In the last decade, mobile devices have fundamentally changed our day-to-day lives. Both in business and in our personal lives, mobile devices have reshaped how we work, play, shop, and perform daily tasks. We can use mobile devices to run our houses, order taxis and buy our groceries, and they are our main form of communication today. However, carrying expensive technology with us can create some serious risks, requiring new security policies to ensure the safety of these important devices.

In many industries, mobile devices are being used to make workflows more efficient, more portable, and more integrated with their employees’ everyday lives. For example, in law enforcement, many officers use tablets and laptops to make data more easily accessible on the go. These devices not only make officers’ jobs simpler by streamlining tasks, but also may provide access to evidence and other case files stored either on the device or in the cloud that are critical to an investigation. Should a laptop be lost or stolen, not only will the officer need to do many tasks the old-fashioned way, but cases themselves might be compromised—resulting in lawsuits, bad publicity, or even criminals walking free. Securing and tracking mobile assets is a number one priority when they store or enable access to important data.

While a marketing firm, manufacturer, IT firm, or other business may not face consequences quite as severe, it’s also essential that they protect the many mobile devices in use by their employees from theft, misuse, damage, and other risks. A business that allows employees to use their mobile devices for work needs to ensure that those devices are secure when not in use. In many environments such as manufacturing plants, warehouses and construction sites, personnel may not be able to carry their devices with them on the job site. In this case, employees want assurances that their devices are protected when they leave their belongings behind. Asset tracking and management can help to ensure these devices are monitored by keeping records and sending notifications when devices are placed in or removed from lockers.

With a management system that lets you track when devices are removed or placed in a locker, it’s easy to keep track of where mobile devices are, who is in possession of them, and how long they have been out. When an organization automates asset management, employees always know where important assets are – including both the devices that they require for work and their own devices that need securing during the workday. By sending notifications when devices are removed and replaced, and allowing only authorized employees to remove workplace devices, you can ensure that your business’ devices and the data they contain are protected from theft when not in use, and give employees peace of mind that their own devices are secure.

Mobile devices are a boon to workplaces everywhere, streamlining workflows, making data more accessible, and creating easy communication between a business and its employees. However, mobility can potentially create issues of confidentiality, make it easier to steal data and assets, and cause problems in some working environments. In these cases, storing and tracking mobile devices is a necessity to keep business operating smoothly. Ensure that mobile devices are working for you, not against you, by properly securing them and tracking their usage.