Mobility Device as a Service — Enterprise Mobile Without the Capital Burden
Mobility Device as a Service (MDaaS) bundles device hardware, carrier plans, MDM management, helpdesk support, break/fix repair, and refresh logistics into a single monthly per-device subscription — eliminating the capital expense, management overhead, and refresh cycle complexity of traditional device ownership.
What RLM Delivers on MDaaS
Enterprise mobility management is operationally demanding: device procurement, carrier plan management, MDM administration, helpdesk support, repair logistics, and end-of-life disposal all require dedicated resources. MDaaS offloads this operational burden to a managed service provider while predictable per-device pricing simplifies budgeting. RLM advises on MDaaS provider selection, contract structure, and the service level design that protects operational continuity.
How We Approach MDaaS
The MDaaS dimensions that separate a deployment that pays back from one that quietly becomes shelfware.
MDaaS Business Case
We model the financial case for MDaaS vs. owned deployment — total cost of ownership including device capex, carrier management, MDM licensing, helpdesk support, and refresh cycles — producing the per-device comparison that informs the make-vs-buy decision.
Provider Evaluation
We evaluate MDaaS providers — SOTI, Tangoe, Cass, Computacenter, carrier-native managed mobility — against your device scale, support requirements, geographic coverage, and the contract flexibility that accommodates fleet growth and contraction.
SLA Framework Design
We design the SLA framework for your MDaaS contract — device replacement timelines, helpdesk response standards, MDM policy update turnaround, and the financial remedies for SLA failures.
Transition Planning
We design the transition from owned to MDaaS — device enrollment transfer, carrier contract alignment, and the operational handoff that avoids service disruption during the managed services transition.
MDaaS Evaluation Criteria
The MDaaS dimensions that separate a deployment that pays back from one that quietly becomes shelfware.
Device Ownership at Contract End
MDaaS contracts typically return devices at end of term. Evaluate residual device value and whether buyout options make economic sense — and the data destruction obligations when devices are returned to the provider.
Contract Flexibility
MDaaS contracts priced on minimum device commitments create risk for organizations with variable fleets. Evaluate flex provisions for fleet contraction and the per-device cost at volumes below minimum commitment.
Support Quality Variability
MDaaS helpdesk quality varies significantly among providers. Evaluate support quality through reference checks with existing customers — and define the escalation path in the contract for recurring helpdesk failures.
MDM Platform Control
Some MDaaS providers require using their proprietary MDM platform rather than your existing investment. Evaluate the MDM platform implications and the portability of device policies if you transition providers.
Security Responsibility
Understand which security controls are the MDaaS provider's responsibility vs. yours — specifically for data breach scenarios involving managed devices. Ensure the contract clearly defines security obligations and liability.
"RLM helped us rationalize our mobile fleet across four carriers and cut our monthly spend by 31%. They handled the whole transition — we didn't lose a single device."
The benchmark comes first. Without a baseline, “savings” is just a number a vendor gave you.
Where This Matters Most
Sector-specific considerations we see repeatedly in mobility engagements.
A Sample of the Mobility Providers We Evaluate
RLM is vendor neutral. These are among 600+ providers in our evaluation set — inclusion here is not an endorsement, and we are paid by the provider you choose, not by any provider in particular. How that works →
Ready to Move on MDaaS?
Talk to an RLM advisor who specializes in enterprise mobility. Vendor-neutral guidance from assessment through deployment.