De Vere Hotels revamps its current mobile strategy

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De Vere Hotels needed to revamp its current mobile strategy, including updating its current fleet of mobile handsets, streamlining provisioning time for allocating devices to new users, and adhering to relevant security practices. De Vere turned to Appurity as a trusted technology partner to deliver this project.

Background

De Vere is a collection of historic mansion house estates and distinctive contemporary hotels and event destinations well located around London, the southeast and the Cotswolds. De Vere operates over 260 meeting rooms and over 1,800 bedrooms, with a workforce of over 1,000. Across the portfolio, De Vere’s iconic country estate hotels have recently undergone a multi-million refurbishment.

Appurity is a team of cross-platform mobility consultants specialising in security solutions for mobile devices and applications. Appurity’s experts are trusted by several leading technology partners including Apple, Google (Android Enterprise), Samsung, Lookout, Absolute (inc Netmotion), BlackBerry, Ivanti (MobileIron) and Microsoft. Appurity’s consultancy services provide clients with in-depth knowledge on leading technologies that can help them to develop secure and efficient mobile strategies.

Challenge: Refresh a complete fleet of devices, complete with an updated unified endpoint management (UEM) solution. Ensure the streamlining of De Vere’s operational processes, including: reprovisioning devices for new users, utilising devices effectively for room management, and securing critical applications (including email client) for use across the nine sites.

De Vere had an existing UEM solution, implemented and managed by Appurity. This solution had been in place for several years and had served the company and its users well during this time. However, the existing UEM solution required a refresh, and the company required a solution that could streamline operational processes at a competitive price and meet the needs of the business as its operational practices evolve. Additionally, the handsets used across the organisation were reaching end-of-life and needed replacing.

One of the key challenges facing De Vere was the speed at which they could deliver new devices to staff members. In the hospitality industry, the damage rate to handheld devices is high. Additionally, the industry has a high staff turnover. The ability to get handsets reprovisioned and directly into the end user’s hands was a lengthy process, with the devices physically sent to the main office for changeover before being sent back out to new users.

The solution

Appurity worked closely with De Vere to learn more about the organisation’s needs and wants in order to develop a secure, bespoke solution that would enhance the team’s existing capabilities. De Vere works across busy sites, with large numbers of staff, and the solution needed to retain and improve several functions, including: the ability to lock down devices remotely, track handsets, and reprovision devices efficiently.

De Vere decided on an Ivanti Neurons for UEM (formerly MobileIron) solution delivered on Samsung devices. Appurity recommended Samsung A32 devices for the refresh and, once agreed by the customer, procured over 150 of these.

The devices were fully prepared by the Appurity team, with step-by-step build documentation and complete policy configuration – this is all part of Appurity’s Gold Build Standard.

The build included:

• Ivanti Neurons for UEM, providing employees’ secure and remote access to email and other applications. Sentry ensures that the ActiveSync server is protected, providing an additional layer of security for the on-premise infrastructure and blocking unauthorised access.
• Android Zero-Touch enrolment – Appurity built the devices using Android zero-touch enrolment, allowing the De Vere team to simply open the boxes and start using the devices straight away, with all the applications, policies, management levels and configurations set and ready to go.
• Appurity’s Gold Build standard – As part of Appurity’s Gold Build standard, all the devices were delivered fully prepared, with step-by-step build documentation. The devices were shipped directly to site, complete even with cases and screen protectors. Appurity’s Gold Build standard is a one-stop shop for complete device build and delivery. After the devices had been deployed, Appurity worked closely with the De Vere team to make tweaks to their solution, roll out necessary applications, and offer additional security defences for the devices.

Outcomes

Thanks to Appurity’s redesign for the reprovisioning of devices, De Vere has further streamlined its device handover processes. The handsets can be remotely wiped and reallocated to a new user, with all the applications and security policies pre-set. New users can even be added to existing handsets. Using Android Enterprise Zero Touch, the device deployment time has decreased from four days to just 20 minutes – devices are no longer sent to a physical office before being sent on to new users, and instead devices can be handed over quickly and efficiently.

One of De Vere’s key uses for handheld devices is room management at its sites. The UEM solution now enables room management teams to update repairs directly on their devices, as well as log when a room has been cleaned, cleared and ready for the next check-in. All room servicing is done via handsets – no physical paper trails required. This has vastly reduced downtime, and streamlines existing processes by ensuring repair notes and room checks do not get lost or miscommunicated.

The ability to install applications on the devices was critical for De Vere. Appurity gave several options to the team for communications applications, with De Vere ultimately choosing the Outlook client. The De Vere team were pleased with Outlook’s integration. Appurity ensured throughout this part of the process that De Vere was happy with each step, understood and approved all security and application choices, all with minimal disruption to existing processes and workflows.

Because Appurity always delivers an end-to-end solution, as part of the project with De Vere, the team offers continued MobileIron technical support.

About Appurity

Appurity specialises in delivering best in-class mobile and application security solutions to law firms.

Mobile and application security is vital in the legal world where data leakage, unsecured devices and apps pose a major risk. Legal professionals are prime targets for malicious actors looking to access sensitive information. Firms must safeguard information both on the endpoint and cloud while providing access to data.

As a verified Android Enterprise Service Provider and member of the Apple Consultants Network, Appurity provides bespoke end-to-end security, endpoint to Cloud – delivering solutions within the Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) framework including Mobile Threat Defence (MTD), Cloud security (CASB) and Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA).

Appurity enables greater productivity with enhanced security.