In the IT world, there are two terms that frequently appear together. However, they solve very different things: asset management and MDM.
The confusion makes sense. Both tools orbit around the same object - your company's equipment - but they solve different problems.
Imagine someone leaves the company. Their access needed to be revoked, their notebook locked remotely, and the data wiped before they left their house. That is MDM.
On the other hand, if you need to know how many devices the company has, who has each one, and which one is free to reassign - that is asset management.
Using only one believing it covers everything is one of the most common mistakes we see in growing startups. Here we explain what each one does, where they overlap, and why in most cases you need both.
What is hardware asset management
Asset management answers a central question: what does your company have, who has it, and what state is it in?
It is operational visibility. Knowing that you have 47 active laptops, that 3 are being repaired, and that 8 are with the team in Colombia. And that there are 2 that should have been returned during last month's offboarding but have not appeared.
It covers the hardware lifecycle. From the moment you buy the equipment until you retrieve, reassign, or decommission it. It includes shipment tracking, stock control, and renewal alerts.
What it does NOT do: It does not access the device. It does not adjust anything, install software, block access, or wipe data remotely. |
What is MDM
MDM (Mobile Device Management) answers another question: what is happening inside that device and who has control over it?
It is technical and security management. With an MDM you can configure a device remotely before it reaches the employee. You can enforce security rules, install or block apps. And if it is lost or stolen, you can lock or wipe it from anywhere.
What it does NOT do: It does not tell you where that device is in your inventory. It does not manage the purchase, nor does it coordinate the delivery or recovery when someone leaves. |
Quick comparison
Asset management | MDM | |
|---|---|---|
What question does it answer? | What does the company have and who has it? | What is happening inside the computer? |
Layer covered | Operational and admin | Technical and security |
Who uses it? | People, IT Ops, Founders | IT, Security |
Inventory and traceability | ✅ | ❌ |
Assignment and reassignment | ✅ | ❌ |
Shipment tracking | ✅ | ❌ |
Operational offboarding | ✅ | ❌ |
Stock and renewal alerts | ✅ | ❌ |
Remote computer settings | ❌ | ✅ |
Security policies | ❌ | ✅ |
Remote lock or wipe | ❌ | ✅ |
App installation and restriction | ❌ | ✅ |
Enrollment (ABM, Intune) | ❌ | ✅ |
Where they are similar and where they are not
Both work with the same equipment and share some data. That is why it is easy to think they overlap more than they actually do.
The key difference lies in the level at which they operate:
Asset management operates at an operational level. It is the layer used by People, the founder, or the IT ops manager. It answers inventory, logistics, and lifecycle questions.
MDM operates at a technical level. It is the layer needed by the IT team or the security manager. It answers settings, access, and data questions.
A simple analogy: asset management is knowing you have a fleet of cars, who is driving each one, and when the inspection is due. MDM is having remote control over each car: you can start it, turn it off, and see what is inside.
When do you need MDM?
You have employees with access to sensitive data: clients, finances, code
There have been or could be cases of equipment loss or theft
You need to configure devices remotely before they reach the employee
You want to enforce security rules without relying on each person to configure them
You have Apple devices and want to use enrollment with ABM
Someone leaves and you need to immediately revoke access and wipe data
Your company operates in fintech, healthtech, or legaltech with compliance requirements
When do you need asset management?
You don't know how many devices the company has or where each one is
You have had devices that got lost or didn't return after an offboarding
Onboarding is resolved "as best as possible" every time, without a clear process
The team is in more than one country and logistics are managed via WhatsApp or spreadsheets
Nobody knows when to renew equipment until something fails
More than one person needs to see the inventory but the info is only in one person's head
The team is growing and operational chaos is growing with it
Why you need both
Here is the point we care most about clarifying.
If you only have asset management, you know where your devices are and who has them. But if one is lost, or someone leaves and does not return the device - you can't do anything with what's inside. The data is still there, accessible.
If you only have MDM, you can control the devices technically. But you don't have visibility into the inventory. You don't know how many devices the company has, which ones are free, when to replenish stock, or how the logistical offboarding is going.
The two complement each other. One without the other leaves blind spots. In startups with teams in several countries, those blind spots become costly problems faster than it seems.
How we solve it at First Plug
At First Plug, we offer both layers.
The asset management platform is free for our clients. It covers operational visibility: inventory, assignments, offboarding, and shipment tracking.
The MDM is an additional layer for companies that need technical control and security over their devices.
Not all companies need MDM from day one. But they all need to know where their equipment is and what is happening with it. That is why we separate them: so that each company starts from where it makes sense and adds layers as they grow.
What do you need today?
You don't know how many devices the company has or who has each one: you need asset management.
You have devices with sensitive data and cannot block or wipe them remotely: you need MDM.
Your company is growing and you already have people in several countries: you probably need both.
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