Case Study: C.HAFNER GmbH + Co. KG
Family-run C.Hafner specializes not only in separating and recovering precious metals, but also manages to keep business apps separate from other apps on its mobile devices. The reason for doing so is GDPR, and it’s accomplished thanks to Cortado.
While not every one of C.Hafner’s 220 employees counts a corporate mobile device among their work utensils, 75 Android and Apple smartphones and tablets are currently used in the company. Business apps for CRM, email, etc., as well as WhatsApp and others are installed on them. The fact that the contact data of both spheres mix is an underlying danger. This is no longer permitted under GDPR, the EU’s data protection law, meaning both areas must be kept clearly separated. There are two options available – either you carry two devices around with you or use mobile device management software to separate both spheres with “containerization” on the devices. C.Hafner opted for the latter option and introduced Cortado Server at the start of 2019.
Containerization Narrowly Defined By Many MDM Providers
“A few years back, we already gained some initial experience with a small MDM solution,” said Kai Manke, network and system administrator at the company. “That’s why we knew about the nitty-gritty that such systems like to work with their own apps, which they manage in their own container. But that’s too inflexible for us, because you can’t integrate other apps into these containers.” The Salesforce app for example, which brings the CRM platform to mobile devices is also used extensively by C.Hafner. Salesforce data too must be kept separate from private data. Google Chrome is another example that cannot be integrated into the container of most MDM solutions.
The company was therefore looking for a solution that would enable native containerization – in the operating system at the device level and not just in the MDM system. The IT team found what they were looking for with Cortado. “We did a lot of research and wanted to work with a medium-sized provider based in our region who knows how SMBs operate. Of these, only Cortado offered the functionality we needed,” says Kai Manke. Android Enterprise and Apple Managed Open In are the respective container solutions from the two main players. They can both be easily managed with Cortado Server. This in turn allows C.Hafner to administer all the business apps used in a container and securely separate the data from the other apps.
Professional Support During Testing
An initial test was carried out in November 2018. There were no costs associated with this for the IT department, “Nevertheless, we always had a contact person who was constantly on hand whenever any issues arose and quickly helped us find a solution,” said Kai Manke. Some small startup problems occurred, with Android devices for example but the system administrator stated this was due to the operating system. C.Hafner found the support from Cortado to be very professional – an additional advantage when choosing the Berlin-based software provider, in addition to its advantageous, native, approach to containerization. After successfully completing the test phase, C.Hafner started productive use of the new solution at the end of January 2019.
The Cortado Server is hosted at C.Hafner’s own premises in Wimsheim, Germany and all 75 mobile devices are now managed via the platform. The IT department found it easy to set up smartphones and tablets and there was no need for training. Installation takes place on devices either via the Cortado self-service portal or by scanning a Cortado-generated barcode which links to a step-by-step guide. Employees receive fully-equipped devices with all the apps they need already installed on them. Maintenance of the Cortado software itself poses no particular challenges to the users and Kai Manke and his colleagues consider administration and upkeep to be straightforward and self-explanatory.
An Additional Bonus – Cortado Workplace App
The main reasons for the MDM solution at C.Hafner are the use of Microsoft Exchange server features, for example email, contacts and the calendar. Cortado Server can also be used as an Exchange Proxy. Instead of addressing Microsoft Exchange, mobile devices connect directly to Cortado Server to receive and send email. This has the advantage that the company does not have to expose its own email server to the internet and can guarantee that only MDM-controlled devices can access emails.
Another feature that Kai Manke didn’t even have in mind at first when it came to MDM, but which the employees were enthusiastic about afterwards was the Cortado Workplace app. This allows them to access the corporate network from their smartphones, including their own drives as well as team drives. Ideal for situations like when you’re in a meeting and don’t have the right document at hand. The Cortado Workplace app is now installed by default on all devices distributed to employees. Cortado Server is therefore no longer just used for fulfilling GDPR requirements but has become a real productivity tool for C.Hafner.