How To
Summary
In modern enterprise environments, device management requires high speed, accuracy, and automation. Organizations with mobile workforces, shift-based operations, retail teams, or frontline personnel need a device management platform capable of dynamically adapting to changes in user roles, locations, departments, or device conditions. Smart Device Groups address these operational demands by enabling near real-time device group evaluation. This ability helps ensure that the devices are automatically updated and relevant policies or applications are deployed near real-time following any attribute change. As a result, organizations can maintain operational continuity, strengthen compliance, and substantially reduce manual administrative effort.
Objective
This feature is beneficial to the following.
- Organizations employing shift‑based personnel or operating with rapidly evolving team configurations.
- Retail operations with location-based device configurations.
- Manufacturing environments that require department-specific policy enforcement.
- Enterprises that depend on rapid and automated policy deployment.
By using Smart Device Groups, organizations can improve operational agility, can maintain consistent policy enforcement, and support evolving business requirements with greater efficiency.
What Are Smart Device Groups?
Smart Device Groups in IBM® MaaS360® are dynamic, intelligence-driven device groups that automatically update device membership in near real-time based on attribute changes. IBM® MaaS360® evaluates the devices immediately whenever key attributes are modified.
How It Works!
Attribute Change Detection
IBM® MaaS360® monitors specified device attributes continuously.
Immediate Evaluation
When an attribute value changes, the device is reevaluated against Smart Device Group criteria.
Automatic Membership Update
The device is instantly added to or removed from the group.
Rapid Deployment
Associated policies, apps, rules, or configurations are deployed near real-time.
Key Innovation
The fundamental innovation represents a transition from scheduled batch evaluations to an event‑driven processing model, enabling IBM® MaaS360® to react to attribute changes immediately rather than waiting for the next scheduled evaluation cycle.
Key Features
Near Real-Time Evaluation
Device group membership updates near real-time of attribute changes.
Comprehensive Attribute Support
Works with device information, user information, and custom attributes.
Automatic Policy Deployment
Policies, apps, rules, and configurations deploy immediately upon group membership change.
Benefits
- Reduced administrative processes with automated deployments.
- Improved security posture through faster policy enforcement.
- Better user experience with timely access to required tools.
- Greater operational agility for dynamic workforces.
Steps
Smart Device Groups
To update the Smart Device Grouping page from the IBM® MaaS360® Portal, see Smart Device Group evaluation.
Additional Resources
For more information, see Introducing Smart Device Groups in IBM® MaaS360®.
Document Location
Worldwide
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Document Information
Modified date:
26 March 2026
UID
ibm17263050