SkieWhy does Skie collect a device's IMEI?
Skie collects the IMEI, along with the serial number and an enrolment ID, to identify the device. It is used to tell which device is which, to produce a police report when one is lost and to recognise a reset device so it does not take a second seat. It is device identity, not information about the student.
An IMEI is a number that identifies a phone's radio hardware. Tablets without cellular have no IMEI, so Skie also uses the serial number and a per-device enrolment ID. Together they form the device's identity, tied to the key and the signed policies that device accepts.
There are three practical uses. First, identity: each device is recognised with certainty in your dashboard, so rules go to the right place. Second, lost devices: a police report usually asks for the IMEI, serial and SIM details, and Skie assembles them with the location trail so the school does not have to dig through boxes. Third, recognition: if a device is reset and enrolled again, Skie recognises the IMEI or serial and does not use up a second seat.
The IMEI is a device identifier, not a record of what the student does. Skie does not use it to read messages, calls or content. It sits alongside the rest of the narrow data set: installed apps, compliance and, where used, location.
Because the IMEI is useful to a thief or a fraudster only in limited ways, it is still sensible to treat it as organisation data and keep it within the roles that need it. The dashboard roles let you do that.
A practical tip: keep your own asset register in step, with the IMEI or serial recorded against the student or group at handover. When a device goes missing, you will have two sources that match.