The more clients an IT department manages, the harder it becomes to manually keep track of software versions, configurations, and device statuses. Once you reach several hundred or thousand devices, centralized processes and tools are essential.
This is exactly where client management comes in. While the term originated in the classic administration of Windows workstations, it remains highly relevant today—though the technical capabilities and the boundaries between it, endpoint management, and UEM have evolved significantly.
The most important things in brief
- Efficient management: Client management enables central control and configuration of end devices, which relieves IT departments and automates processes.
- Increased safety: Through patch management, policies, and monitoring, CM protects companies from cyber threats and ensures the latest security standards.
- Part of UEM: As part of Unified Endpoint Management, CM integrates the management of all endpoints to ensure a uniform and secure IT infrastructure
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 refers to the centralized administration of workplace devices within a company. It traditionally focuses on desktop PCs, notebooks, and other classic clients that employees use to access applications and corporate resources.
Instead of installing, configuring, and updating each device individually, as many of these tasks as possible are managed centrally and standardized. This includes, for example, the deployment of operating systems and applications, configurations, updates, and monitoring device health.
Client management, endpoint management, and UEM
The terms client management, endpoint management, and Unified Endpoint Management (UEM) are sometimes used synonymously today, but they do not describe the same thing.
In contrast to client management, endpoint management covers the administration of end devices more broadly and can, for example, also include mobile or specialized devices. Unified Endpoint Management ultimately pursues the approach of managing different device types and operating systems via a single management platform whenever possible.
In everyday practice, the lines are blurred. Modern client management solutions such as Microsoft Intune, SCCM/MECM or the baramundi Management Suite today, however, they often cover much more than just the administration of traditional PCs. You can find more about these terms and their differences in our detailed comparison of client, device, and endpoint management.
2. What tasks does client management include?
The tasks of client management can be categorized along the lifecycle of a client: devices must first be provisioned and configured, then supplied with applications and updates, monitored, and supported when necessary.
- Provisioning and operating system deployment: New or reset clients are set up in a standardized way and brought to a defined state. Depending on the infrastructure, this is done via traditional imaging methods or modern cloud-based provisioning.
- Software distribution: Applications are centrally installed, updated, and uninstalled as needed. Standardized software packages ensure that rollouts are reproducible and require little manual effort, even in larger environments.
- Patch management: Operating systems and applications are continuously updated. This includes not only Windows updates but also patches for third-party applications.
- Configuration and system hardening: Operating system, security, and application settings can be centrally defined and consistently enforced across all clients. However, many organizations in the DACH region still have significant room for improvement when it comes to system hardening: according to our State of Endpoint in DACH 25/26 study , hardening is currently only implemented in a rudimentary or unstructured way at about one-third of the companies surveyed.
- Inventory management: Hardware, installed software, operating system versions, and other device data are recorded centrally. This provides IT with an up-to-date overview of the managed environment.
- Client health and monitoring: Device status is monitored to detect issues such as missing updates, faulty services, or other anomalies at an early stage.
- Remote support and troubleshooting: Administrators can analyze issues on remote clients and provide user support. This is particularly relevant for home office workstations and distributed locations.
The importance of the aforementioned tasks is also highlighted by the Microsoft Digital Defense Report 2024: In over 90% of attacks that reached the ransomware stage, unmanaged devices were used as the initial entry point or for remote encryption. Consistent client management helps to avoid such blind spots as much as possible.
3. How is client management implemented today?
Client management can be implemented today in a traditional on-premises, cloud-based, or hybrid manner. When deciding between on-premises vs. cloud , factors such as existing infrastructure, the operating systems in use, and requirements for deployment, administration, and security play an important role.
An on-premises solution is operated within your own infrastructure and can be particularly suitable for environments with existing local management infrastructure, complex networks, or specific requirements for operating system deployment and local administration. A typical example is Microsoft Configuration Manager (SCCM/MECM).
Cloud-based platforms, on the other hand, manage clients via the internet and require less local infrastructure. Microsoft Intune is a typical example and is particularly well-suited for mobile workstations, Entra ID-based environments, and managing diverse device types.
Many companies also rely on a hybrid approach, combining existing on-premises structures with cloud management. Through co-management for example, SCCM and Intune can be used in parallel, allowing management tasks to be gradually migrated to the cloud.
Solutions like the baramundi Management Suite also combine classic client management features with modern endpoint administration. Consequently, there is rarely one single "right" approach. The decisive factor is that the chosen platform aligns with your existing infrastructure and specific operating model.
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4. What defines good client management?
Good client management does more than just ensure that devices can be managed. The decisive factor is how reliably and consistently these processes function in day-to-day operations.
Key features include:
- Standardized processes: Provisioning, configuration, and software deployment follow defined workflows rather than manual, one-off solutions.
- High level of automation: Recurring tasks such as installations, updates, or configuration changes are automated as much as possible.
- Transparency regarding device status: IT can track which clients are up to date, experiencing errors, or no longer compliant.
- Reliable rollouts: Software and changes are deployed in a controlled manner, with success monitored centrally.
- Uniform configurations: Technical standards and security requirements are consistently implemented across managed clients.
- Rapid error detection: Issues are identified as early as possible, before they lead to major disruptions or additional support requirements.
- Scalability: New devices or locations can be integrated without a proportional increase in administrative effort.
With the increasing use of AI in vulnerability research, automation is becoming even more critical. When vulnerabilities can be discovered faster and potentially exploited more quickly, there is less time for manual processes. Standardized workflows, automated software distribution, and effective patch management are therefore essential prerequisites for responsive client management. We illustrate how this trend is already taking shape using the example of Claude Mythos and Patch Management.
5. Conclusion
Client management remains the foundation for the stable and standardized operation of workplace devices. However, technical approaches have evolved: alongside traditional on-premises solutions, cloud management and hybrid models are now firmly established in many companies.
What matters less is whether an environment is labeled as client management, endpoint management, or UEM. What is important is that devices can be reliably provisioned, updated, monitored, and secured—with as little manual effort as possible.
If internal resources for ongoing operations are lacking, these tasks can also be outsourced. With our Endpoint Management as a Service we can take on individual tasks or manage your entire endpoint management environment, depending on your needs.
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.
Years of Experience
Managed Endpoints
