5 Secrets to Make SCCM Work for You

Welcome to business in the Digital Age! According to Fortune Magazine, this is an exciting, if not unsettling, time. Breakthroughs in technology such as quantum computing, wireless interfaces, and “miracle materials” such as graphene (one atom thick and stronger than steel) are set to overturn and disrupt every industry on the planet. The development and propagation of these innovations rely on the digital storage and transfer of data.

Your business rests on data derived from your company’s ideas. That data must reside somewhere; and, you wish for it to be both secure and accessible. You must discover the method to store, sort, access, and secure your data.

Thankfully, SCCM (System Center Configuration Manager) has answers for you. This suite discovers servers, desktops, tablets, and mobile devices connected to a network through Active Directory and installs client software on each node, and manages single or network application deployments. Consider these five ways to make SCCM work for you:

#1 Install Remotely: The days of physically loading discs with software and applications are long gone. Nor do you have to rely on the twenty-something tech support rep to get you up and running. Software installation without physical visitations eliminates time waiting for technicians to show up before you get a new applications or updates to your software.

#2 Account for Software: How many instances of Adobe do you have across your enterprise? How many devices are still running MS Office 2013 vs. 2016? Exactly how many licenses are you paying for, and how many are you using? License monitoring lets you know how many licenses of a product you are actually using. Deploy SCCM and save money by redeploying unused software.

#3 Inventory Hardware: Today’s mobile environment is comprised of employees working wherever their devices take them: tablets on airplanes, cell phones in taxis, laptops at coffee shops. Determining how many devices your network supports can be a daunting task. Automatic inventory reporting and monitoring allows your technical staff to detect any machine on the network without manually taking inventory.

#4 Increase Security: The question is no longer, “Is my network going to be compromised?” It is now, “Do I have the tools to secure my data when threats to my network are detected?” SCCM can help.

Integrated security allows departments to set baselines for security, report deviations from security standard, and automatically enforce compliance. SCCM also includes role-based access control (RBAC) to enhance system security by only showing end users the interface elements that apply to their specific roles as defined by Active Directory.

#5 Transfer Systems and Files with Ease: Eventually, you will discover the need to deploy new or updated operating systems, or to restore user profiles. SCCM offers several methods to deploy operating systems, reinstall computers, and restore user profiles quickly and easily.

Make the most of SCCM now! xAssets provides full ITAM for SCCM so professionals will have a wide range of functionalities, integrations, and configurations to create a complete solution to meet each customer’s specific goals. xAssets takes a holistic view of the requirements to suggest a solution, via configuration changes, in order to add value to your IT system.

The xAssets IT Asset Management/SCCM Connector™ product provides high value full life cycle capabilities, simple and customizable reports, and quick, simple deployments. An optional agentless discovery tool is also available that discovers and analyzes information not available through SCCM. The xAssets ITAM tool creates a more comprehensive view of everything on the network.

The xAssets Network Discovery - Agentless Tool can also be run on devices which are not captured in the SCCM database, such as any routers, switches, SNMP devices, firewalls, UPS’s, IP phones, and any PCs that are not accessed by SCCM, such as home based and remote devices.

SCCM offers a tremendous starting point to discover and manage hardware and software assets across your company—including multiple locations and devices. xAssets extends SCCM capabilities to complete the process and offer full life cycle management of your IT assets—no matter the size or configuration of your system.

If you are ready to make SCCM really work for your business, xAssets can help. You can start by visiting our website and getting a free trial of our software asset management solution. Or, feel free to contact me with any questions at ussales@xassets.com or 800-691-9120 ext. 304