Mobile Device Management (MDM) and Working from Home

Many of us have been working from home for months, and as the remote workforce is larger than ever our business and technology practices are being challenged in new ways. Remote work happens differently at each organization.  Some of us are attached to corporate VPNs daily, others who use primarily cloud based platforms may not connect to VPNs at all.  This scenario creates new challenges for managing systems and deploying policies to workstations.

Mobile Device Management (MDM) is a technology that has been in place for years allowing us to push configurations to smartphones, tablets, and similar devices ensuring compliance with corporate policy while also providing the ability to deploy apps and more.  Most of us categorize MDM as specific to mobile devices, but the inclusion of MDM protocol support in Windows 10 expands the value of Microsoft’s Intune and other third-party MDM platforms to user workstations.  Plus, it supports macOS too!  Windows 10 allows MDM to maintain system inventory data, perform remote wipes, deploy WiFi and e-mail configurations, install applications and more.  It also delivers the ability to enforce security controls such as locking the screen or encryption settings.  The capabilities of MDM in Windows 10 are evolving quickly and deliver ease of management while enhancing security posture.

As the remote workforce continues to be the norm, it is time to consider MDM as a component of your overall management strategy to ensure compliance for your mobile devices and workstations.

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Understanding the Importance of Patch Management and How It Works

The security of today’s information systems go far beyond the general protection measures that were once considered to provide ample security against intrusion.For many companies that are implementing new technologies one of the top priorities during the planning phase is security. There are many different aspects that define the overall security of a company’s infrastructure, one of which is patch management.

 

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The Impact of Mobile Commerce on CRM

According to Forrester Research more than 50 percent of consumers plan to increase mobile spending during this year.  Instead of window shopping and using sales assistants, the mobile consumer will be using their smartphone as their daily retail therapy. So what does this mean for businesses that are faced with a consumer environment that is “always-on?”

With such a significant increase in the use of (more…)

The Pros and Cons of Using a Virtual Private Network

Many companies that have a series of branch offices or a staff that works remotely deploy what is known as a virtual private network or VPN.  The primary purpose of a VPN is to allow business partners to communicate over a secure network from a remote location via IPsec or Internet Protocol Security.  By using a VPN companies view this as one of the safest ways to link users together that are distributed across multiple locations.

Not only are VPNs used to communicate securely over a public network such as the Internet VPNs are also (more…)

Age of the iPad for Business

Thrive Tech Blog - iPad For Business UseI took a day trip from Boston to Atlanta this week, 6:00am flight, never fun! However, I made things a little easier on myself this trip. Instead of bringing my laptop, I brought my iPad.

iPads are lighter and smaller than laptops, yet big enough to get more work done in comparison to my Blackberry. I was able to check all my emails, view email attachments without a microscope, review the website of the companies I was meeting with, and provide some feedback on a marketing video. And when I was ready to sleep on the plane, I listened to my music (“Lost Boys” soundtrack). (more…)