Simplifying Software Distribution and Patch Management

IT asset management has become more complicated as businesses utilize a diverse array of software and solutions to address all of their unique needs. According to an analysis by Okta Inc., the number of software apps deployed by firms across all industries world-wide has increased 68% over the past few years, reaching an average of 129 apps per company. As that number only continues to grow, so do the difficulties IT teams face.

While the distribution and installation of these technologies poses a major challenge, actively monitoring and deploying patches can create an even greater obstacle for your staff. Even prior to the pandemic and the wide-scale movement toward remote woke, Insight found that the majority of companies were offering their employees a complete or partial option for bring-your-own-device. 

As a growing number of organizations employ BYOD policies, overseeing a mixture of company-owned and personal systems will quickly become an overwhelming task for even the most experienced IT professionals. The Society for Human Resource Management warns that the policy introduces a variety of new risks and liabilities for organizations. 

Your IT team must monitor all systems for newly available patches, as outdated software can result in serious data breaches in the face of tightening regulations. Once the patch itself is identified, your IT team also must have a process in place for the successful remote deployment of software across a highly varied network of devices.

Utilizing technology that assists with the distribution of software as well as the management and execution of new patches can provide companies with the peace of mind that their tech environments are secure. These solutions will ensure your organization’s systems are up-to-date, promoting maximum efficiency and boosting your team’s overall productivity. 

Advantages of a software distribution solution

Mismanaged software distribution can lead to incomplete or failed installations, and G2 has warned that the quality of your organization’s deployment plan serves to either make or break the success of your software implementation phase.

Experts explain that the ability to centralize information is one of the biggest advantages software deployment offers, as every employee has access to the same information, which updates in real-time, thereby reducing the potential for errors. This technology will help your team capture new efficiencies as well, as IT will be able to cut out more time-consuming administrative tasks and focus on other priorities. 

Solutions that offer a cache server will also allow your team to easily download software and windows updates on a centralized computer and distribute them to other computers across the network. This feature is especially useful in today’s remote workforce, as your IT team will be incapable of overseeing all of the digital assets within your organization’s infrastructure as they had traditionally been in the past. 

New software and updates can automatically be pushed to your team, minimizing the time spent by IT manually managing the process. A global study by Unit4 revealed that, on average, office workers spend 552 hours a year completing  administrative or repetitive tasks — roughly one third of a work year. Scheduled software distribution can be pushed overnight, allowing for IT to spend their day on core business activities, and for employees to log on to fully available workstations every morning. 

Without a software distribution solution in place, organizations risk sacrificing a significant portion of their IT team’s time to administrative tasks that could be effectively and efficiently automated. 

The Importance of Patch Management

Patches are a critical component of a successful software distribution plan. These changes provided by developers throughout the lifestyle of an application help to fix or improve an issue that was not initially identified at its launch. These updates can also be pushed to address security risks to mitigate the potential for users to experience a breach.

Organizations who fail to consistently monitor their full IT asset catalog for new patch releases are exposing themselves to significant potential risk, especially if they regularly handle sensitive or personal data. In just the first six months of 2019 alone, Forbes reported that data breaches exposed 4.1 billion individual records.

While the threat of software vulnerabilities is very real, the challenge of monitoring these environments is oftentimes too much for any one team to manage. A study by Avast found that more than half of Windows PCs are running outdated software, and oftentimes, users are entirely unaware of it. 

Gartner has identified the process of automating simple security tasks as one of the leading IT trends set to transform the business world over the next few years. Organizations who begin to move away from manual patch management and instead innovate their IT processes can expect to enjoy new efficiencies, scalability and a reduction of human error.

Deep Freeze Cloud Management

Faronics’ easy-to-use software distribution and patch management tools provide maximum control over Windows and third-party app installation and updates. Our Deep Freeze Cloud solution offers a flexible and scalable platform that meets the needs of small and large enterprises without the investment in expensive infrastructure. 

Unlike other servicing tools, Deep Freeze Cloud patch management features Windows updates, application deployment, scheduled application updates and software usage stats. IT teams can easily stay on top of vulnerabilities and threats with dashboards and alerts with real-time patch status without having to spend time manually checking. Simply select the products used in your organization’s unique environment, set a desired maintenance schedule and enjoy 100% security  against third-party application vulnerabilities

With nearly 30,000 unique customers using over 10 million licenses in over 150 countries, our team of experts has a history of providing excellent value to customers. Faronics’ solutions will help your teams to reduce risk, manage costs and re-capture the hours lost to repetitive administrative tasks. If your organization is ready to step the first step in patch management or are looking to simplify your current software distribution processes, contact us today to learn more.