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For an IT manager to be able to do much of their job wherever they happen to be might sound like a tall order. They may well carry around their own laptop PC, but what if that fails? Furthermore, to manage remote users requires access not just to their devices but to all the data about their access rights, job role, current assignments and the configuration of their devices. There are security considerations around the storage of such data on mobile devices and it also needs to be available to multiple managers at the same time. What if an employee has just been promoted or sacked? The actions of an IT manager must be based on real time access to a central data source that reflects the decisions being made by business managers and other IT managers or, indeed, staff at an MSP. Some management tasks need to be carried out for individual users, such as clearing up a spyware problem on one user’s PC, or enabling temporary access to the HR database for another user. The IT manager does not want to have to establish a direct link to each individual PC every time such jobs need doing; access should be automated via logical assignment of users to devices in a central database.
Such tasks cannot be carried out on a one-to-one basis but rely on the availability of a central data source that defines who a user is, what group they belong to, what equipment they use and which policies apply to them. Only when armed with this information is the IT manager able to initiate multi-user management tasks. Managing the unmanagable
To add to the burden, many IT managers are now required to take care ofremote devices with no designated end users. These range from networks of printers and wireless routers to in-store video displays and remote cameras operated as part of surveillance networks. More and more such devices are linked together using IP (internet protocol) networks and therefore have an IP address making them easy to identify, access and manage with the right tools.
Unlike devices with designated end users, there is usually no one that can be called upon to provide some local assistance to help the IT manager do their job. However, the benefits of being able to manage such devices from afar are huge: think of the power saved if all the display devices at train stations are switched off overnight or the sales that will be lost if a software vulnerabilty shuts down thousands of devices on the network for issuing lottery tickets because the task of patching their software can not be carried out from afar. The problem of managing remote networks of IP-based devices is discussed further in a companion Quocirca briefing, We are all IT users now.
Whilst any SaaS provider must ensure secure access to such management tools and must safeguard the privacy of the sensitive data on which they rely, at a generic level there are plenty of benefits to be gained from providingIT management with statistics from anonymised data aggregated across many organisations. For example, what is the percentage of desktop Linux users compared to Microsoft Windows and Apple Mac? What is the most popular web browser? Are organisations installing Windows XP Service Pack 3? Such a tool also allows IT managers to share the procedures they develop for automated tasks over and above those provided by the vendors, creating a community of interest. In many small businesses IT managers work alone and the opportunity to share ideas and experiences is welcome. Conclusion All businesses, whether smaller or larger than average, are having to manage an increasing diversity of remote users. The tasks that fall on IT managers go beyond just keeping systems running, and include ensuring compliance and helping to meet environment targets. Under this sort of pressure IT managers must be given access to powerful tools. More and more software vendors are partially or fully adopting SaaS as the preferred way to deliver their applications because their current and prospective users recognise the benefits of doing so in terms of cost control, ease of access and high service levels. These benefits apply just as much to IT management tools as end-user applications. Whether it is the IT managers themselves or the MSPs they outsource the task to, easy access to the tools of their trade and the data that underlies them is essential. Good use of IT support and management should ensure that in one way at least the businesses they serve are above average—that is in the level of satisfaction and availability they provide to end users and the visibility they provide to business managers regarding the quality, security and value of IT.
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