Authored by shubhashini@ibm.com , co-authored by ravindra.k@ibm.com

Location play a crucial role in device management and security within mobile device management (MDM) platforms like IBM MaaS360. These capabality allow organizations to track, manage, and secure their devices based on their geographic locations. 

Steps to Add a Location:

1. Log in to your MaaS360 account using valid credentials.
2. Navigate to Security > Locations.

You can add locations using the following methods:

• Address-Based Location: Configures location based on a specific physical address.
• Wi-Fi-Based Location: Configures location based on a Wi-Fi network’s SSID.

1. Adding an Address-Based Location

Steps to Add Address-Based Location:

1. Click on the Add Address-Based Location button.

2.    In the dialog box, enter the physical address where the device should be located. Specify the range in miles to define the geographic area and Click on the Search button to validate the location.

3.  Enter a Location Name to identify the location and Click Add this specific location with Range to finalize the location creation. The location will then be added to the grid for tracking.

2. Adding a Wi-Fi-Based Location

Steps to Add Wi-Fi-Based Location:

1. Click on the Add Wi-Fi-Based Location button.

2.     Enter the Location Name to identify the location. Specify the Wi-Fi SSID that corresponds to the network the device will connect and Click on the Add button to complete the location creation.The location will be added to the grid for monitoring.

Location Management Options

Once a location is created, the following management options are available:

1. Edit Location
2. Assign Policies
3. Delete Location

Edit Location

To modify the details of an existing location:

1. Click the Edit link next to the location you wish to modify.
• For Address-Based Locations:
• You can edit the address, location name, and range.
• After making changes, click Add this specific location with Range to save the changes.
• To discard changes, click the Close (X) icon.

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• For Wi-Fi-Based Locations:
• You can edit the Wi-Fi SSID.
• After making changes, click Save to apply the changes.
• To discard changes, click Cancel or the Close (X) icon.

Assign Policies

To assign a policy to a location:

1.  Click on the Assign Policy link next to the location.
2.  Select the desired Policy and Group for the location.

       In the assignment window:

• Policy:
  Policies ensure that mobile devices adhere to corporate security standards and enable secure access to company data.
  Policies can be created under Security → Policy.

• Group:
  Groups help organize users and devices for easier management. They allow you to apply policies, deploy apps, and monitor devices based on categories.
  Groups can be created under Users → Groups.

3.     Click Confirm to apply the policy.

Once the policy is assigned, the following will occur:

• Devices within the selected Group that enter this location will inherit the Location Policy.
• If a device is in a Checked-in state, the assigned location policy will take high preference.
• The device will receive a Checked-out Policy once it exits the location, which typically has lower preference than the location policy. The policy assignment depends on the device's group, view, or default policy.

Applying Geo - Fencing via Compliance Rule:

Configure to enforce location related compliance for mobile devices and  specify actions that occur on the device when the device is moved out/checked out  from specified geo-fenced location. For Compliance rule  information refer below blog.

https://community.ibm.com/community/user/blogs/santosh-kushwah/2024/06/05/compliance-rules

Policy Preference During Check-in and Check-out:

• Group Policy:
• Check-in: The device receives the location policy.
• Check-out: The device reverts to its Group Policy.
• Device View Policy:
• Check-in: The device receives the location policy.
• Check-out: The device switches to its Device View Policy.
• Default Policy:
• Check-in: The device receives the location policy.
• Check-out: The device defaults to the Default Policy.

Viewing Device Location Information

To view the location information of a device:

1. Navigate to Devices in the MaaS360 console.
2. Click the View link next to the device for which you want to check the location.
3. Select Location Information from the device details page.

The Location Information section will display the current location policy applied to the device.

Delete Location

To remove an existing location:

1. Click on the Delete link next to the location you wish to delete.
2. A confirmation tab will appear.
• Click Yes to delete the location, or
• Click No to cancel the deletion.

Once confirmed, the location will be removed from the grid and will no longer be tracked or associated with devices.

Conclusion

Location policies in IBM MaaS360 provide a comprehensive way to manage devices based on their geographic or network location. By using address-based or Wi-Fi-based locations, organizations can enforce security policies, monitor device movement, and ensure compliance with organizational standards. The flexibility to edit, assign, and delete locations ensures that MDM administrators have full control over how devices are managed in various locations.