Why do companies invest in remote workspaces? The basic idea is that by allowing employees to work from any device or location at any time, they will be happier and more productive.

It’s sometimes hard to be happy and productive at your remote workstation when you can’t log into your account or establish a connection with your company’s main server from your home office or from any location. When these types of common errors arise, they need to be ticketed and solved in a timely fashion so that employees can get back to work.

Accordingly, if you are considering embracing the idea of remote workstations for your enterprise, make sure that your IT department has a robust endpoint management solution—like the soon to be released ZENworks service pack (ZENworks 11 SP4)— that it can use to perform routine remote maintenance on end-user devices.

Here are three things to look for in a remote endpoint management system:

1. Automatic alerts: It’s hard enough managing one user workstation—with its software licenses, security updates and program needs—let alone hundreds or thousands. A solution like ZENworks performs these tasks automatically, which streamlines the maintenance process and, in turn, reduces risk.

• The latest TightVNC software: We’ve come a long way from the nightmarish days of having to perform phone-based troubleshooting. Now, solutions like TightVNC make it possible to view and control a user workstation from a remote location. Keep in mind, however, that remote desktop management solutions can have performance issues and security vulnerabilities, so it’s critical to use the latest software. Look for the latest version of TightVNC in the upcoming service pack for ZENworks 11 SP4.

• Multiple authentication options: In general, it’s best to have more than one authentication option for granting remote operators access to end-user devices. As with earlier versions, ZENworks 11 SP4 will have both rights and password-based remote management authentication options. The main advantage with the new update, however, is that both can be used even if the ZENworks Adaptive Agent is not installed on a device.

Aside from these critical remote endpoint management features, ZENworks 11 SP4 will also contain exciting updates like improved reporting capabilities, critical security updates better SSL certificate authority and server certificate management. You can find out more information by ZENworks 11 SP4 by clicking here.

Thanks for reading!