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4 Ways Unified Endpoint Management Can Benefit Your Business

Unified endpoint management (UEM) recently emerged as an alternative to traditional mobility management solutions. UEM allows IT to remotely control, change and secure mobile devices along with desktops and Internet of Things devices. Many organizations in the enterprise are switching to this type of solution, which has some of the remaining decision makers wondering if they should make the move as well.

A UEM tool can manage devices across various platforms, lockdown hardware and secure data. And while ComputerWorld reported that this type of solution doesn’t feature a full set of tools, some have predicted that a change is on the horizon as UEM products are reportedly becoming more capable.

“Some vendors are further along than others in terms of a full set of features and having the broadest set of devices supported,” Phil Hockmuth, program director for Enterprise Mobility research at IDC, told ComputerWorld. “Most vendors can manage Windows 10 equally well at a base level, as they all access a common set of APIs and management hooks in the OS for MDM-based management.”

VMWare, MobileIron, BlackBerry and Ivanti are just some of the providers that have added UEM capabilities to their offerings in order to secure Windows and various other endpoints including Chromebooks. In a recent Ivanti blog post, the vendor shares four big business benefits of a UEM solution.

The information reportedly came from a recent study, “Unified Endpoint Management: Simplifying the Security and Support of PC and Mobile Devices,” from Enterprise Management Associates (EMA). EMA surveyed more than 100 IT directors in order to come up with the benefits of UEM for IT departments, users and the enterprise in general. Here are just four of those:

UEM Subdues Complexity of Endpoints

According to Ivanti, EMA learned that the average business professional typically uses at least two computing devices such as laptops, tablets, desktops, or smartphones to complete their job responsibilities. And about half of all workers reportedly use both a PC and a mobile device during a regular day at the office. This means that an organization has to support at least four different operating environments, which are all configured differently and come with a variety of apps and services that can be difficult to manage.

EMA reportedly suggests utilizing UEM platforms to simplify the management of devices.

“Organizations should look for platforms that provide fully-integrated support for all endpoint devices in their support stack, rather than a collection of point solutions that are simply accessed from a common console,” according to the report.

UEM Makes IT Security Tighter

Security is vital for businesses and IT managers alike, and it was labeled as the most difficult and costly practice in the EMA report. UEM can help with security as most platforms feature fully integrated support for security assurance.

“In this way, administrators can employ a common set of processes for recording device information, patching and updating software components, provisioning applications, and ensuring continuous security compliance,” according to the report. “Additionally, a single set of user profiles defining access rights, privileges, and default configurations can be maintained for all supported device platforms to ensure consistency and eliminate duplicate management efforts.”

The Center for Internet Security (CIS) says it’s vital to have the top five of its recommended controls in order to reduce the risk of cyberattacks by 85 percent. A modern UEM tool can reportedly enable four of those five:

  • Inventory of authorized and unauthorized devices
  • Inventory of authorized and unauthorized software
  • Secure endpoint configurations
  • Control of administrative privileges

UEM Gives Productivity a Boost

According to EMA, a forward-thinking UEM solution is key when it comes to creating consistent and valuable user experiences. Productivity is increased when users can focus solely on the tasks they have to complete.

“When business application, data, and services are accessible in a predictable way, with the same restrictions and access requirements for all devices, users are liberated to employ any device they find most appropriate to their current location and the tasks they need to perform. In this way, IT services are directly aligned with business requirements to deliver a more efficient and cost-effective approach to client lifecycle management that addresses the demanding service delivery challenges of a mobile workforce,” EMA reported.

UEM Leads to Better Business Decisions

An innovative UEM solution can provide valuable insights regarding your endpoints, which can lead to better business decisions. It can also lead to finding ways to reduce costs, enhance performance, tighten security and more, according to Ivanti.

Click here to learn more about the differences between UEM, mobile device management (MDM), enterprise mobility management (EMM), and mobile application management (MAM). And once you’ve decided which tool is best for you, download a copy of our Buyer’s Guide complete with vendor profiles and more to help you find the right solution for your business.

Download Link to MDM Buyer's Guide

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