IT departments have experienced numerous changes in the way they manage and control user devices. Starting with the traditional CRT monitor-based computers, to modern smartphones, technological developments have been remarkable. Additionally, with the COVID-19 pandemic, employees are restricted to work from home, making the IT administration routines challenging for system administrators. Nevertheless, devices and users have to be kept secure and enterprises are swiftly adopting the modern management approach to secure their remote workforce.
Taking care of remote workforce began with enterprise mobility management (EMM), transitioned to unified endpoint management (UEM), and has evolved to modern management. In this blog, we’ll learn about modern management, its importance, how will it simplify enterprise IT management, market analysis, and its benefits.
What is modern management?
Modern management, also called modern endpoint management, is the process for managing legacy and modern applications in a unified way by providing enhanced oversight, security, and awareness to IT departments. Transformational connectivity, which empowers full-time employees and contract workers on the go, irrespective of their devices or platforms, is also a crucial component of modern management.
The objective of modern management is to transform enterprise IT security management and the end-user experience so it is more accessible, reliable, and secure.
Why is modern management a game changer for your enterprise?
With the evolution of technology, new hardware and software is coming into the market every year. Devices like Chromebooks, IoTs, smartphones and kiosk devices demand a mobile device management approach, while devices like servers and desktop computers demand traditional PC management tools. Similarly, certain devices employ legacy applications, while others employ modern applications, such as customized business apps on smartphones. Furthermore, the diversified pool of user types, including full-time, part-time, contract, partners, and seasonal users have made IT routines cumbersome for system administrators.
This complex environment has made IT management routines imperative for system administrators, especially with the various types of devices and applications in the workplace. A unified modern endpoint management approach untangles the ecosystem, by enabling admins to manage, control, and secure all complex devices, applications and user access through a single workflow and displayed on a single console.
The graphic below from Statista shows the breakdown by individual age groups of those who accessed the internet on a mobile phone in Great Britain from 2010-2019. This graph clearly shows the increase in the usage of mobile phones.
Also, here is another metrics from CSS Insight which shows the time usage of different devices by employees.
The above statistics for a contemporary workplace, shows why a this unified endpoint management approach is vital for enterprises.
Evolution of modern management
IT management began with the physical troubleshooting of computers, and subsequently became known as traditional PC management. The embrace of client management tools (CMT), that involves an agent being installed on the network to monitor operations, increased IT productivity. Later, the introduction of enterprise mobility management (EMM) enabled IT to manage roaming users, which further improved productivity and security. Recently, EMM and CMT combined to evolve into unified endpoint management (UEM) that enables IT admins to manage, secure, and control devices irrespective of their location, platform, and device models from one single console.
UEM enhanced IT security management to a new level, and most enterprises worldwide are adapting this IT management approach. However, now another evolution will motivate IT departments to manage, secure, control, and audit devices, users and applications from one single console without any individual configuration. This new approach that brings security and management together is called “modern management”.
Looking at it another way, as in the image below, in earlier days people used horses to move from one place to another, which was similar to our physical IT administration routines. Later, people combined horses and carriages together to pull larger loads more efficiently, which was similar to traditional PC management. Then came the engineers, building the cars for faster and more comfortable transportation; just like EMM, that provides simple, yet efficient remote mobile device management. The development of trains and steam engines made the transportation of people straightforward, reliable and efficient, like the unified endpoint management approach. Now, modern management is more like an aircraft, making things even more efficient, reliable, swift, stable, simple, and comfortable irrespective of the load. Across borders and around the clock, modern management is a boon for enterprise IT management.
Anatomy of modern management
Modern management is a combination of various devices, platforms and users as shown in the image below. Additionally, this modern endpoint management is only possible if the fundamentals of UEM are in place in the enterprise.
Four major benefits of adapting modern management
Users and sysadmins benefit from this approach
Modern management delivers a modern workplace to users enabling them to work hassle-free across devices, with utmost security and safety, and from anywhere. Meanwhile, sysadmins can experience a common, reliable, and consistent procedure to manage, secure, and enable users across devices and platforms with the utmost simplicity. Both users and sysadmins benefit from the secure, hassle-free management it provides.
Saves time and effort for sysadmins
Sysadmins and other IT technicians always need to prioritize their tasks to achieve maximum productivity. With modern endpoint management, most of their tasks can be automated, reducing their involvement unless it is a unique scenario. With a cloud-based approach, the management and security of devices is achievable. Based on the type of business operations, a sysadmins task can be prioritized by studying actual deployments and data points, plus empowering admins with vital data for making informed and rational infrastructure decisions.
Enhanced end-user experience
Users have increasingly high expectations about device boot times, quick app launches, and better communication capabilities over their smartphones. Paradoxically, their desktop computers may not be as efficient as their mobile devices due to localized software, boot time, platform centric complications, outdated firmware, and hardware constraints.
With this modern endpoint management, any device that the user can access is updated and equipped with business centric applications, and boot time glitches or other issues are resolved promptly using remote troubleshooting capabilities. Modern endpoint management also enables admins and users to swiftly fix issues which helps ensure work can be resumed quickly. All these simplified, yet efficient approaches enhance the end-user experience overall.
Increases security
With a unified console, sysadmins have access to all sorts of endpoint security protocols like patch management, vulnerability management, browser security management, software blacklisting and whitelisting, USB security management, zero-trust security, automated health checkup of endpoints, email and content security, port securities, and more.
The power to provision and enroll devices, distribute applications and configurations, update applications, secure IT assets, and remotely control them establishes a strong device and data security in the network, making this approach an efficient and reliable approach to enterprise IT management.
Market analysis of modern management
Since modern management falls under the UEM category, it’s important to have a look at the existing market, the players, and their position in the quadrants.
With the launch of Microsoft’s Endpoint Manager, modern management will supersede endpoint management. The image below shows various perspectives towards the UEM market from different analysts. To make a rational decision it is best for the IT managers to know the players, know their capabilities, and know where the vendors are with their transition to modern management.
Modern management from ManageEngine
ManageEngine has already proven its efficiency and scalability in the UEM domain over the past few years through its industry-recognized endpoint management solution Desktop Central, and now is embracing modern management methods. With Desktop Central transitioning and adding additional modern management capabilities, it will continue to address the evolving endpoint management solution needs.
Learn more about Desktop Central’s modern management capabilities using these resources:
With the launch of the Desktop Central Cloud scheduled for this year, modern management capabilities will expand further. Before that release, you can take advantage of the on-premises version of Desktop Central, the endpoint management solution that helps manage thousands of devices from a central location. Check out a free 30-day trial version of our modern management nominee Desktop Central to start making the best of your enterprise IT security management.
** Optrics Inc. is an Authorized ManageEngine partner
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