Workers in the U.S. are increasingly leaving the office to telecommute from home, coffee shops or other remote workspaces. In 2014, some 3.67 million Americans reported that they worked remotely, a figure that’s up from 1.8 million in 2005.
This means more devices for managed service providers (MSPs) to manage remotely. And to do it effectively, you need remote access to routers, servers, laptops, smartphones — anything that could pose a security risk.
The Pressure for Mobility
This technological shift has now exerted tremendous pressures on workplaces. Younger, more tech-savvy employees could spurn organizations that don’t offer support for mobile devices, wireless workstations or telecommuting.
A 2016 report by The Economist found that workers place an enormous value on the ability to work anywhere. It was the leading contributor to their productivity and job satisfaction, the report found.
While this flexibility comes with benefits, it also comes with concerns.
Security: A Critical Consideration
Remote device management is already a headache for MSPs. But what about employees using their own devices? It's a trend that's on the rise. A 2015 survey by Tech Pro Research found that 74 percent of employers already offer support — or are planning to offer support — for bring-your-own-device policies.
But there are still plenty of holdouts. With the recruitment of young employees at risk, what’s keeping them back?
Tech Pro Research found several compelling reasons. To begin with, organizations are concerned about security. 78 percent of the participants listed security as the top reason they do not allow employees to use their own devices for work.
That worry is backed up by numerous examples. A survey by the Ponemon Institute found that the top cause of data breaches is lost or stolen equipment, with the presumption that employee negligence is to blame.
Wireless networks present an additional security vulnerability. Hackers can launch successful attacks, either at the network level or against individual users. This can potentially expose sensitive company data — and lead to massive financial losses.
Additional Challenges for MSPs
Security isn’t the only concern. The survey noted IT support occupied the second greatest worry among respondents. Adding new services introduces the possibility of increased IT burdens, as employees struggle with new technology.
The third highest concern, according to Tech Pro Research, is the lack of control over hardware. Smartphones are small. They can slip into an employee’s pocket. And with so many phones — and tablets and PCs for telecommuters — that require remote access, organizations are concerned by their ability to monitor and control their growing network.
The concerns are well founded. Data breaches can be catastrophic with an estimated $4 million price tag per incident.
Organizations have plenty to worry about as they consider increased mobile and wireless support. But with the increasing demands among employees, it’s growing tougher for companies to shrink from change. Mobile and wireless support have become necessities.
Luckily there’s a solution. It’s a solution that addresses each of the concerns of decision-makers, while simplifying the lives of overburdened managed service providers and IT professionals.
Making Remote Access a Breeze
There’s a reason that SolarWinds MSP (formerly LOGICnow) is the #1 solution for MSPs and IT professionals. MSP RMM offers a complete set of tools to ensure the security and reliability of client networks, no matter the number of mobile or wireless devices.
For MSPs, the security benefits begin with mobile device management, which allows you to manage and secure a vast array of mobile devices. Our device management platform allows you to keep your networks secure and reliable while offering employees the flexibility to work on their own terms.
Even more, our platform is scalable, so you can ensure consistently bulletproof security, whether your client is a small e-commerce startup or a brick-and-mortar retailer. And with its fast, automated maintenance of your mobile fleet, you can conveniently manage numerous devices from a single dashboard.
Its features include:
- Configuration of detailed security preferences for mobile devices.
- Device tracking, leveraging the GPS of mobile devices, to ensure nothing ever goes missing.
- Tracking of devices by ownership.
- Data monitoring, to make sure users don’t exceed data limits and rack up huge charges for your client.
- Remote security that allows you to lock phones, wipe data, configure email and enable Wi-Fi access — all from your remote dashboard.
- Support for iOS, Android, and Microsoft Windows devices.
Keeping a Tab on Devices
As the saying goes, there are the known unknowns, and then there are the unknown unknowns. When managing a large number of networks, MSPs need tools to combat both issues, keeping a close and watchful eye on devices that enter and exit their networks.
With Active Discovery, you can:
- Monitor all of your networks and easily uncover devices.
- Categorize network-connected devices by MAC address, IP, hostname and operating system.
- Handle issues in any Windows network with active directory monitoring.
- Maintain logs showing when devices come online and go offline.
- Prevent your network from being exposed to unmanaged devices that could do harm.
Complete Visibility
But monitoring doesn’t end at the device level. MAX Remote Management also offers a comprehensive suite of remote monitoring tools. These include:
- Remote monitoring of desktops, laptops, mobile devices and servers, with support for multiple operating systems.
- Monitoring that allows router remote access, as well as monitoring of servers, printers and switches.
- Virtual machine and virtual session monitoring.
- Security monitoring to check the status of antivirus scans, error logs and more.
Comprehensive Email Security
With SolarWinds MSP Mail Protection, you can set the crucial safeguards to protect your networks, while still offering employees the flexibility of mobile work.
MSP Mail Protection eliminates spam through fingerprinting, authenticity analysis and source analysis. And it protects against a variety of threats that employees would have encountered in email, including malware. Your networks’ email servers remain secured with multiple antivirus engines, zero-hour pattern detection, geography-based filtering and attachment blocking.
A Strong Case for Decision-Makers
Of course, many decision-makers aren’t IT experts. That’s why charts and graphs can help.
MSP RMM’s flagship report is the executive summary, which communicates key details to important decision-makers. These reports draw from your entire IT ecosystem and help to quantify the value that you bring as an IT professional. Reports include key metrics with easy-to-digest graphics, showing off the concrete value that you offer to organizations.
Executives may be hesitant to invest in new IT services, including increased mobility. But these reports offer a clear, nuts-and-bolts inventory of IT benefits — helping you make the case for your services.
Take It for a Spin
Whether you’re looking to monitor an iPhone or a router, remote access is at your fingertips with SolarWinds MSP'S comprehensive, efficient platform.
But don’t take our word for it. You can try out our MSP RMM platform free for 30 days. Sign up today!
About SolarWinds MSP
SolarWinds MSP delivers the only 100% SaaS, fully cloud-based IT service management (ITSM) platform, backed by collective intelligence and the highest levels of layered security. SolarWinds MSP'S MAX products including Risk Intelligence, Remote Management, Backup & Disaster Recovery, Mail and Service Desk – comprise the market’s most widely trusted integrated solution.
Deployed on millions of endpoints across hundreds of thousands of networks, the platform has the industry vision to define and deliver the future of the market. SolarWinds MSP provides the most comprehensive IT security available as well as LOGICcards, the first ever IT notification feature powered by prescriptive analytics and machine learning.
At SolarWinds MSP, our passion is helping IT professionals secure and manage their systems and data through actionable insights, rewriting the rules of IT.
For more information, visit contact us.
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Sources:
GlobalWorkplaceAnalytics.com: http://globalworkplaceanalytics.com/telecommuting-statistics
ZDNet: http://www.zdnet.com/article/research-74-percent-using-or-adopting-byod/
Cyber Security Awareness Alliance: https://www.csa.gov.sg/gosafeonline/go-safe-for-business/smes/wireless-security-for-the-workplace
IBM: http://www-03.ibm.com/security/data-breach/
