MDM frustrates many users because they can't use the same device for business and personal applications -- and also because they find a dearth of useful enterprise apps developed under the constrictions of MDM. Therefore, the needs of the developer are also an important consideration in the MDM/MAM debate.

And here MAM also provides advantages over the MDM approach. It provides a better channel for the development, testing, refining and publishing of enterprise mobile applications; some of our customers report shrinking development cycles from weeks to days.

MAM complements the agile development methodologies most mobile projects use today. It makes app projects more successful, and improves both adoption and usage rates. The development process places the app creators as close to the stakeholder as possible. They can quickly push new builds out to the user community and gather feedback. MDM, on the other hand, has a harder-to-manage development lifecycle and usually doesn't offer direct access to enterprise end users.

MDM was conceived of as a purely defensive weapon -- an extension of traditional systems management practices that focuses mainly on locking or wiping clean compromised mobile devices. It's since been expanded to include staple functionality like firmware upgrades, remote diagnostics and administration, asset tracking and management, and provisioning. All are fundamental tools for IT.