Apparatus and method for providing a mobile device management service

• US 10,104,538 B2
• Filed: 04/11/2014
• Issued: 10/16/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Gattu, Balasubrahmanyam, Khan, Hashir
• Primary Examiner(s): Perez-Gutierrez, Rafael
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pannell, Mark G.
• Application Number:
  US14/250,850
• Publication Number:
  US 20150215772A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,649 Days
• Field of Search: 455418
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/37 Managing security policies for mobile devices or for controlling mobile applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/245 from a network towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/265 for initial activation of new user
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

An apparatus and method for providing a Mobile Device Management (MDM) service are provided. The method includes transmitting a request for an MDM server to a gateway server, the request including identification information, receiving, in response to the request, information relating to an MDM server corresponding to the identification information, and enrolling a device with the MDM server.

Claims

1. A method to provide a Mobile Device Management (MDM) service comprising:

transmitting, from a universal MDM client application installed on a device, a request for an MDM server to a gateway server controlled by an entity, the request including identification information of an enterprise other than the entity;

receiving, in response to the request, information relating to an MDM server corresponding to the identification information of the enterprise;

enrolling the device with the MDM server; and

configuring the device for MDM,

wherein the information relating to the MDM server is stored in a profile corresponding to the enterprise,

wherein the profile includes a domain of the enterprise, identification information of the MDM server, security certificates associated with the MDM server, and user authentication information of users of the MDM server,

wherein the MDM server is configured to provide an MDM service to the device,

wherein the universal MDM client application is configured to facilitate installation of a plurality of MDM applications, each MDM application corresponding to one of a plurality of MDM services,

wherein a first MDM service of the plurality of MDM services is provided by a first MDM service provider,

wherein a second MDM service of the plurality of MDM services is provided by a second MDM service provider,

wherein the configuring of the device for MDM comprises activating data encryption on the device, and

wherein the enrolling of the device with the MDM server comprises installing the MDM application corresponding to the MDM service provided by the MDM server.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the identification information of the enterprise comprises a domain included in an E-mail address.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the enrolling of the device comprises:

invoking a security function of the MDM application corresponding to the MDM service provided by the MDM server according to instructions received from the MDM server.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the enrolling of the device comprises:

transmitting authentication information to the MDM server.

5. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a mobile device, cause the mobile device to perform the method of claim 1.

6. A mobile device management (MDM) system, the system comprising:

an electronic device having a universal MDM client application installed therein;

a plurality of MDM servers, each MDM server configured to;

during an enrollment process for an MDM service, install an MDM application corresponding to the MDM service in the electronic device, and

provide the MDM service; and

a Global Gateway Server controlled by an entity and configured to;

receive information from at least one enterprise other than the entity, the information including an identification of one or more of the plurality of MDM servers that are associated with the enterprise,

store the received information in profiles corresponding to each of the at least one enterprise,

receive identification information from the electronic device, the identification information identifying one of the at least one enterprise,

search for a stored profile corresponding to the identification information of the enterprise received from the electronic device,

transmit the stored profile to the electronic device in response to the receipt of the identification information, and

configure the device for MDM,

wherein the profile includes, for each of the at least one enterprise, a domain of the enterprise, identification information of the corresponding MDM server, security certificates associated with the corresponding MDM server, and user authentication information of users of the corresponding MDM server,

wherein the universal MDM client application is configured to facilitate installation of a plurality of MDM applications, each MDM application corresponding to one of a plurality of MDM services,

wherein a first MDM service of the plurality of MDM services is provided by a first MDM service provider,

wherein a second MDM service of the plurality of MDM services is provided by a second MDM service provider, and

wherein the configuring of the device for MDM comprises activating data encryption on the device.

7. The MDM system of claim 6, wherein the electronic device is further configured to:

connect to the MDM server specified in the stored profile, and

transmit authentication information to the MDM server.

8. The MDM system of claim 7, wherein the MDM server is further configured to authenticate the electronic device based on the received authentication information.

9. The MDM system of claim 6, wherein the identification information of the enterprise comprises a domain included in an E-mail address.

10. The MDM system of claim 6, wherein each of the plurality of MDM servers is further configured to download the MDM application corresponding to the MDM service to the electronic device in response to authenticating the electronic device, as part of the enrollment process.

11. A mobile device, comprising:

a communication interface configured to;

communicate with a Mobile Device Management (MDM) server configured to provide an MDM service via a global gateway server controlled by an entity and that includes a profile of an enterprise other than the entity associated with the MDM server, the profile including a domain of the enterprise, identification information of the MDM server, security certificates associated with the MDM server, and user authentication information of users of the MDM server,

transmit identification information of an enterprise to the global gateway server, and

receive an invocation instruction from the global gateway in response to the request, the invocation instruction related to the MDM server; and

at least one processor executing a universal MDM client application, the universal MDM client application configured to;

enroll the mobile device with the MDM server, the enrollment process including installing an MDM application corresponding to a service provided by the MDM server,

configure the device for MDM,

control operations of the communication interface,

wherein the universal MDM client application is further configured to facilitate installation of a plurality of MDM applications, each MDM application corresponding to one of a plurality of MDM services,

wherein a first MDM service of the plurality of MDM services is provided by a first MDM service provider,

wherein a second MDM service of the plurality of MDM services is provided by a second MDM service provider, and

wherein the configuring of the device for MDM comprises activating data encryption on the device.

12. The mobile device of claim 11, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to provide access to the universal MDM client application via a settings menu.

13. The mobile device of claim 11, wherein the identification information of the enterprise comprises a domain included in an E-mail address.

14. The mobile device of claim 11, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to control security policy according to instructions received from the MDM server.

15. The mobile device of claim 11,

wherein the communication interface is further configured to receive the MDM application corresponding to the MDM service from the MDM server, and

wherein the at least one processor is further configured to install the MDM application in a memory of the mobile device.