Security, visibility, compliance are still important in MAM world
I won't argue with the assertions that corporate data and IT assets must be protected from security breaches -- whether from hackers, former employees, or the physical loss of the device -- nor that issues like identity management, authorization control, compliance reporting, etc., aren't fundamental to a successful enterprise mobile infrastructure.
And it's obvious that certain environments -- military, financial services and healthcare/HIPAA-compliant applications come to mind -- almost always demand an uncompromising commitment to a purely secure approach, whether MDM or MAM+MDM. In addition, places where the risk of device theft or loss is high -- like the point-of-sale tablets used at store kiosks -- demand features like device wipe to keep corporate data and apps from being jeopardized.
But in the broader enterprise marketplace, it's misguided and naïve to think that locking down devices will automatically make the IT environment more secure. It can often cause one of two things to happen: (1) the devices won't be used optimally (or at all), or (2) users will try to end-run IT, whenever possible, with their own device. Actually, I'd argue that whenever CIOs opt for a Draconian lockdown of mobile devices, they make the enterprise inherently less secure.
BYOD: Familiarity breeds contentment
MAM is a superior model because it focuses primarily on the user and how mobile apps help empower that user in the workplace. As such, it's a cornerstone of the BYOD movement that's taking the enterprise by storm. According to an April 2012 survey conducted by 451 Research, 70% of organizations surveyed have policies in place for connecting "BYO" devices, with 43% reporting that employees are bringing and using their own mobile devices to the workplace.
