Managed mobility services (MMS) are an outsourced service in which a provider manages a company’s mobile phones, tablets and sometimes rugged or IoT devices across their lifecycle. The scope usually includes buying and setting up devices, managing carrier plans and orders, supporting users, handling repairs and replacements, tracking expenses and retiring old devices securely. It lets IT hand off the routine work of running a mobile fleet while keeping control of policy and budget.
Not to be confused with Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS), the mobile messaging service for sending pictures and video by text.
At a glance
- MMS covers the lifecycle of company mobile devices: sourcing, setup, support, expense management and retirement.
- Providers range from specialist mobility firms to carriers, resellers and broader managed service providers.
- Device management through an MDM or UEM platform is commonly part of the service, either run by the provider or co-managed with your team.
- Pricing is usually per device or per line per month, with extra charges for devices and logistics depending on the provider.
- It can cover company-owned devices, BYOD programs or both.
What problem it solves
A mobile fleet creates a steady stream of small tasks: new hires need phones, lost devices need replacing, plans need changing, cracked screens need repair, and departing staff leave devices that must be wiped and reassigned or disposed of. Each task is simple, but together they consume IT time, and the information ends up spread across carrier portals, spreadsheets and email.
Costs also drift. Unused lines keep billing, plans no longer match usage, and devices disappear from inventory. Managed mobility services consolidate this work with one provider that runs the processes, keeps the inventory accurate and reports on spend, so IT deals with exceptions and policy instead of daily logistics.
How it works
Sourcing and setup. The provider buys or procures devices, often through your carrier agreements, enrolls them in management, applies settings and apps, and ships them ready to use. Zero-touch enrollment programs from Apple, Google and Samsung are commonly used.
Device management. Devices are enrolled in a mobile device management (MDM) or unified endpoint management platform, which enforces security policies, pushes apps and allows remote lock or wipe. The provider may run your platform, supply its own or share administration with your team.
Carrier and expense management. The provider handles orders, plan changes and upgrades with carriers, and audits bills, much like wireless expense management (WEM), to find unused lines and overcharges.
Support and logistics. Users get a help desk for mobile issues. Repairs, replacements and spare-device pools are handled through the provider’s logistics process, with service levels for shipping replacements.
Retirement. Old devices are wiped, recycled, resold or destroyed, ideally with certificates of data sanitization, as in IT asset disposition (ITAD).
When it matters for buyers
- When the mobile fleet grows. Hundreds of devices across several locations or countries are hard to run by hand.
- When carrier contracts renew. Renewal is a natural time to clean up inventory, change plans and add lifecycle services.
- When moving between BYOD and corporate-liable plans. Changing the model involves enrollment, policy, cost and support decisions at the same time.
- When devices hold sensitive data. Consistent setup, management and secure retirement reduce risk.
- When mobile support is a big share of help desk tickets. Outsourcing it can free your team for other work.
Questions to ask vendors
- Which lifecycle stages do you cover, and which remain with us or the carrier?
- Which MDM or UEM platforms do you support, and who holds administrative control?
- Which carriers and countries can you work with, and do you need us to move our carrier contracts?
- How fast do you replace a lost or broken device, and where are spares held?
- How do you audit carrier bills, and how are savings measured and reported?
- How do you wipe and dispose of retired devices, and what certificates do we receive?
- How is the service priced, and what is charged on top of the per-device fee?
- If we leave, how are inventory data, device enrollments and carrier accounts handed back?
How it differs from wireless expense management and MDM
Wireless expense management (WEM) deals with mobile bills, plans and costs. Mobile device management (MDM) is software for securing and configuring devices. Managed mobility services are broader: a service that typically uses both, plus logistics, support and device retirement, to run the fleet day to day. If you only need lower mobile bills, WEM may be enough; if you need the operational work taken off IT, MMS is the more relevant category. See our wireless expense management overview for the cost side of the picture.