The pandemic is long gone and past us. Yet, the one impact it left behind is how many businesses operate today. Remote was the new normal, and slowly, people were back to offices. Then there is this combination—hybrid. Many organizations embrace the hybrid work model as it allows a more balanced approach. Opinions on remote, hybrid, or in-office may vary, and the debate will continue. But the fact is that the hybrid work model won’t be obsolete anytime soon.
There are many operational challenges for hybrid workplaces, including those for IT admins. That is where a unified endpoint management (UEM) solution becomes vital. This blog will discuss how organizations can leverage UEM to ensure their hybrid work model stays afloat.
Rise of hybrid work culture
As per an Owl Labs report, 62% of employees have opted for hybrid work in 2023. It clearly states the rise of the hybrid work culture. Its popularity is well-reasoned too. The hybrid model is a more flexible and adaptive work culture. The rise of hybrid work is a response to the changing expectations of employees, who now seek a balance between remote and on-site work. This culminates in a better work-life balance.
Employees can stay home and work on some days with their families around. Whereas on other days, they get to work in-person with their colleagues. The hybrid work culture reduces monotony and workplace fatigue to some extent as well. From an employer’s perspective, the trend of a hybrid recruitment model is becoming commonplace. The initial interview is often through a remote video call, followed by an assessment or test. Thereafter, the candidate is asked to come to the office for an in-person interview. In fact, as per Forbes, a staggering 93% of employers want to continue to conduct interviews remotely.
Challenges in the hybrid work model
While the benefits of hybrid work are numerous, it also brings challenges that demand innovative solutions. Most of these challenges revolve around business operations and IT management, as connectivity becomes paramount in a hybrid work environment.
Endpoint Diversity
One of the foremost challenges in a hybrid work model is the unprecedented diversity of endpoints. Employees utilize an array of devices, including laptops, desktops, tablets, and smartphones, to access corporate networks and data. All these endpoints run on different operating systems (Android, iOS, Mac, Windows). Managing this diverse ecosystem poses a significant challenge for IT administrators, who must ensure uniformity in security measures, configurations, and updates across all endpoints. The traditional one-size-fits-all approach to endpoint management is rendered obsolete, requiring a more nuanced and adaptive solution.
Security Concerns
The decentralized nature of hybrid work introduces new and heightened security concerns. Employees accessing corporate data from various locations and networks expand the attack surface exponentially. IT administrators must safeguard sensitive information while ensuring compliance with industry regulations. The need for robust endpoint protection, data encryption, and secure access controls becomes paramount. Striking a balance between fostering a flexible work environment and maintaining a fortress-like security posture is a delicate yet crucial undertaking.
Infrastructural Hurdles
The shift to hybrid workplaces has an increased burden on the IT teams of organizations. IT administrators must ensure remote workers have access to the tools and resources needed to perform their roles effectively. Managing a dispersed workforce requires scalable and efficient infrastructure capable of handling the influx of remote connections, data traffic, and support requests. This includes providing seamless access to applications, troubleshooting technical issues promptly, and offering remote support that matches the in-office experience. Failure to address these infrastructure challenges can result in decreased productivity, employee frustration, and potential disruptions to business operations.
Productivity Distractions
There are concerns over employee focus and productivity on work-from-days in a hybrid model. There are plenty of distractions at home—social media, OTT, games, etc. In a hybrid work model, employees crave autonomy and flexibility, which must be balanced. Balancing the autonomy employees seek with the necessary support structures is a delicate challenge that directly impacts overall employee satisfaction and productivity.
Overview of UEM
UEM is a holistic approach combining various management tasks—device, application, and security—into a single console. This consolidated approach streamlines IT operations, providing a unified view and control over diverse endpoints, including desktops, laptops, tablets, smartphones, wearables, VR/AR/XR and Internet of Things (IoT) devices.
Functioning seamlessly from a unified console, UEM transcends operating system differences and geographical constraints. This unified console empowers security and IT teams to efficiently ensure control and security across the entire spectrum of devices, using a singular tool in a standardized manner. In essence, UEM brings cohesion and efficiency to the complex sphere of endpoint management and device security.
