Our Research Shows Where Companies Fall Short

They Know There's a Better Way, But…

Ninety percent of our respondents told us they're aware that a UEM solution can manage all endpoints from a single platform, including PCs, mobile devices, IoT, printers, and BYOD. Despite that, 94 percent are using more than one endpoint management platform.

Six percent had one platform, while the majority averaged between two and four. We know at Stratix from our relationships with customers and providers stretching over decades that many mobile solutions were adopted piecemeal within companies, and each often had its own mobile device management (MDM) platform. That's now snowballed into a high level of complexity, but many organizations are limited by small IT teams and a lack of expertise, so there's an inability to improve despite the understanding that they could if they consolidated everything into a holistic UEM platform.

With a comprehensive solution, you manage all devices and operating systems from a single pane of glass. A single platform also gives IT teams flexibility and choice, knowing that no matter what device type is selected for future projects, the UEM can handle them.

Disturbing Gaps in Coverage

As mentioned in the Executive Summary, we were shocked to find our respondents think only 70 percent of their endpoints are adequately managed—meaning they're very vulnerable to security issues, increased downtime, and higher support costs.

Which Devices Are Vulnerable?

Our research found a perception that mobile devices rank highest as potential vulnerabilities, followed by PCs, printers, IoT, and then Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) equipment.

Note: Multiple choice answer so percentages do not equal 100.

In the table on this page, you can see how when an organization adequately manages its devices as a whole, it's more likely that it understands where its actual vulnerabilities lie.

For organizations scoring their percentage of endpoints adequately managed between 51-75 percent, mobile devices were of the lowest concern, and printers were their highest.
For organizations scoring their percentage of endpoints adequately managed between 76-100 percent, BYOD and laptops were the highest vulnerabilities. These organizations likely are looking toward a more holistic UEM strategy that incorporates laptops and BYOD.

The research indicates, not surprisingly, that there is a bias in selecting mobile devices among respondents because mobile was the starting point of UEM, having emerged from effective Mobile Device Management (MDM) solutions. It was, therefore, necessary to go a layer deeper into the data and assess respondents on their self-reported percentage of endpoints adequately managed compared with where they think their vulnerabilities are. That's where the data gets interesting.

Our findings consistently confirm our hypothesis that respondents realize that having multiple endpoint management platforms is a problem, with 76 percent calling the lack of a comprehensive UEM solution a vulnerability. So again, we see how a lack of resources and expertise is holding organizations back.

So again, we see how a lack of resources and expertise is holding organizations back.