Manage work and private life on a single, company-owned device
What is WPCO mode?
WPCO stands for Work Profile on Company Owned device, or “personal and professional profiles on a company-owned device”. It’s a mobile device management (MDM) mode designed to reconcile the company’s need for device and business data security, with the need to respect employee privacy. It is particularly well-suited to companies that need to have greater control over their employees’ mobile devices, while allowing them to use them for personal purposes.
With TinyMDM WPCO mode, the device is purchased and owned by the company, which has control over security policies and device configurations. Employees, on the other hand, are authorized to use the device for personal purposes, such as installing personal applications, checking their private e-mail, using their social networks… There is a clear and well-established separation between professional and personal data, with no way for the company to have an overview of the latter.
The company’s IT administrators can manage business applications, apply security updates and remotely delete business data if necessary, while leaving the employee’s personal data intact.
What are the advantages of WPCO mode?
- Enhanced security: Since the company has control over the device, it can implement stricter security measures, such as remotely changing passwords or resetting the device to factory settings, managing Android updates, Wi-Fi connections…
- Better management: The company can manage devices remotely, making it easier to deploy software, updates, security patches…
- Increased productivity: Employees can have a single device for work and personal use, which can save time and improve productivity.
- Privacy respected: Employee privacy is respected by ensuring that personal data is not accessible or controlled by the company.
How does it differ from other MDM management modes?
WPCO mode differs from three other common MDM management modes:
- BYOD (Bring Your Own Device): in the BYOD mode, employees use their own personal devices, on which a secure work container, called a Work Profile, is created. While offering unparalleled flexibility to users, this mode presents a number of obstacles for companies, namely the inherent lack of consistency between devices, and the inability to implement device-wide security policies.
- COBO (Corporate Owned Business Only): devices supplied to employees belong to the company and are used exclusively for business purposes. The company has full control over smartphones and tablets, and users are not allowed to install personal applications or data.
- COSU (Corporate Owner Single Use): commonly referred to as “Kiosk Mode”, this is also intended for company-owned mobile devices, and locks their use to a single application (or a very restricted set of applications).
Overview of TinyMDM features by management mode*
* non-exhaustive list
| COSU/KIOSK | COBO | BYOD | WPCO | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Applications management |  | | Only on the work profile container | |
| Passwords management | | | Only to access the work profile container | |
| Remote factory reset | | | Only to delete the work profile | |
| Manage professional Wi-Fi networks | | | | |
| Share professional contacts | | | | |
| Share professional files | | | | |
| Send messages / notifications | | | | |
| Manage CA certificates | | | | |
| Manage connectivity settings | | | Only Wi-Fi | |
| Configure VPN | | |  | |
| Configure Android OS updates | | |  | |
| Location tracking | | | | Only if accepted by end-user |
| Location history | | | | Only if accepted by end-user |
| Remote view / Remote control | | | | Only if accepted by end-user |
| Screen control (wallpaper, sleep mode, brightness…) | | | | |
| Create confidential sessions | | | | |
| Hide applications | | | | |
| Add password on specific applications | | | | |