Mobile devices in energy and utilities
Electricity, gas and water companies run large field operations. Outage crews receive work orders on tablets. Meter readers record values on handhelds. Engineers at plants and substations use rugged devices for inspections and checklists.
These devices are the link between the field and the company’s operational systems. If a device has the wrong app version, a missing setting or a dead battery in a remote place, work stops. A mobile device management (MDM) system keeps the fleet consistent and lets IT act from a distance.
Location and zones
With location and geofencing, you can see devices on a map and draw zones for service areas, plants or sites. A zone can be linked to a policy, a file or a notification, so different rules apply inside and outside of it. Location is personal data when a device is assigned to a person, so collect it for a clear purpose and inform employees. Our data protection guide explains the main points. This is general information, not legal advice.
How a typical rollout looks
- Model the organization. Create groups for regional directorates, crews and device types, and give regional managers roles limited to their area.
- Enroll devices with a QR code or NFC, ideally when new devices are prepared at a central depot. See device enrollment.
- Publish field apps. Work-order, meter-reading and safety apps are installed and updated silently. See app management.
- Set up zones for service areas and link them to the right policies or content.
- Support remotely. The help desk uses Live Control to see and control a device’s screen when a crew member needs help.
Critical infrastructure
Energy companies often keep operational systems in separate networks. DeepManage can be installed on-premises in such a network, so management traffic does not depend on a public cloud. The field teams page covers more scenarios for mobile crews.