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Graduate of Canisius High School '71 and Boston College '75. Proprietor of the Advantage Co.

Endpoint Management Challenges

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Endpoint Management Challenges 
and Eliminating Risks from Ex-Employee Hard Drives 

Posted by:  Tony
Date:  March 28, 2023

The Great Shift to Remote Work:  The Impact of the COVID Pandemic

The COVID pandemic significantly impacted businesses worldwide, forcing them to adapt quickly to a new operational dynamic that supports remote work.  This shift towards hybrid or fully remote work has removed geographic restrictions for hiring and provided employees with unprecedented freedoms.  However, the transition has also presented several unexpected challenges for large enterprises, particularly in the realm of IT support.

As the pandemic forced companies to transition to remote work, the percentage of employees working remotely increased dramatically.  According to a survey by Global Workplace Analytics, remote work in the United States increased by 173% between 2005 and 2018, but the onset of the pandemic further accelerated this trend.  By April 2020, nearly 70% of full-time employees were working remotely due to COVID-19.  Remote work is projected to continue even after the pandemic.  According to a Gartner survey, 82% of company leaders plan to allow their employees to work remotely at least part-time, and 47% plan to support full-time remote work.  By 2025, it is estimated that 70% of the workforce will work remotely at least five days per month.

The Problem:  Challenges in Supporting Remote Work

The rapid shift to remote work has created several challenges for IT departments that were once accustomed to provisioning and supporting computing assets from a centralized location.  As new employees are onboarded, IT teams now must package and ship a “kit” of hardware to ensure remote workers can be effective.

In addition to the time spent supporting the initial setup, IT help desks now face more complex challenges.  Downtime mitigation requests may result from external network issues, malfunctioning corporate assets, or accidental damage caused by employees.  The pandemic has also exacerbated high turnover work environments, leading to more frequent offboarding of employees leaving the company.

The Strain on IT Help Desks and Financial Impact

These factors have led to IT department help desks being overwhelmed trying to support the needs of remote workers.  Companies are losing millions of dollars annually in un-retrieved computing assets due to the increased costs and strains on IT departments.

The Solution:  Lifetime EndPoint Resources Unified Endpoint Management

Lifetime Service, PremCloud Resources, and c1 Secure have joined forces to create Lifetime Endpoint Resources, a startup set to enter the growing market of Unified Endpoint Management [UEM].  With Lifetime Sevice’s legacy expertise in providing last-mile services, Lifetime Endpoint Resources aims to assist organizations with advanced asset management while addressing the security risks associated with unrecognized data on ex-employee devices.

For local, regional, national, and global customers, Lifetime EndPoint Resources’ Unified Endpoint Management will centralize the control and management of various device types, including computers, smartphones, and IoT devices, to improve network safety and efficiency.  As the number of connected devices and network complexity grows, Lifetime EndPoint Resources’ Unified Endpoint Management [UEM] solutions are becoming increasingly crucial for organizations of all sizes.

Unified Endpoint Management [UEM] Explained

The need for comprehensive endpoint management led to the development of Unified Endpoint Management, which evolved from earlier solutions like mobile device management [MDM] and enterprise mobility management [EMM].  However, in today’s expanding remote work environment, the current UEM solutions available in the market fall well short of providing the security and compliance resources necessary for today’s more demanding controls and data governance.  Lifetime EndPoint Resources now offers a unified endpoint platform for managing mobile devices, desktops, printers, IoT devices, and wearables – along with unrivaled data management and security solutions.

The Importance of Lifetime EndPoint Resources’ UEM in Modern Enterprises

The proliferation of personal devices in the workplace, driven by trends like bring-your-own-device [BYOD] policies, necessitates robust security and consistent access across all devices.  Lifetime EndPoint Resources’ UEM provides enterprises with a centralized platform for management, ensuring a uniform experience for users across various devices and operating systems.

Addressing Security Risks with Lifetime EndPoint Resources’ UEM Solutions

Lifetime Endpoint Resources’ UEM solution helps organizations manage endpoints effectively, provide insights into potential risks and malware, and maintain compliance with relevant regulations.  This includes addressing the security risks associated with unrecognized data on ex-employee hard drives, a growing concern in the modern workplace.

Benefits of Adopting Lifetime EndPoint Resources’ UEM

Organizations that adopt Lifetime Endpoint Resources’ UEM solutions will enjoy improved security, increased visibility into network devices and apps, and a more streamlined management process.  By consolidating endpoint management into a single server, IT teams will be able to focus on other important projects without relying on multiple tools for different devices.