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Virtual mobile infrastructure (VMI) is a software application delivery platform that does not require an application or operating system (OS) to run locally on a mobile device.
When VMI is deployed, the application or operating system runs on a virtual machine (VM) in a remote data center and any data associated with the application is stored there as well. The software is delivered to the endpoint through a remote communications protocol, which is decoded by a client app that runs on the mobile device. Some client apps can even expose local hardware like GPS, accelerometers and cameras to the remote app so the app behaves just as if it were running
locally.
VMI allows an enterprise to develop or acquire only one version of an application and then universally deliver that app to employees regardless of their devices' mobile platform. This approach would allow employees with Apple or Windows mobile devices, for example, to run Android apps. VMI can also simplify data security and mobile application management (MAM) for an IT department, helping employees and managers to comply with their organization's BYOD and compliance policies.
A VMI deployment offers the same advantages as a virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) deployment. Both approaches are useful for separating work and personal environments on the same computing device. When an employee leaves the organization, the organization's IT staff can simply change the employee's access privileges to deny access to the VM and organizational data. The disadvantages are similar as well; for example, the virtualized software will not run without Internet
access.
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