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Learn the most common challenges of SaaS user management and useful best practices that can keep users in check, your business environment secure, and the chaos at bay.

SaaS user management best practices

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Is there still a gender gap for women in tech? Unfortunately, yes. The challenges are real, but here’s how women tech professionals can navigate them and succeed.

Women in tech: Navigating the gender gap

The State of Sysadmin

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Who we surveyed

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Salary by role

Salary by industry

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Want to know how sysadmins are faring and where you stand in terms of salary and state of mind? Check out the highlights from PDQ’s annual State of Sysadmin survey.

The State of System Administration: 2024 sysadmin stats

State of Sysadmin 2024: Industry insights & fascinating findings

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So you got a sweet job offer for an IT role you always wanted. But you also want more pay. Learn how to negotiate your IT job offer and the mistakes to avoid. 

How to negotiate your IT job offer

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Are you working with a nontechnical IT manager? Learn 10 useful tips on how to navigate the knowledge and skill gaps so that you can work effectively together. 

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tl;dr: hybrid management

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Managing devices in hybrid workplaces can be challenging. Here are some key considerations when deciding on an approach and tools that work best for you. 

How to manage devices in hybrid workplaces

How to manage devices in a hybrid workplace

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Hybrid device management

Endpoint management

Remote work

PDQ Connect

Learn how to inventory, patch, secure, deploy software to, and support Windows and macOS devices across office and remote work environments.

A six-step process for inventorying, grouping, configuring, patching, and monitoring endpoints across office and remote work environments.

Inventory your endpoints

Inventory every endpoint and identify its operating system, owner, location, and installed software.

Group devices by location

Group devices by whether they are usually on the corporate network, remote, or frequently moving between both.

Choose a management model

Choose cloud-based, on-premises, or combined management tools based on connectivity and operating system requirements.

Deploy management controls

Deploy the required agents, authentication controls, and management configurations.

Automate maintenance

Automate software deployment, operating system updates, third-party patching, and recurring maintenance.

Monitor endpoint health

Monitor endpoint health, patch compliance, software inventory, and devices that stop checking in.

In a hybrid workplace, employees work from more than one location, typically combining office and remote work. For IT teams, the primary challenge is maintaining consistent inventory, software, security, access, and support as devices move between networks.

What is hybrid work?

Inventory every endpoint, group devices by operating system and network location, select the appropriate management model, automate deployments and patches, enforce access controls, and monitor compliance. Apply the same process to every endpoint, even when different tools are required.

How do you manage devices in a hybrid workplace?

Use a cloud-based agent for Windows and macOS patching, scripting, inventory, deployment, and remote administration. Pair it with a mobile device management platform when you also need automated enrollment, configuration profiles, FileVault controls, or Apple-specific compliance policies.

How do you manage macOS devices in a hybrid workplace?

Choose a management tool based on where devices operate, which operating systems you support, and whether the organization needs software management, full device configuration, or both. Cloud-based tools are generally the simplest option for remote endpoints, while on-premises tools remain useful for Windows devices that regularly connect to the corporate network.

How do you choose device management tools for hybrid workers?

Use PDQ Connect for primarily remote or hybrid Windows and macOS fleets. Use PDQ Deploy and Inventory for primarily on-premises Windows endpoints. Use Microsoft Intune, optionally paired with PDQ Connect, when you also need device enrollment, mobile device management, configuration profiles, and Conditional Access.

Which device management tool fits a hybrid environment?

PDQ Connect focuses on software deployment, third-party patching, scripting, inventory, vulnerability remediation, and remote administration for Windows and macOS. Microsoft Intune focuses more heavily on enrollment, mobile device management, configuration policies, mobile application management, and Conditional Access.

What is the difference between PDQ Connect and Microsoft Intune?

On-prem vs remote software deployment

TL;DR: on-prem vs remote deployment

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What’s the difference between on-prem and remote software deployment solutions? See how they compare and how to decide what works best for you. 

On-prem vs. remote software deployment

On-prem vs. remote software deployment: Which is best?

