users.
I used TechPilot to manage mobile devices which was a great product and had some useful features. I say had, because after it was purchased by Securly the software support and functionary went downhill fast. Securly MDM is an inferior product.
Intune claims to be free, but if you need certain features you actually have to pay for it. So the "free" claim does not fly. In addition, pushing policies can take hours with Intune. In comparison with IBM MaaS360, where policies are changed within minutes. The usability and versatility of IBM MaaS360 is no match for Intune
It’s scalable up to a point and will scale well from small to a medium business, however, as a business grows and policies get more mature or detailed, you might have to later upgrade to a more appropriate enterprise solution such as MaaS360 or AirWatch. This solution however, will last quite a long tome for a growing business.
It has come in handy several times, especially when it comes to remotely wiping a device that was lost or stolen.
This has allowed us to push applications to devices, which helps our employees to have easy access to tools related to Healthcare and Business Expense tracking.
Meraki Systems Manager is excellent at allowing us to remotely administer our wireless access points, but has been a source of frustration (at times) when trying to use as an MDM solution.
MaaS360 has helped reduce the costs associated with managing and securing mobile services, like the cost of IT support and the cost of replacing lost devices.
MaaS360 has helped our remote sales team make sure they always have the latest information hence reducing any miscommunication with the customer.
