Modern Device Management
What is it?
Modern device management is a strategy for deploying, managing, upgrading and retiring devices using cloud first principles and technologies.
History
Historically, corporate devices and users were typically office based, working from home was not the norm, and sales teams were often the only people permitted to be working remotely due to customer meetings.
Fast forward to 2020, a global pandemic hits and almost everybody was forced to work from home. For some organisations this was not a huge challenge, but for traditional businesses who had an office-based culture it was.
While Active Directory, Group Policy and office-based policies and procedures worked great when you were often in the office, they were truly stretched when entire workforces were now working from home.
Why is it important?
Corporate endpoints, whether laptops, mobiles or tablets are now where the majority of attacks spawn from – typically because of social engineering attacks against users.
The main reasons why modern device management makes sense are:
- A device can be managed from anywhere, allowing mobile devices to be truly mobile.
- The user experience is the same no matter where the device is located – no need to periodically connect to a VPN to sync policies.
- Security can be implemented, monitored and maintained no matter where the device is.
- The ability to block or allow a device based on location, installed software (of lack of) or a device risk policy, for example too many pending security updates required.
- The ability to locate and remote wipe a lost device.
- Updates and patching can be performed no matter where the device is.
How we can help...
Our team has experience delivering modern device management across small to medium businesses, all the way through to large enterprise environments. We are also very familiar with the challenges associated with hardening and updating devices to avoid having vulnerable devices.
We can assist with:
- Understanding your current level of maturity
- Planning the transition to modern device management – often through pilot groups
- Correcting and implementing the strategy, including communications to stakeholders
- Navigating user objections – often one of the biggest roadblocks
- Ongoing management of the solution – through patching, upgrades and managing security vulnerabilities.
To find out more about our Modern Device Management services, please contact us today.
