Mobile Application Management

MAM solutions sit between full Mobile Device Management (MDM) and no management at all, offering a privacy-preserving approach well suited to bring-your-own-device (BYOD) programmes. Rather than controlling the entire device, MAM wraps or configures individual corporate applications with policies that govern data sharing, copy-paste restrictions, VPN tunnelling, and authentication requirements.

A typical MAM deployment involves an enterprise app catalogue through which employees install approved applications. Each managed application receives a policy profile that can enforce encryption of data at rest, prevent screenshots, restrict which other applications can receive shared content, and require re-authentication after a period of inactivity. If an employee leaves the organisation, IT can perform a selective wipe that removes only managed applications and their data, leaving personal content untouched.

MAM platforms commonly integrate with identity providers to enforce conditional access policies. For example, access to a corporate email application can be blocked unless the device meets minimum OS version requirements and the application has been installed through the managed catalogue. Leading MAM solutions include Microsoft Intune, VMware Workspace ONE, and Jamf Pro.

While MAM reduces the attack surface of corporate data on mobile devices, it must be complemented by secure application development practices. An application with hardcoded credentials or insecure local storage remains vulnerable regardless of the management layer applied on top.