Kony Management User Guide: Introduction

Introduction

Kony Management Suite's Enterprise mobility management (EMM) software is a policy configuration and management tool for mobile handheld devices and corresponding applications on smartphones and tablets. EMM helps enterprises to manage complex communications between mobile devices by supporting security, network services, and software and hardware management across multiple OS platforms. EMM also supports bring your own device (BYOD) initiatives that has become the focus of many enterprises. It can support corporate and personal devices, and helps to support a more complex and heterogeneous environment.

The primary purpose of EMM is to ensure that all devices, corresponding applications and device users are in compliance with the IT Policies set by the company. This goal can be achieved in different ways.

The following is a scenario in which the Kony EMM approaches and handles the problem:

To manage any device, it must be enrolled. The management can choose to manage only a few employee devices or all of them. The employee database can be imported from enterprise systems like Microsoft Active Directory. Once it is enrolled successfully, the EMM Administrator has complete control over the devices.

These devices are grouped together into Device Sets based on rules. Device Sets are usually dynamic, which means all the devices satisfying the rules are part of the set. Device Sets can be created on the basis of several Attribute Types including its location, ownership, OS, hardware, apps installed and many more. To keep the devices in check, device policies are created, which are applied to the device sets. These device policies and settings cover the entire scope of a device functionality. For example, enforcing a passcode policy, removing camera access at certain locations.

A device may belong to multiple groups and hence it can have several policies applicable to it. But, only one policy should be applied to a device. To resolve this, each policy has a Priority associated with it. The policy with highest priority is loaded first on the device. As part of the policy, the administrator also defines Compliance Actions. If devices do not comply with the rules, the administrator can perform the required action. The administrator can prescribe a set of actions such as, sending alerts to administrator and/or the user, Blocking Email, Resetting Passcode, Locking Device, Enterprise Wipe, and a Complete Wipe. Once returning to a compliant state, the EMM server automatically restores the settings and access the device as per the policy is applied.

Similarly, aapplication level policies can also be applied to users and groups. These differ from device level policies because they apply at the application level. For example, you can prevent cut, copy and paste for one particular application. Similarly, you can prevent application access during holidays.

All the EMM policies are dynamic and location specific. It is possible to set policies between different office locations, home and so on.