While it has most of the features you’d want in a mobile device management (MDM) platform, AppTec360 Enterprise Mobility Management remains a a niche player in the US market according to recent market research, and it certainly has a smaller deployed base than Editors’ Choice winners, VMware AirWatch or IBM MaaS360. Additionally, its overall look and feel isn’t very attractive and it’s hampered by the need to spend additional money on an add-on product if you’re interested in device remote control.
For test purposes we were given access to cloud version 201912. The company offers the product as a cloud-based service or a downloadable virtual machine, which is free for up to twenty-five users. We were provided with a cloud instance for testing purposes and did not test the downloadable version.
Since we last reviewed the product, AppTec360 has added support for new product features from Apple, Google, and Samsung. These include the ability to accommodate secure containers, which means IT administrators can keep corporate data safe, separate, and secure even on users’ own devices. That makes bring-your-own-device (BYOD) scenarios much more feasible for many companies. Another new feature is the ability to use network location information for more precise device tracking, even inside a single building. While AppTec360 does support Windows 10 devices, we didn’t test with these.
Installation and Device Enrollment
Not
much has changed regarding initial signup and enrollment since our last review.
A “Free Trial” button on the company home page takes you to the main emmconsole
page where you fill out a single form. After that, you’re immediately taken to the console
application. From this point you have the option to register users and devices
manually or configure a connection to an external authentication service such
as Microsoft Active Directory (AD).
Since our last go around with AppTec, we found that provisioning individual devices has become a much smoother process. A QR code generated at the management console and sent via the registration email contains all the information necessary to install the client monitoring application. On Apple iOS this does require that you manually open the settings app and accept a new profile. I was able to register both a Samsung Android phone and an older Apple iPhone 5s running iOS version 12.4.3 with no issues.
AppTec360 comes with default profiles for Android and iOS devices which you must modify prior to device enrollment in order to ensure each device complies with your corporate policies. Modifying or creating new profiles requires you to select the group in the tree-view and then click on the wheel icon beside the profile you wish to work with. Each device type comes with default policies for Corporate- and Employee-owned devices. Two additional Android profiles support Android for Work as a managed device or with a security container.
Management Interface
The main AppTec360 management screen hasn’t changed since we last reviewed the platform. A tree-view on the left side shows groups, users and devices plus a list of action areas beneath. Selecting either a group, user, or device allows you to take additional action at that level by clicking on the gear icon. This will bring up a context menu with a list of actions. For the user this consists of Edit, Delete or Add, and Enroll a Device. Overall, this is a functional interface, but compared to those with a more modern design, like VMware AirWatch or even Citrix XenMobile, it’s a fairly stodgy and unattractive look and feel.
Locating a device is somewhat buried under Security
Management followed by clicking on Anti-Theft menu item. This presents a map
with the last known location plus a list of previously reported positions. An
administrator can wipe or lock a device from this screen, although it’s much
easier to just right-click on the device from the tree-view pane. Taking direct
action from this view is much simpler than the jobs-based approach of Baramundi
Management Suite.
On the reporting front, AppTec360 has added to their list of pre-defined reports since the last time we reviewed the product. However, while this gives you more reporting options, it still doesn’t offer the ability to customize them or create entirely new and custom reports. The same is true for the dashboard graphical view in that the information and layout is fixed and cannot be modified. It is still possible to export the source data for all reports to another program, such as Microsoft Excel, and, from there, customize presentation yourself. However, that’s a lot of additional work that our leading competitors in this space take care of for you.
A Nice Price
The base price for AppTec360 in its SaaS cloud incarnation remains excellent, starting at $0.99 USD per device per month. That’s the best price out of any of the other MDM products we tested this time around. Also unchanged since our last review is the cost for the on-premises version, which is priced at $20.79 per device (19 EUR per device) plus a yearly per device maintenance charge of $4.16 USD (3.80 EUR).
A pricing downside is remote control. For those IT departments requiring remote control features for scenarios like help desk, you’ll need to purchase an additional product called, TeamViewer. This app costs another $199 per month for up to three simultaneous sessions at a time.
Overall, AppTec360 has most of the features we found in the other products reviewed in this roundup, and it offers them up at an excellent price. However, the need for additional cost for buyers that need remote control as well as an interface that remains behind the rest of the pack in design keeps this product behind our Editors’ Choice winners, VMware and IBM.
More Stories
New Video Game Controller For Your Thought
The Oracle 9i OCA and OCP Certifications Are Being Retired – What Does That Mean to Me?
Myth Busted: Cell Phone Tower Radiation Does Not Cause Harm