How UEM helps manage hybrid workplaces (IT admin perspective)
Let’s look into how UEM serves as a cornerstone for IT administrators, providing a unified approach to the challenges posed by the hybrid work model.
Centralized Endpoint Management: The Command Center
UEM’s efficacy is at the heart of its ability to centralize endpoint management from a single dashboard or console. IT administrators gain access to a unified command center—a single console that provides a comprehensive view of all endpoints within the organization. This centralized control facilitates efficient device management, enabling administrators to configure settings, deploy updates, and enforce security policies uniformly across diverse devices. The result is not just enhanced efficiency but also a reduction in the operational overhead associated with managing a myriad of endpoints.
Enhanced Security Measures: Safeguarding the Perimeter
Security is a no-brainer in a hybrid work environment, where the attack surface expands exponentially. UEM equips IT administrators with robust security measures to safeguard against evolving threats. Endpoint protection, data encryption, and access controls are seamlessly integrated, ensuring a cohesive security posture across all devices. IT admins can enforce security policies consistently, mitigating risks associated with a dispersed workforce. UEM thus becomes a shield, fortifying the organization’s digital perimeter in an era where cyber threats are ever-present.
Application Deployment and Management: Ensuring Accessibility
One of the critical challenges in hybrid workplaces is ensuring that employees have access to the applications they need, regardless of their location. UEM addresses this challenge by facilitating seamless application deployment and management. IT administrators can push updates, install necessary applications, and manage licenses—all from a centralized interface. This simplifies the application lifecycle and ensures that employees have the tools to collaborate and perform their roles effectively, fostering a cohesive and productive work environment.
Automated Updates and Patch Management: Staying Current and Secure
Maintaining a consistent and secure computing environment requires diligent updates and patch management. UEM takes the reins in this aspect, automating the process and alleviating the burden on IT administrators. Automated updates ensure that all endpoints run the latest software versions and security patches, reducing the risk of vulnerabilities. This proactive approach enhances the organization’s security posture and frees up IT resources.
Content Filtering and App Blocking: Ensuring Focus and Productivity
Besides deploying and managing applications and content, UEM software helps foster a productive environment in hybrid workplaces. IT admins can enforce content filtering and app blocking based on employee roles and requirements. Thus, any sites or apps that cause distractions aren’t accessible on managed devices. This aspect of UEM is vital from a data security perspective as well. Blocking malicious apps and sites, playgrounds for cybercriminals, prevents data security breaches for organizations.
User Authentication and Access Control: Navigating Identity Challenges
In hybrid work, managing user identities and access controls becomes critical to IT administration. UEM provides robust solutions for user authentication, ensuring secure access to corporate resources. IT administrators can implement multi-factor authentication, enforce access policies based on user roles, and monitor user activity—all from a centralized platform. This comprehensive approach enhances security and provides IT admins with the means to navigate the complexities of identity management in a hybrid work setting.
UEM need case
Consider a scenario where a multinational corporation adopts a hybrid work model. Employees are spread across different time zones and access corporate resources from various devices. Without a unified management solution, IT admins would face an uphill battle in ensuring uniform security measures, managing diverse endpoints, and addressing the unique challenges posed by this dispersed workforce.
By implementing a UEM solution like Scalefusion, the organization gains the ability to enforce consistent security protocols, manage devices centrally, and streamline IT processes. The automated features of UEM reduce the administrative burden on IT teams, allowing them to focus on strategic initiatives rather than mundane, time-consuming tasks. This use case exemplifies how UEM catalyzes efficiency, security, and overall operational excellence in a hybrid work setting.
Final words
In essence, UEM solutions empower IT administrators by providing them with a holistic and unified toolkit to manage hybrid workplaces. It transforms IT admins’ role from routine firefighting tasks to strategic orchestrators of a dynamic and secure digital infrastructure. As organizations embrace the flexibility of hybrid work, UEM stands as a linchpin, ensuring that IT administrators have the means to navigate, innovate, and lead in the ever-evolving modern workplaces.
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