Mobile Device Management Broker for BYOD Privacy

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Solution Overview

Problem

The complexity of managing personal devices used for work purposes in a BYOD environment, where employees may have to switch between multiple companies' management servers, leads to privacy concerns and reduced user inclination to use their devices for work purposes.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a management proxy agent or broker on the mobile device that allows participation by multiple device management servers, enabling configuration and authorization of management permissions, filtering of information, and secure communication protocols to manage apps and content, while maintaining user privacy and control.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If multiple companies' management servers manage employee devices in a BYOD environment, then device management capability is improved, but device complexity and user privacy concerns increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedevice management capabilityVSAvoidcomplexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

A management proxy agent is introduced as an intermediary component running on the employee's personal device. This proxy agent mediates between multiple enterprise management servers and the device, consolidating management functions while maintaining user privacy and control. The proxy agent handles authentication, authorization, and communication protocols, thereby reducing the complexity of managing multiple servers directly on the device.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Adaptability or versatility

If multiple companies' management servers manage employee devices, then management coverage is improved, but user privacy and control are reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemanagement coverageVSAvoidprivacy concerns

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The management proxy agent serves as a privacy-preserving intermediary that sits between enterprise management servers and the user's personal device. It selectively filters and forwards management commands and data based on user-defined policies, ensuring that only necessary information is shared with management servers while maintaining user privacy and control over personal data.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements local quality by allowing users to define different management policies for different domains or applications. Users can grant specific management permissions to particular companies or applications while maintaining privacy and control over other aspects of the device. This enables differentiated management coverage based on local user needs and privacy preferences.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentUS11487889B2Mobile device management broker

Publication Date: 2022.11.01 IVANTI INC

AI summary

Techniques to manage mobile devices are disclosed. In various embodiments, a request to perform a management action with respect to a mobile device is received from a mobile device management (MDM) authority. A scope of authority of the MDM authority with respect to the mobile device is determined. The management action is caused to be performed with respect to the mobile device based at least in part on the determined scope of authority of the MDM authority with respect to the mobile device.