Case Study: Speck Pumpen
Thanks to Cortado, Speck Pumpen’s on-site engineers and field sales representatives can carry on using apps, like WhatsApp, on their phones, without infringing the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
When Speck Pumpen’s engineers and field sales representatives are on a call-out for repairs or out helping clients find suitable pumping equipment, their iPhones and iPads are always at hand. Their broad product portfolio includes pumps for domestic and industrial applications as well as for swimming pools and aquaculture.
The iOS devices are helpful in variety of ways: working on documents, answering calls or e-mails and taking down reports or orders. A few of the pump-experts also like to use the popular messaging app WhatsApp. This last point used to be a headache for the company’s IT-department. They had to make sure WhatsApp couldn’t access the corporate address book and relay the information back to WhatsApp’s servers, otherwise the company was in danger of infringing the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), punishable by heavy penalties.
Banning WhatsApp was out of the question. What they wanted was a product that could set up a mobile, GDPR-conform workspace on iOS devices and still allow freedom for private apps, like WhatsApp, to be used risk-free.
Stefan Dörr, Head of Finance and HR at SPECK Pumpen, was given the job of finding a suitable solution. After reviewing different mobile device management programs, he went for Cortado Server. Cortado Server separates the corporate contacts and each user’s Microsoft Exchange account from the rest of the iPhone or iPad. A policy, enforced by Cortado, prevents the exchange of data between corporate assets and non-managed apps, like WhatsApp. Fifteen employees are now using 30 iPhones and iPads – all managed by Cortado Server. The mobile application management capabilities of Cortado Server also allow administrators to share and remotely install relevant apps. Microsoft Office Suite, a note-taking app and a mail app were swiftly installed on each device. Speck Pumpen also deployed their own self-made app with ease, helping the team find suitable pump models according to temperature data or required flow rates while on the field.
Using Cortado’s solution offers GDPR conformity and extra bonuses. “In the past, each employee used his own apps, resulting in many different programs and a huge amount of work with the invoices”, says Stefan Dörr. However, as the required apps are now centrally distributed to employees, Stefan now has a clear overview of them all.
So, what does the future hold for Speck Pumpen? Stefan Dörr says “Sooner or later we’ll link the mobile devices to the SAP system so that we can swap laptops for iPads”. The Head of Finance and HR is eager, at least partially, to replace laptops and PCs with iPads as this will not only save on costs, but also help employees travel with lighter bags.
Stefan Dörr says “Even I find Cortado Server easy to use, and I’m by no means an IT-pro. Getting started was simple and the Cortado support team were competent, helpful and at our side. I’m a happy camper.”