EMM vs TEM: Keep Track of these Acronyms

5 minute read

Upland Admin

EMM, TEM, hmm… as if the world of IT did not have enough acronyms to deal with already, we’re throwing you a curveball by presenting two that look similar and sound similar, and might even be confused in their purpose. But really should not.

What is EMM?

Well first, let’s start by understanding another acronym: MMS. Mobility Managed Services, or MMS, is the name given to the set of processes, technologies, and involved individuals that seek to ease the management of mobile devices and related services in a given business environment. The end goal of MMS is to enable, facilitate, and manage mobile computing in the workplace for employees and managers alike. This is achieved through the adoption of systems that, at a bare minimum, enable the development of a hardware/software inventory, tracking of costs and usage, the configuration of operating systems, and the remote capacity to monitor and troubleshoot through the use of EMM applications (Enterprise Mobility Management) and TEM Software (Technology or Telecom Expense Management).

Where did EMM come from?

EMM emerged as a direct result of evolving MDM (Mobile Device Management) needs. MDM is the industry term used for the general administration of mobile devices; MDM tools perform the fundamental functions of provisioning, managing, and retiring mobile devices and provide basic performance metrics. EMM goes a step further by providing visibility of applications and hardware, ways to manage and configure operating systems, updates, the ability to remotely remove data and manage content, and advanced security measures. This evolution blurred the lines between MDM and other mobile-related management needs such as MEM (Mobile Environment Management), MAM (Mobile Application Management), MDaM (Mobile Data Management) to really form the core of EMM.

What is good EMM, and how does it happen?

Good EMM allows managers to capitalize on mobile devices to increase employee productivity and work satisfaction, improve ROI by replacing paper-based processes (which incidentally accelerates these processes), and gather useful data. The concept underlying EMM is a process of integration and unification of personal and corporation-owned mobile devices. This process is effectively done through the use of systems that offer simple and centralized ways to control content, identity, and security. The ultimate EMM goal for end-users is to benefit from a seamless experience that allows them to navigate from one app or system to the other, whatever device they decide to use. Workplace and personal devices – whether unique or multiple, and of which the use of which should be promoted – should also form a whole as a secure environments from which to safely be able complete any task. Online collaboration should be encouraged and feel natural. Bad EMM does the exact opposite and, on top of hindering workflow, has employees creating their own workaround and security issues. This form of ingenuity is known as Shadow IT.

EMM, however, does not only serve the employee and the manager; clients, too, can benefit from such systems. The Internet of Things (IoT) allows most if not all objects to be connected to the internet. Business can then include remote assets, such as vending machines, into their EMM system. A particularly popular brand of drink has run out? No problem; the machine tells your employees so that you may meet consumer demand.

What is TEM?

Technology Expense Management, or TEM, is the name given to the set of processes and technologies that deal with managing technology assets (hardware, software, peripherals, etc.) and all related expenses elements. This includes invoices, contracts, bills, licenses, patents, and much more. TEM has some overlap with EMM, notably pertaining to inventory management; indeed, both systems rely on the establishment of a list of all devices used in a work context. TEM, however, is more concerned with expenses, hence the name.

Where did TEM come from?

TEM emerged alongside MDM and EMM. When it was realized that IT-related expenses would be one of the most important business expenditures (nowadays top 5), it became clear that a way of tracking the multitude of recurring payments that came with mobile technology would be necessary. One advantage of good TEM over an outdated tracking Excel spreadsheet is that it allows individual end-users to visualize their own personal expenses to promote self-accountability and automatically disseminate important IT information.

What is good TEM, and how does it happen?

Since the main goal of Telecom Expense Management (TEM) is to inform, its systems need to be both as comprehensive as possible and as efficient as possible. Why? Analytical information that is meant to help managers and employees make better decisions is only worth as much as its absoluteness. However, complete information also needs to be presented in a way that is coherent, on top of being easy to access. What is the point of something useful that’s impossible to decode?

Meet Cimpl, our very own TEM solution. Cimpl tracks information about how employees interact with IT assets and centralizes multiple types of employee usage data. Easily accessible reports on access time stamps, call records, and unused services can be generated in a snap. Decision makers can make adjustments to how employees consume their data, and employees themselves are empowered by the ability to see their own allotted features and data consumption. If you’re looking to make long-term savings and generate a significant ROI on IT spendconsider checking us out, and request for your demo today.

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