In the age of digital transformation, efficient use of IT resources is essential for companies to remain competitive. Client management, which includes the administration, configuration and security of end devices such as desktop PCs, plays a central role here.
Organizations must ensure that their IT infrastructure remains stable and secure while remaining flexible enough to adapt to new requirements.
The most important things in brief
How SOFTTAILOR supports you: As part of our Endpoint Strategy We manage your clients centrally and securely — including software packaging and system hardening.
1.What is client management?
Client Management (CM) refers to central administration and control from devices within an organization. The aim is to ensure that all devices work consistently, efficiently and always in accordance with applicable security guidelines and are regularly provided with updates. The The focus is often on classic office workstations.
2. Why is client management important?
The importance of client management lies in its ability to help companies maintain control of their devices that to increase IT infrastructure efficiency and minimize security risks.
In modern organizations that use a variety of devices, effective client management is crucial to prevent cyber attacks, security gaps, and compatibility issues.
“In today's digital working world, robust client management is essential to meet diverse requirements and react flexibly to changes. ”
Dorian Garbe, managing director of SOFTTAILOR
3. Objectives and benefits of client management
Client management pursues several central goals that directly contribute to the efficiency and security of a company. These goals and the associated benefits can be summarized as follows:
- Ensuring device security: Through regular updates, patches and the implementation of security policies — the so-called System hardening — client management protects end devices from potential threats such as malware and cyber attacks.
- Consistency and standardization: Client management ensures that all devices operate with the same configurations, software versions and security settings. This reduces sources of error and makes it easier to manage the device fleet.
- Optimizing IT operating processes: By centrally managing and automating many administrative tasks (e.g. software distribution or troubleshooting), client management relieves the IT department, which can thus concentrate on strategic tasks.
- Cost savings: Automated client management lowers operating costs through more efficient use of resources, less downtime, and reduced need for manual support.
- Smooth onboarding & increasing end user productivity: Employees benefit from smoothly functioning devices and quick problem solutions, which increases their productivity.
- Compliance and auditing: Client management makes it easy to comply with legal and internal regulations by centrally managing and logging all device activities.
Through these goals and benefits, client management ensures that companies can work efficiently, securely and in compliance with the law and at the same time provide the basis for modern, flexible IT workplaces.
4. Client Management Functions and Tasks
Client management comprises a variety of functions and tasks that ensure that all devices within an organization are managed efficiently and securely. Key functions and tasks include:
- Software distribution and update: Client management centrally manages applications and updates and rolls them out to all relevant devices. This guarantees that all devices are provided via software packages, have the latest versions and compatibility issues are minimized.
- patch management: Security updates and patches are automatically deployed and installed to close security gaps and prevent cyber attacks.
- Inventory and monitoring: All devices are continuously inventoried and monitored. This gives IT teams an overview of the entire device fleet, including hardware and software information as well as the current status of the devices.
- Remote maintenance and support: In the event of technical problems, devices can be managed and maintained remotely via the client management system. In this way, support tickets can be processed more quickly and end user productivity can be ensured.
- Security policy management: Client management enables security policies such as password requirements, access controls, and encryption standards to be enforced on all managed devices. Ideally, complete system hardening is carried out.
- Backup and recovery solutions: Regular backups can be set up to protect critical data and, in the event of a device failure or loss of data, recovery processes can be initiated.
These features and tasks make client management an essential tool for IT departments to reduce operating costs, minimize security risks, and improve end user experience.
5. Client management as part of Unified Endpoint Management (UEM)
Client management is an important part of the overall concept of Unified Endpoint Management (UEM), although the terms are often used interchangeably.
While client management is more focused on managing classic desktops and laptops, UEM goes a step further and includes managing all endpoints, including mobile devices, IoT devices, and other connected devices.
You can find further details in our existing blog article Endpoint vs. client vs. device management, which provides an in-depth insight into the various management approaches.
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6. Conclusion
Client management is critical for companies to improve their Devices efficient, secure and consistent to manage. It enables IT teams to centrally control devices — from deploying new patches to maintenance and security. This results in higher employee productivity, optimized operating processes and a reduction in IT costs. In an increasingly complex and decentralized world of work, client management is therefore a essential tool for companies.
At the same time, client management is an essential component of Unified endpoint management (UEM), which goes beyond traditional device management and includes all networked devices in a company. Companies that rely on a holistic management concept can thus increase efficiency, minimize security risks and adapt flexibly to new requirements.
Dorian has been involved in corporate and IT strategy since 2011. Due to the endpoint security deficiencies of many companies and the information overload, he developed the endpoint strategy. Dorian is co-founder of the “Endpoint Management” expert group at IAMCP e.V.
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