Another benefit is in updating configurations. If your site decides to implement a nontransparent proxy server that requires end-user configuration changes, you can use the DM software to push down new configs or change registry values. And some suites let you lock down a system's config file, avoiding the risk of a user making a change that could blow up his system.
The reporting capabilities found in DM suites can provide both a high-level view of your entire organization and a focus on individual nodes. Knowing how many machines are in use is handy for planning future purchases, for instance, and will reveal if hardware upgrades are needed before rolling out a new OS. Do users need new machines or just extra memory? Some products will generate reports automatically if the inventory changes, which is useful for spotting the theft of RAM, hard drives or other hidden components.
Reduced support costs: According to our e-mail poll, this was the No. 1 cost justification for using DM software. Internal technical support is purely a cost center: It doesn't generate any revenue, and the cost seems to keep going up. That's not to say that support is optional or frivolous, but minimizing costs while increasing productivity is just good business sense.
Support can be broken into two parts: proactive administration and helpdesk assistance.
Leading the proactive pack is patch management--44 percent of those polled cite "patch and service-pack deployment and management" as the most important DM function. It's no wonder: Organizations have lost millions of dollars cleaning up Blaster, SoBig, Swen, Klez and a whole smorgasbord of viruses, Trojans and worms. Trust us--it's cheaper to patch now than to clean up later. Of course, we strongly recommend that you test all patches before deploying them, but the argument that patching causes more trouble than it saves is a paper tiger. Some recent worms took advantage of holes discovered more than a year before. If you can't install a simple patch in a year, you're doing something wrong.
To realize the benefits of cloud-native software, an application must actually be cloud-native—designed to run in the cloud, interacting with disaggregated cloud services, fully manageable as code—to deliver the expected benefits.
By combining resources and expertise, the AI-Enabled ICT Workforce Consortium will offer a blueprint for how industries can adapt to an AI-dominated future.
IT leaders should heed the guidance of cybersecurity insurance providers who think businesses should prioritize security education, incident preparedness, regular internal audits, and ongoing vulnerability scanning and patching.