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Choose a software deployment approach based on device connectivity, operating system support, and how much infrastructure your IT team wants to maintain.

On-prem software deployment

Remote software deployment

Cloud software deployment

Hybrid IT environments

On-prem software deployment runs from infrastructure your organization hosts and manages. It gives IT direct control over the deployment server, data, network access, and workflows, but your team is responsible for setup, maintenance, security, backups, and availability.

What is on-prem software deployment?

Remote software deployment uses a cloud-hosted console and an endpoint agent for remote deployment. It is best suited to remote or hybrid fleets because devices can receive inventory scans, packages, scripts, and other tasks without connecting to the corporate LAN or VPN.

What is remote software deployment?

On-prem and remote deployment tools differ most in reachability, control, setup, operating system support, and licensing. On-prem tools fit devices that are reliably reachable on the corporate network. Remote tools fit devices that connect from many locations and need to be managed over the internet.

How do on-prem and remote software deployment compare?

A remote deployment tool is best when you manage remote or off-site devices and do not want to require a VPN. Remote tools can also cost less than setting up and operating an on-prem solution and can scale more easily as an organization grows.

When should you use a remote deployment tool?

The best software deployment model depends on the industry and users you support, your existing IT infrastructure, available resources, security requirements, and your preferred IT management approach.

Which software deployment model is best for your organization?

Yes. IT teams can use on-prem deployment for Windows endpoints, servers, air-gapped networks, and environments that require locally hosted infrastructure. They can use cloud deployment for internet-connected Windows and macOS devices in offices, homes, and field locations.

Can on-prem and cloud deployment tools work together?

IT teams can deploy software to Windows and macOS devices in a hybrid environment by using a cloud-based platform that communicates with both types of endpoints over the internet. This supports application installation, automated updates, scripts, and inventory-based targeting without requiring an office network or VPN connection.

How do you deploy software to Windows and macOS devices in a hybrid environment?

Choose a remote software deployment tool based on operating system support, security requirements, automation capabilities, reporting, reliability, technical support, ease of setup, and cost. Small IT teams should prioritize platforms that combine inventory, deployment, automation, remote commands, and troubleshooting in one console.

How do you choose a remote software deployment tool?

how to manage devices remotely

tl;dr: how to manage remote devices

How do I manage my remote devices? 

How can sysadmins manage remote devices to keep them productive and secure? Learn the key areas to cover and how a remote device management solution can help. 

How to manage remote devices

Automate device onboarding by standardizing provisioning, enrollment, software deployment, and validation from start to finish.

How do you automate device onboarding from provisioning through software installation?

Choose the provisioning path

Apply the OS and drivers

Enroll or join the endpoint

Assign software

Validate configuration and compliance

Run final actions

Run final user-specific or first-login actions.

Use automated patch schedules, device groups, and staged deployments to keep remote endpoints current. Internet-based endpoint management can also help IT reach devices that rarely connect to the corporate network, while testing updates on a smaller group first reduces the risk of widespread deployment issues.

How do you keep remote endpoints patched and up to date?

Use a cloud-based endpoint management platform that can communicate with devices over the internet. This lets IT deploy software, patches, and scripts without requiring the endpoint to connect to the corporate network or maintain an active VPN session.

How do you patch and deploy software to internet-connected devices without a VPN?

Centralize endpoint data such as online status, installed software, patch state, and configuration details in your device management platform. Regular inventory scans and device check-ins help IT identify outdated, unhealthy, or noncompliant endpoints and prioritize remediation.

How do you maintain visibility into remote endpoint health and compliance?

Cloud-based endpoint management platforms are designed to manage devices across office, home, and other internet-connected networks. The right platform should provide centralized inventory, software deployment, patching, automation, and remote management capabilities without requiring every endpoint to remain on the corporate network.

What endpoint management platforms support both in-office and work-from-home employees?

How to use your school’s COVID relief funds on IT tools 

Use ’em or lose ’em 

Sysadmins in education, learn how you can use your school’s COVID relief funds on IT tools that can make a difference in your work and in the classroom.

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