Mobile file management (MFM) is a type of
information technology
Information technology (IT) is the use of computers to create, process, store, retrieve, and exchange all kinds of data . and information. IT forms part of information and communications technology (ICT). An information technology system ...
(IT) software that allows businesses to manage transfers and storage of corporate files and other related items on a
mobile device
A mobile device (or handheld computer) is a computer small enough to hold and operate in the hand. Mobile devices typically have a flat LCD or OLED screen, a touchscreen interface, and digital or physical buttons. They may also have a physical ...
, and allows the business to oversee user access. Mobile file management software is typically installed on a corporate
file server
In computing, a file server (or fileserver) is a computer attached to a network that provides a location for shared disk access, i.e. storage of computer files (such as text, image, sound, video) that can be accessed by the workstations that are ab ...
like
Windows 2008, and on a
mobile device
A mobile device (or handheld computer) is a computer small enough to hold and operate in the hand. Mobile devices typically have a flat LCD or OLED screen, a touchscreen interface, and digital or physical buttons. They may also have a physical ...
such as
tablet computer
A tablet computer, commonly shortened to tablet, is a mobile device, typically with a mobile operating system and touchscreen display processing circuitry, and a rechargeable battery in a single, thin and flat package. Tablets, being comput ...
s and
smartphone
A smartphone is a portable computer device that combines mobile telephone and computing functions into one unit. They are distinguished from feature phones by their stronger hardware capabilities and extensive mobile operating systems, whic ...
s, e.g.,
Android,
iPad
The iPad is a brand of iOS and iPadOS-based tablet computers that are developed by Apple Inc. The iPad was conceived before the related iPhone but the iPhone was developed and released first. Speculation about the development, operati ...
,
iPhone, etc. Other features include the ability to remotely wipe a lost or stolen device, access, cache and store files on a mobile device and integrate with
file permission solutions like those from
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational corporation, multinational technology company, technology corporation producing Software, computer software, consumer electronics, personal computers, and related services headquartered at th ...
's
Active Directory
Active Directory (AD) is a directory service developed by Microsoft for Windows domain networks. It is included in most Windows Server operating systems as a set of processes and services. Initially, Active Directory was used only for centr ...
.
A main advantage of modern mobile file management solutions is that they do not need a VPN connection for the mobile devices to connect to the corporate file servers. The connection between the mobile device and the corporate file server is established via a cloud service. This way the corporate
file server
In computing, a file server (or fileserver) is a computer attached to a network that provides a location for shared disk access, i.e. storage of computer files (such as text, image, sound, video) that can be accessed by the workstations that are ab ...
doesn't need to open incoming ports which would cause security issues. The files are transferred highly encrypted e.g. according to AES 256-bit industry standard. Only the company server and the mobile device keep the encryption key to be able to encrypt and decrypt the files. So nobody, not even the mobile file management solution provider, can access the files.
Third-party cloud-based companies provide solutions which can be used to manage mobile files but are not controlled by corporate IT organizations. Companies that utilize
Mobile Device Management
Mobile device management (MDM) is the administration of mobile devices, such as smartphones, tablet computers, and laptops. MDM is usually implemented with the use of a third-party product that has management features for particular vendors of ...
solutions can also secure content on mobile devices, but usually cannot provide
direct access and connection to a corporate file server.
File management is how the computer
operating system
An operating system (OS) is system software that manages computer hardware, software resources, and provides common daemon (computing), services for computer programs.
Time-sharing operating systems scheduler (computing), schedule tasks for ef ...
keeps
data
In the pursuit of knowledge, data (; ) is a collection of discrete values that convey information, describing quantity, quality, fact, statistics, other basic units of meaning, or simply sequences of symbols that may be further interpret ...
organized through the use of files and folders, how they are arranged, and how they are listed in a
hierarchical
A hierarchy (from Greek: , from , 'president of sacred rites') is an arrangement of items (objects, names, values, categories, etc.) that are represented as being "above", "below", or "at the same level as" one another. Hierarchy is an important ...
order.
Overview of File Management
/ref> Mobile file management allows file management to be used on tablet computers. By installing it both on the tablet and the corporate server, users of mobile devices can freely access corporate servers from remote locations.
References
External links
An Overview of Mobile File Management
Mobile Document Management
Information technology
Business software