MDM (Mobile Device Management) applies a profile that can:
- Add a passcode or password to your device.
- Remotely lock your device if you lose it — a benefit from using a passcode/password with your device.
- Enable you to wipe data from your device if it's lost or stolen.
- Configure Virtual Private Network (VPN)
- Configure email, contacts, and calendar to your device.
- Detect whether a device has been jailbroken or rooted.
- Automatically block intruders who enter more than 10 failed passcode/password attempts. (Note: reaching the 10th attempt takes two hours.)
Why use MDM (managed) email?
You might already have Stanford email, calendar, and contact information on your device. If you replace your existing accounts with the managed account provided by MDM, you can benefit in these ways:
- Easy removal: The managed account can be removed remotely if your device is lost or stolen, or if you leave Stanford. In contrast, a manually configured account can't be removed without wiping the entire device.
- Better battery life: Managed email and calendar settings are optimized by reducing the number of hits to the server, thus putting less drain on your device's battery.
Duplicate accounts
If you already have Stanford Email and Calendar on your device when you enroll in the MDM program — but you want to install managed mail — delete your old account before you add the managed account to avoid duplicate emails and appointments. Deleting your account will not delete your messages and appointments from the server. They will be safely reinstalled through the MDM enrollment process.
To delete an account on your iOS device:
- Tap Settings > Mail, Contacts, Calendar.
- From the list of accounts, tap the one you want to delete.
- Tap Delete Account (the red button) at the bottom of the page.
You will see a prompt that says "Deleting this account will remove its data from your iPhone/iPad." - Tap Delete Account.
To delete an account on your Android device:
Note: Each Adroid device may be slightly different.
- Tap Settings > Email.
- Tap Manage Accounts.
- Press and hold the name of your Stanford email account — typically Exchange or ActiveSync for Stanford accounts.
- Tap Remove.
What to expect — installing MDM mail
When you include MDM mail during your enrollment, you'll see a lot of activity for a few minutes on your device. All your messages need to download and your appointments need to sync to your calendar. This is normal. In a few minutes, you'll have your messages and appointments on your device.
Passcode/password lock
The MDM sets up your device to require a passcode or password after a certain period of inactivity (Auto-Lock), or for a "grace period" after you press the On/Off button on the device. It enables these settings with a maximum amount of time allowed for each of these functions.
When you install the MDM, the factory default settings are activated. MDM permits you to increase these values up to the maximum defined in the table below. Change the settings here:
- Auto-Lock (for inactivity) — iOS: Settings > Display & Brightness > Auto-Lock ; Android: Settings > Security >Lock screen (varies slightly from phone to phone)
- Require Passcode (for grace period after lock) — iOS: Settings > Touch ID & Passcode > Require Passcode; Android: Settings > Security > Lock screen > Screen lock
| Feature | Default setting | MDM maximum time allowed |
|---|---|---|
| Auto-Lock | iPhone: 1 minute iPad: 2 minutes Android: varies by model, OS, and carrier |
5 minutes |
| Require Passcode or Password | immediately | 5 minutes |
Passcode expiration
MDM sets a passcode expiration policy of two years. If you set a passcode prior to enrolling in MDM, the expiration occurs when the passcode age reaches the two year mark — not two years after enrolling in MDM. The new passcode cannot be the same as the old passcode.
Your personal settings and other profiles
If you already have configuration profiles or personal settings on your device that might cause conflict with the MDM, your results may be as follows:
Passcode length: if your passcode is longer than the length by Stanford MDM, your longer passcode will be retained after you enroll in MDM.
Auto-lock: MDM allows Auto-Lock settings up to 5 minutes. If your device is set to Never, or to < 5 minutes before you enroll in MDM, your results may vary. If possible, turn off your existing Auto-Lock and Passcode Lock settings before you install MDM. After you enroll, you can choose Auto-Lock settings of up to 5 minutes and your Passcode Lock will be set to 1 minute, which you can reset to Immediately if you prefer.
