Top MDM software for remote work teams

Managing a remote team presents unique hurdles. When employees work from various locations, keeping hardware and corporate data secure can be challenging. An employee might accidentally leave a company laptop at a cafe, or a freelancer might use unsecured public Wi-Fi. Without physical access to your team’s endpoints, IT admins need a centralized way to monitor device health, deploy updates, and secure company assets.

This is where mobile device management or MDM software step in. These platforms provide a centralized dashboard from which IT managers can oversee every smartphone, tablet, and laptop connected to the corporate network. Whether you are managing corporate-issued hardware or supporting a BYOD policy, MDM is essential for maintaining control and protecting sensitive data.

Best MDM solutions for businesses with remote workforces

Choosing the right MDM platform depends on your hardware baseline, team size, budget, compliance and reporting needs, BYOD requirements, and the types of operating systems your employees use. Here are the top MDM software for remote teams:

1. Scalefusion

Scalefusion is a top choice for organizations having distributed teams that need to manage a range of endpoints across operating systems at scale. It removes the complexity typical of device management, offering an exceptionally fast setup process and granular policies, alongside a clean, intuitive dashboard.

Scalefusion delivers premium management features, powerful troubleshooting tools, and deep asset visibility. It helps IT teams avoid the steep learning curve or high costs generally associated with MDM platforms.

• OS support: Offers full cross-platform compatibility covering Windows, macOS, iOS, iPadOS, tvOS, Android, ChromeOS, and Linux from a single, centralized dashboard.
• Remote support: Provides native, built-in Remote Cast & Control and Remote Commands features. They allow IT teams to view screens, take full control of devices, record bugs, and directly transfer files without needing expensive third-party software subscriptions.
• IdP integration: Integrates flawlessly with leading identity providers including Google Workspace, Microsoft Entra ID, Okta, and Ping One.
• Deployment: Supports zero-touch and bulk deployment via Apple ADE, Android ZTE, and Windows Autopilot, coupled with strict BYOD containerization that separates personal files from corporate data.
• Other features: UEM-integrated Zero-Trust access management, endpoint-centric security, automated compliance and remediation, single-app and multi-app kiosk, geofencing, RBAC, blueprints, and shared device management.

Best for: IT teams tasked with securing and overseeing both company-provisioned and employee-owned endpoints across fast-growing, remote workforces. Scalefusion accelerates time-to-value through out-of-the-box enrollment, streamlined administrative control, and enterprise-grade remote assistance.

2. Microsoft Intune

For organizations deeply embedded in the Windows ecosystem, Microsoft Intune is a powerful choice. It seamlessly pairs identity verification with device security, ensuring only compliant hardware accesses your network. Its sophisticated console is engineered to provide large IT organizations with policy customization and precise configuration control.

• OS support: Covers Windows, macOS, iOS, iPadOS, Android, ChromeOS, and Linux.
• Remote support: Offers Microsoft Intune Remote Help, a secure and cloud-based tool that lets IT admins view and control user devices to remotely troubleshoot issues in real time.
• IdP integration: Features native, deep integration with Microsoft Entra ID for strict zero-trust conditional access policies.
• Deployment: Leverages Windows Autopilot and ABM for automated provisioning, plus advanced mobile application management to govern corporate apps on personal devices.
• Other features: Conditional access, automated patch management, endpoint analytics, remote lock and wipe, and custom PowerShell scripting.

Best for: Enterprise teams already relying heavily on Microsoft 365 suites.

3. Jamf Pro

If your remote workforce runs exclusively on Apple products, Jamf Pro is the historical standard. It is purpose-built to manage macOS, tvOS, and iOS hardware. It serves as a specialized, high-performance platform built from the ground up to streamline device management across the entire Apple product lifecycle.

• OS support: Strictly limited to the Apple ecosystem (macOS, iOS, iPadOS, tvOS, visionOS, and watchOS).
• Remote support: Offers native remote support primarily through Jamf Remote Assist and integrations with third-party tools like TeamViewer.
• IdP integration: Integrates with major cloud identity providers like Okta, Microsoft Entra ID, Google Identity, OneLogin, and PingOne.
• Deployment: Seamlessly integrates with ABM for automated, touchless deployment straight from the vendor’s warehouse to the employee.
• Other features: Self-service app catalog, smart groups, native Apple security, automated inventory, and blueprints.

Best for: High-growth startups or businesses with 100% Apple-heavy environments.

4. Omnissa Workspace ONE UEM

Omnissa Workspace ONE UEM allows IT admins to deploy, secure, configure, and manage corporate endpoints across every major operating system from a single central console. It streamlines the entire device lifecycle, from initial provisioning to retirement.

• OS support: Offers multi-platform coverage including Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Linux, and ChromeOS.
• Remote support: Allows IT admins to remotely control screens, view remote terminal shells, and securely transfer files over high or low-bandwidth environments through Workspace ONE Assist.
• IdP integration: Natively integrates with Microsoft Entra ID, Okta, and Ping Identity to manage user authentication and MFA securely. Identity provider integrations and user authentication are primarily handled through Workspace ONE Access and Omnissa Identity Service.
• Deployment: Delivers seamless, zero-touch deployment at scale through integration with ABM, Windows Autopilot, and Android Management API. IT teams can ship devices directly to end-users for immediate, automated, and secure out-of-the-box onboarding.
• Other features: Phased app rollouts, data loss prevention, mobile single sign-on, automated remediation, and workflow automation.

Best for: Large, mixed-device global enterprises needing heterogeneous device management and unified digital experience.

5. IBM MaaS360

IBM MaaS360 is a cloud-based UEM platform that secures and manages smartphones, tablets, laptops, and IoT devices from a single screen. It uses Watson AI to automatically detect cybersecurity threats, push enterprise apps, and separate personal data from work files. This lets IT teams safely support remote work and BYOD programs without risking corporate security.

• OS support: Manages devices across iOS, macOS, tvOS, Android, Windows, and ChromeOS.
• Remote support: Provides standard remote view and administrative control capabilities across desktops and mobile platforms. IT admins can remotely execute remote locks, unlocks, restarts, app installations/removals, and configuration changes.
• IdP integration: Connects with external identity providers and corporate directories to handle secure user enrollment, single sign-on, and conditional access rules. This integration is established either through native setups or by linking a built-in IBM Security Verify tenant to serve as the integration bridge.
• Deployment: Supports Apple ADE with customizable bypass workflows, Android Enterprise, and DDM for macOS, iOS, and iPadOS.
• Other features: Watson AI, mobile threat defense, IAM, mobile application management, secure containerization, and app-level tunneling.
  
  

Best for: Highly regulated organizations (finance, healthcare) prioritizing rigid compliance reporting and automated security threat intelligence.

Securing the future of remote work

As the modern workplace continues to embrace remote and hybrid working models, securing endpoints is no longer an optional luxury. A robust MDM solution transforms a sprawling, fragmented remote workforce into a secure, cohesive, and easily manageable network. By adopting the most ideal MDM software, you protect your corporate data, streamline IT operations, and empower your remote team to work safely from anywhere in the world.

Solutions like Scalefusion UEM are the ultimate choice for businesses who want to remotely manage a mix of devices across platforms from a single pane of glass. Additionally, their superior built-in remote control capabilities are a plus. So, when a remote employee encounters a critical software glitch miles away from headquarters, IT can step in and fix it instantly, saving your time, money, and productivity.