Effective endpoint management is essential for modern IT strategy, and while managed service providers (MSPs) play a pivotal role in ensuring a seamless user experience, choosing the right technology is of equal importance.
In this post, we’ll explore the history of endpoint management, key considerations when selecting an endpoint management solution, and traditional versus modern tools and approaches. We’ll also do a deep dive on Microsoft Intune and how this endpoint management solution enables MSPs to elevate their IT approach and tap into the immense potential of the Microsoft Cloud ecosystem.
The history of endpoint management
The evolution of endpoint management technology began with the rise of broadband internet in 2005. This advancement enabled remote issue resolution, transforming IT support by eliminating the need for physical presence.
Since then, the field has been largely shaped by two types of vendors: established players like Kaseya, ConnectWise (CW), and N-able, and innovative newcomers such as SuperOps, NinjaRMM, and SyncroMSP. While legacy companies have the majority of the market share, challenger brands are breathing fresh air into the industry and driving change.
As competition has increased across the industry, we’ve begun to see an increase in vendor consolidation through strategic mergers and acquisitions to provide a more comprehensive toolkit to clients. Notable examples include SolarWinds joining N-able and Datto absorbing AutoTask to form DattoRMM, later acquired by Kaseya.
However, at the same time, this trend has enabled the legacy vendors to start bundling services and increase prices — ultimately reducing flexibility for MSPs.
Legacy endpoint management solutions
Traditional endpoint management options for MSPs have been a staple in IT support, relying on agent-based systems to oversee, control, and maintain endpoint devices. These strategies typically involve deploying software agents on individual devices, allowing for centralized administration.
Many MSPs have been hesitant to transition from traditional endpoint management tools because of a few strong features, including:
- Patch management: Traditional tools’ patch management capabilities provide timely updates and compliance.
- Live monitoring: Some legacy platforms offer real-time insights into endpoint performance and security events, enabling proactive issue resolution.
- PSA integration: Integration with professional services automation (PSA) platforms streamlines workflows, automates ticket creation, and enhances efficiency.
- Ecosystem integration: Many tools integrate with legacy solutions for enhanced functionality.
Challenges with legacy endpoint management solutions
- Scalability: The primary challenge faced by MSPs when it comes to legacy endpoint management strategy is scalability. Traditional solutions simply cannot scale at the rate necessitated by the modern work dynamic. Particularly with the rise of remote work, more MSPs are finding that these older technologies are insufficient for complex configurations.
- Self-hosted vs. hosted solutions: Another important factor to consider within traditional endpoint management solutions is self-hosted versus hosted solutions. Self-hosted solutions provide MSP businesses with greater control, but they require the installation and maintenance of endpoint management infrastructure within your own data center or on-prem environment. This mandates significant upfront investment, but it will potentially lower ongoing costs.
The hosted option provides some flexibility for MSPs and reduces administrative overhead, but the typical subscription-based pricing model can impact the cost to MSPs in the long term and often result in vendor lock-in. Additionally, MSPs must also think about having to rely on the vendor’s security posture since their hosting platform would have access to their clients (and possibly client data). Security: With traditional endpoint management options for MSPs, security has also been a greater concern. High-profile data breaches have been rampant in recent years across popular agent-based platforms like SolarWinds because of exploited vulnerabilities. To mitigate these risks, MSPs must keep on top of cyber hygiene with best practices like regular patching and multi-factor authentication.
- Integrations: Additionally, the lack of integration with modern technologies among legacy platforms can create larger scale issues. These traditional solutions could misidentify devices or inaccurately categorize instances, leading to mismanagement, wasted time, and further security vulnerabilities.
While traditional tools have served an important purpose in the industry, they fall short in addressing modern IT challenges.
Additional considerations when shopping for an endpoint management solution
When selecting an endpoint management solution as an MSP, here are several other factors you should incorporate into your decision-making process:
- Agentless management: Look for solutions that leverage an agentless management strategy, eliminating the need for cumbersome software agents on endpoint devices. This streamlined approach simplifies deployment and reduces overhead, delivering a more user-friendly experience for MSPs and end-users.
- Security prioritization: Explore solutions with robust security architectures to minimize vulnerabilities and common vulnerabilities and exposures (CVEs). Platforms that leverage continuous threat intelligence updates, proactive defense mechanisms, and advanced threat analytics improve decision-making and reduce the risk of breaches.
- Integration and innovation: Choose platforms that integrate effortlessly with a larger cloud ecosystem to leverage cutting-edge technologies, such as AI-driven threat detection and predictive analytics. Bonus points for platforms that provide the potential to create a unified security strategy, offering end-to-end visibility and threat response across endpoints, identities, and cloud services.
Intune checks all the boxes
Introduced in 2010 as a mobile device management (MDM) solution, Microsoft Intune was initially dwarfed by competitors like MaaS 360, MobileIron, and Airwatch. However, after undergoing significant enhancements, Intune began making a true impact on the industry circa 2016. These refinements propelled Intune into the spotlight, garnering increased attention from organizations seeking effective endpoint management solutions.
During this period, Intune matured into a robust and comprehensive solution, offering refined functionality, user experience, and security features. This transformation marked a pivotal moment in the endpoint management landscape, as organizations began to recognize Intune as a viable alternative to traditional MDM solutions. Its integration with the broader Microsoft ecosystem and ability to address evolving needs in a mobile-oriented environment further solidified its position as a leader in endpoint management.
Moreover, Intune’s evolution beyond MDM to embrace unified endpoint management (UEM) reinforced its versatility in managing and securing endpoints across different device types and operating systems. Committed to innovation, Intune continues to refine its features to meet the demands of modern IT environments, empowering organizations with greater efficiency, security, and flexibility.
Nerdio Manager for MSP: The perfect complement to Intune
Deploying and managing Microsoft Intune efficiently can be challenging for many MSPs, consuming valuable time and resources. However, by integrating Nerdio Manager for MSP into workflows, managed service providers can revolutionize their deployment and management processes, ensuring seamless operations and superior service delivery to their clients.
Nerdio simplifies Intune management with centralized features and template-based configurations. MSPs can streamline deployment tasks like device enrollment and policy configuration, reducing manual effort and maintaining consistency across client environments.
Nerdio’s centralized management console offers MSPs a single interface to administer Intune settings alongside Entra ID and Microsoft 365. This integration improves operational efficiency and simplifies administration, enabling MSPs to deliver exceptional service while minimizing complexity.
Moreover, Nerdio offers robust features such as role-based access control, automated monitoring, and reporting for Intune, empowering MSPs to customize permissions, track device compliance, and proactively identify issues. Through integration with Nerdio Manager for MSP, management tasks also become even more efficient, consolidating billing, provisioning, monitoring, and support efforts within a unified platform.
Finally, embracing a Microsoft Cloud-based solution presents an immense opportunity for organizations to capitalize on the growing demand for cloud services and digital transformation initiatives. By leveraging Microsoft’s comprehensive suite of cloud solutions, including Intune, Azure, and Microsoft 365, MSPs position themselves as trusted advisors in guiding organizations through their cloud journeys. With Nerdio, MSPs can seize this opportunity to expand their service offerings, drive revenue growth, and establish long-term partnerships with their clients.
Interested in learning more about how Nerdio simplifies endpoint management? Download our ebook for a closer look!
