Word of the Day: unified endpoint management (UEM)

Word of the Day Daily updates on the latest technology terms |March 30, 2017

unified endpoint management (UEM) Unified endpoint management (UEM) is an approach to securing and controlling desktop computers, laptops, smartphones and tablets in a connected, cohesive manner from a single console. Unified endpoint management typically relies on the mobile device management (MDM) application program interfaces (APIs) in desktop and mobile operating systems. Microsoft's inclusion of MDM application program interfaces in Windows 10 made unified endpoint management a possibility on a large scale. Prior to the release of Windows 8.1, there was no way for MDM software to access, secure or control the operating system and its applications.   In Windows 10, the tasks IT can perform through MDM software include: configuring devices' VPN, email and Wi-Fi settings; enforcing passcode and access policies; installing patches and updates; blacklisting and whitelisting applications; and installing and managing Universal Windows Platform (.appx) and Microsoft Installer (.msi) applications. Mobile device management is significantly less robust than traditional Windows management tools, however. Examples of tasks information technology (IT) administrators can't perform through Windows 10 MDM APIs include: deploying and managing legacy executable (.exe) applications; enforcing encryption; deploying Group Policy Objects; and managing printers, file shares and other domain-based resources. Many vendors market UEM as a feature of their broader enterprise mobility management (EMM) software suites and some EMM vendors have made strides to close the gap between MDM and traditional Windows management tools. For example, MobileIron Bridge allows IT administrators to use MDM to deploy scripts that modify the Windows 10 file system and registry and perform other advanced tasks, including deploying legacy.exe applications. Other vendors that support UEM include VMware, Citrix, BlackBerry and Apple. Apple's Mac OS X operating system has included MDM APIs since at least 2012, when AirWatch and MobileIron announced support. Today, all of the major vendors that offer UEM also support OS X. Quote of the Day "UEM allows IT to centrally manage all the workspaces and devices its employees use to get their jobs done." - Gabe Knuth   Trending Terms mobile device management enterprise mobility management Windows 10 VMware AirWatch identity management   Learning Center Sophos branches out into unified endpoint management Sophos now supports Android containers to separate work and business on BYO devices. The company also bolstered its EMM offering to add unified endpoint management. Unified endpoint management tools strive for one-size-fits-all Unified endpoint management tools rose up because mobile devices and PCs are different. Now they strive to bring the two under one management umbrella. Why IT should invest in unified endpoint management tools As the range of enterprise endpoints increases, so does the need for unified endpoint management tools for both mobile and desktop devices. Find out why IT should invest in these tools. Unified Endpoint Management is getting a lot of buzz, but as always the devil is in the details. Managing mobile devices and traditional desktops from the same interface sounds great, but what's it going to take to make the shift? What IT should expect from unified endpoint management Unified endpoint management can help admins manage all the devices and OSes in their networks in one place. Find out some benefits and who should use it. Writing for Business ___________ should be portable across all major mobile platforms. a. A MDM product b. An MDM product Answer       Stay In Touch For feedback about any of our definitions or to suggest a new definition, please contact me at: mrouse@techtarget.com   Visit the Word of the Day Archives and catch up on what you've missed!   FOLLOW US About This E-Newsletter This e-newsletter is published by the TechTarget network. To unsubscribe from Whatis.com, click here. Please note, this will not affect any other subscriptions you have signed up for. TechTarget, Whatis, 275 Grove Street, Newton, MA 02466. Contact: webmaster@techtarget.com Copyright 2016 TechTarget. All rights reserved.