Why you need a modern workspace solution for your end-users
The modern workspace has evolved significantly over the past decade, with technology significantly shaping how we work. The traditional office model has given way to a more flexible and collaborative work environment with the rise of remote work, co-working spaces, and digital collaboration tools. In this article, we’ll explore a modern workspace’s key features and benefits.
What is a modern workspace?
A modern workspace solution is a digital platform that enables organizations to deliver and manage applications, data, and devices from a single unified console. It provides a modern and secure approach to digital workspaces, enabling employees to work from anywhere, on any device, while ensuring the security and compliance of corporate data. Modern workspace integrates identity and access management, mobile device management (MDM), unified endpoint management (UEM), and application management into a single platform. This helps IT teams to manage and secure a diverse set of endpoints, including smartphones, tablets, laptops, and desktops, across multiple operating systems.
Cut the cord to Active Directory
Active Directory was state of the art when we all were working at the office, and we were all using Windows laptops. Times have changed, and consumerization made all the difference. Smartphones were developed, and employees demanded to be able to read their emails on their phones. Once the data was on private phones, IT lost control of that data. It could be stolen, or an employee could bring it to their next employment. A solution was needed, and the first MDM solutions saw the light of day, but these only supported mobile devices. For Active Directory to manage the Windows computer, they had to be in line of sight of domain controllers on the company network.
Introducing mobile workstyles
Mobile workstyles were becoming the new normal in many companies. The Internet enabled hiring talent that wasn’t located near the office. They became known as remote workers. This became an issue for IT to manage devices because they were not on the company network. One of the solutions was to provide VPN access to all remote users. That way, you could manage company laptops, and users could get access to the company’s applications. The problem was that the user experience was terrible, and security wasn’t sufficient. You can read more about that in the article, Is VPN more secure than a Remote Desktop solution? Also, this was still only a solution for Windows laptops.
How to get started with a modern workplace
Purchasing an MDM/UEM solution for your modern workspace is very easy. Most of them are SaaS services where you swipe your credit card, and you are ready to go. I think you should carefully consider all options before you get started. Many solutions are built for a single vendor, like Apple or Microsoft. You might want to be able to support many different devices. The right UEM solution can even help you onboard new employees. Consider if that is a feature you can use in your organization. To support a hybrid workforce, you need a solution to manage all the devices used in the organization, including devices outside the company network. Make a list of requirements and do your research.
Citrix XenMobile
One solution is Citrix XenMobile. XenMobile is a mobile device management (MDM) and enterprise mobility management (EMM) solution. It allows organizations to manage and secure mobile devices, applications, and data across different platforms, including iOS, Android, Windows, and macOS. XenMobile provides features such as device enrollment, policy management, app management, containerization, and secure file sharing. It also supports integration with other Citrix products such as XenApp, XenDesktop, and ShareFile, as well as with third-party applications and services. With XenMobile, IT administrators can manage and secure corporate data on mobile devices, while also providing employees with a seamless and secure mobile experience. This can help organizations to increase productivity, reduce risk, and ensure compliance with industry regulations. You can get XenMobile as a cloud offering from Citrix and you can also get XenMobile as an on-premises installation.