In this fast-changing digital world, enterprises are hyperspeeding toward an always-on, always-connected, mobile-first world. With smartphones and tablets taking over desktops for customers and employees alike, the mobile-first approach is no longer just the latest trend. It’s becoming table stakes. This change has been a boon in many respects, but it has introduced troubling issues related to device security, tracking, and device authenticity. Another tool that is proving instrumental in combating these challenges is the IMEI check.
Knowing how an IMEI check works and why it’s important can go a long way in helping businesses of all types safeguard their mobile assets, stay compliant, and retain user/customer trust and loyalty. In this short article, we’ll take a look at what IMEI checks are, how they work, and why they’re so important in today’s mobile-first business world.
What is an IMEI, anyway?
IMEI is short for International Mobile Equipment Identity. It’s the unique 15-digit number that identifies every mobile device. Consider it like a digital fingerprint for your smartphone. Because no two devices will have the same IMEI number, it can be an effective way to identify and track individual devices.
While consumers might only remember IMEI numbers when their phone is lost or they’re requesting an unlock, for enterprises, these numbers carry a much larger weight, particularly in scenarios where mobile devices are instrumental in day-to-day processes.
What is an IMEI Check?
An IMEI check means using a device’s IMEI number to find out more information about the device, such as:
If it’s been reported stolen or otherwise lost.
If it’s on a carrier’s blacklist
The make and model of the device being used
If it’s locked, though, or a window is closed, then don’t bother.
Warranty and warranty registration information, activation instructions.
There are a number of online tools and databases, some offered by wireless carriers and device manufacturers, that enable a consumer or commercial enterprise to conduct an IMEI check.
Here’s why it matters to mobile-first businesses
In these mobile-first environments, businesses have become increasingly dependent on the smartphone and tablet for communications, customer service, logistics, even remote work and in some cases, sales transactions too. Unfortunately, as mobile is quickly becoming the primary platform in which we all do business, it is emerging as a focal point for fraud, theft and misuse.
Here’s how an IMEI check works, just as a first line of defense to protect and focus your business’s resources.
On-Road Transportation Emissions
1. Provides for Device Integrity
Mobile-first corporations usually buy the devices in bulk. Whether through third-party sellers, leasing agreements, or refurbished marketplaces, there’s often a chance that such procurement leads to counterfeit or unauthorized devices. A simple IMEI check can tell you if a device is real, and not altered or cloned.
By verifying the IMEI, enterprises can ensure the legitimacy of the make and model entering their device ecosystem in order to safeguard against fraudulent activity and maintain adherence to quality control parameters.
2. Deters Use of Stolen Equipment
Especially in corporate environments where employees are using company-issued smartphones, it’s imperative to make sure those devices were legally acquired. A stolen or blacklisted phone could seem functional at the outset but can be blacklisted by networks down the line, causing interruptions.
Doing an IMEI check before onboarding all devices makes it easy for companies to ensure they are compliant and operating ethically. It ensures the entities against taking a risk with the investment since a flagged device could easily become unusable later on.
3. Facilitates Device Lifecycle Management
As enterprises scale, so does the management of devices. Each smartphone or tablet might be pooled among employees, and tracking them all is central to a business’s operational efficiency. Additionally, using the IMEI number (as a unique identifier tied to the hardware) allows a simpler means of tracking the lifecycle of a device—from purchase through retirement.
A business can easily leverage IMEI numbers to:
Automatically register devices during onboarding
Surveillance of Device Use and Device Ownership
Replace or maintain devices proactively when maintenance is indicated.
Stop it at the source by providing robust funding to maintain equipment so it doesn’t get lost or go missing
An IMEI check tool can assist in checking whether or not a device is still covered by a warranty, saving businesses money on device repairs or replacements.
4. Elevates Security and Privacy Protection
Businesses that are mobile-first by necessity tend to keep a lot of sensitive information directly on these devices—client and customer information, communication logs, billing data, proprietary documents. When a device with this data is lost or stolen, that data is compromised. An IMEI check can assist in tracking down your lost device, or if it was stolen, reporting it as such will have it blacklisted and rendered useless to thieves.
Additionally, we know that a number of mobile device management (MDM) systems, like those deployed in many workplaces and school systems, automatically incorporate IMEI numbers into their security protocols. This gives IT departments the ability to locate, lock, and wipe any device remotely should it be lost or stolen.
5. Supports Regulatory Compliance
Regardless of the above and depending on the industry, companies could find themselves subject to stiff data protection regulations and stringent sourcing requirements on equipment. IMEI tracking IMEI checks IMEI monitoring IMEI database IMEI blacklist IMEI IMEI smuggling IMEI tracking to prevent and enforce IMEI tracking and checks are key components of IMEI ban enforcement regulations.
Take, for instance, industries such as healthcare, finance, or government services.
The introduction of any unapproved or black-listed device on the internal network may result in massive fines. Conducting routine IMEI checks mitigates these dangers and keeps the enterprise on the right side of the law.
6. Saves Trouble When Reselling or Recycling Devices
In fact, at the end of a device’s life cycle, many companies actively sell, trade in or recycle their equipment. A simple IMEI check before purchasing one guarantees its compatibility and alerts you to potential network locks or blacklist issues tied to the device. This ensures a seamless transfer and often leads to higher resale value.
Some buyers will ask for an IMEI number ahead of time to verify it themselves, which instills confidence and transparency between parties.
7. In order to maintain public support, the system protects against internal misuse.
Unfortunately, device misuse isn’t limited to outside forces. In some cases, employees can even swap out a company-issued device for a personal one or sell the original. By having a centralized database of IMEI numbers, for instance, companies can have much tighter control of their inventory and can immediately tell if a different or unauthorized device is being used in place of it.
Routine IMEI checks allow you to identify any discrepancies sooner rather than later, which helps protect against loss and misuse within your organization.
In a post-COVID world, more and more people are living their lives online.
As the mobile-first mindset continues to shape today’s business environment, so does the desire for greater control and management of mobile devices. One simple IMEI check provides a robust remedy that addresses several issues, from verifying whether a device is legitimate to bolstering network security and preventing roaming fraud, theft, and more.
Though this seems like a minor point, ultimately, underestimating the significance of the IMEI number can lead to lost time, money, and reputation for your company. By ensuring that IMEI checks are included as a standard component of any smart mobile strategy, your enterprise can be smarter, safer, and more efficient in its operations.
Whether you’re responsible for a fleet of ten smartphones or a thousand, the importance of the IMEI check is far too consequential to overlook in today’s mobile-driven landscape.
