Switching to Hexnode: The Dos and the Don’ts

“Good afternoon, passengers. This is your captain speaking. First, I’d like to welcome everyone to Hexnode Gateway. We are currently cruising at an altitude of 27,000 feet at an airspeed of 350 miles per hour. The weather looks good, and we expect to land in Hexnode MDM right on schedule with the tailwind on our side. If you have signed up for a free trial, we should get a great view of the MDM before we descend. The flight attendants will be coming around soon to show you the Dos and Don’ts of this MDM migration. I’ll talk to you again before we reach our destination. Until then, sit back, relax and enjoy the rest of the flight.”

Take off GIF from Top Gun movie by tenor

Thank you, you’re a rockstar!

If you are here, that means you are probably switching to Hexnode or at least planning to do so. We at Hexnode have constantly been pushing our limits to provide our customers with all the necessary device management capabilities for improving your experience. We want to thank you for your trust and support. Rest assured, you’re in good hands.

MDM migration- Points to notice

Sometimes I’ll start a sentence, and I don’t even know where it’s going. I just hope I find it along the way.
-Michael Scott

Migrating MDMs is not such a task, my friend. You can’t expect it to find its way on its own. A poorly planned migration can result in losing all data from your employees’ devices. On the other hand, with proper planning and preparation, migrating into a new device management solution is very much doable and can pave the way for new capabilities and increased efficiency. However, there are a few things that you must factor in while switching to a new MDM provider to ensure a smooth transition.

Dos & Don’ts of MDM migration

“Now we request your full attention as the flight attendants demonstrate the dos and don’ts of this MDM migration process.”

✅ Do identify the MDM requirements of your enterprise

Figure out what all are met by your current MDM provider and what more features you are expecting. Doing this will help you find the best subscription plan for your enterprise that Hexnode offers. Make sure to use the 14-day free trial feature to get a hands-on experience with Hexnode while you choose your plan.

❌ Don’t migrate old policies directly

The functionalities of policies might be different in different MDM providers. Therefore, replicating the old policies might only sometimes be the most efficient method. However, you can find the use cases for your organization first and create policies in Hexnode based on that. Then, head to Hexnode’s help center to learn about all the available policy capabilities. This will help you determine the optimum combination of policies your enterprise needs.

✅ Do understand migration restrictions

The device vendor and ownership play a considerable role in designing the migration process. For instance, if the device is personally owned, you would have to take extra care to ensure the migration is not affecting the user’s personal data. Also, in some devices, the existing MDM might be set as non-removable for the user. In that case, you will have to manually initiate the disenrollment of the current MDM from the administrator end. Therefore, understanding such restrictions and having plans of action for each of them is essential even before starting the migration.

❌ Don’t migrate all the current apps

Having to manage many SaaS apps for various purposes can be a ‘pain in the apps.’ Look at all the app configurations you currently have— are they all necessary? Maybe Hexnode’s native features can substitute for several applications used for purposes like remote view or configuring VPN. So, making sure to review all your current apps might save you a lot of time and money.

✅ Do have a clear plan of action

This is a relatively simple one. The main objective of having a well-thought plan of action is to ensure minimum downtime- when the devices are out of management. So, it is essential to schedule getting the old MDM off and enrolling Hexnode, so there is as little time as possible between them. Also, it would help if you were thorough about the dependencies of each team, ranging from IT admins to end users at each stage of migration.

❌ Don’t leave any stones unturned

Yay, you are all set for migration. But are you? What if the power went off? What if the user is in a different region? How do you restart a migration process that got interrupted mid-way? You should scrutinize your migration plan to see any weaknesses in the process flow. Take notes of every scenario during the migration and find solutions to each of them ahead of time. It’s better to be safe than sorry.

✅ Do backup data into cloud servers

Speaking of being safe, it’s always better to store sensitive data in cloud services before migration. Then, even if something goes wrong while migrating, you can retrieve the essential data. Google Drive, iCloud and Dropbox are some cloud services you can use for this purpose.

❌ Don’t deploy everything at once

Break down the migration process into small steps. A good practice would be to start with a small group of IT participants who, ideally, will provide detailed feedback. Then move on to a larger group of end-users before the complete rollout. Starting in small groups and then scaling up is an excellent way to see if any improvements need to be made in the process flow. This phase can also be used to train the IT support teams.

✅ Do ensure proper troubleshooting after the rollout

Collecting user feedback and troubleshooting are two essential tasks to do after migration. This helps to identify any issues or requirements in the new MDM. Regularly conduct surveys to analyze user experience to see if there is any need for more training sessions. Also, try to have a common platform to address all the users’ doubts and concerns.

❌ Don’t forget to communicate

Adequate communication is the often-overlooked component in a migration plan. Ensure that the whole plan of action is well communicated and educated with the entire team to avoid any confusion during the migration processes.

Summing it up

Switching to Hexnode from your current MDM can seem like an overwhelming change. However, if you know how to be better prepared for a migration, which you are now, it will be a quick and easy process. So, one final piece of advice— Do reach out to our customer support if you are facing any challenges and don’t hesitate to ask your doubts in the Hexnode community. So, thank you for joining us on this trip, and we look forward to supporting you soon.