ManageEngine Endpoint Central is a cloud-based management console for managing, monitoring, and securing endpoints. Formerly known as Desktop Central, the platform enables IT administrators to manage and monitor endpoints from anywhere, on any device.
The powerful endpoint management solution also provides centralized inventory management and compliance reporting. Using these features, administrators can easily keep track of the state of all your endpoints at any given time.
Overall, the Unified Endpoint Management solution is more than just a blessing when you are looking to manage a multitude of servers, desktop devices, and smartphones across an organization. Endpoint Central by ManageEngine automates endpoint management and security from beginning to end, helping you reduce IT infrastructure costs. Additionally, it offers built-in remote control features that allow administrators to access endpoints remotely.
ManageEngine Endpoint Central comes with various options to help manage devices and their security easily. Below we have listed some of its top features, benefits, and drawbacks that can help determine if it is a great option for your business.
Further, compare their pricing plans and check the system requirements to decide if the platform can effectively manage your mobile or devices.
Key Features
Endpoint Central is a trusted management and security solution that keeps your company’s IT assets and endpoints secure. It provides an end-to-end security solution for your company’s devices, servers, applications, and data. Here is the list of top features of Desktop Central that you may require in your console:
1. Patch Management
ManageEngine Endpoint Central provides an easy solution to manage and install patches on devices in your network. Endpoint Central helps you stay up-to-date by automatically deploying the latest updates to your devices. It offers a fully automated patch management system and centralized console to deploy, monitor, and manage all the patches across your network. It also offers granular control over the process and maintains security.
Further, the patch management system automatically runs scans and looks for missing patches. It also automates antivirus definition updates and supports the system health policy that helps classify the health status of various systems within the network.
The platform also provides detailed reports with details of all the patches deployed on your devices.
2. Power Management
Power Management is a valuable addition to ManageEngine Endpoint Central, allowing you to define and enforce power schemes on Windows, Mac, and Linux devices. This feature helps manage the power supply to a device, reduces power consumption by a device, and provides standby power for devices. It uses techniques like disabling the screensaver, applying power schemes, and automatically shutting down inactive devices.
3. USB Device Management
USB Device Management is crucial for endpoint security and data protection. If you run good USB security management software, you will be able to keep threats at bay. Professional USB management software keeps unknown, unauthorized devices from connecting to your company. Overall, with enterprise USB device management software, you minimize threats of malicious programs or codes and increase the security of your company.
Administrators also gain access to limit the scope of USB device usage based on roles using this feature. It is easy to use and can prevent hackers from injecting harmful malware into the network with a few clicks. This feature also helps monitor how each USB device is used and generates detailed reports, including device name, type, manufacturer, time duration, etc.
Further, users get notified on detecting the plugging of a restricted device.
4. IT Asset Management
IT asset management is the process of managing and controlling the deployment, operation, and retirement of IT assets. The goal is to optimize the return on investment (ROI) of IT investments. With the help of this feature, administrators can easily track and monitor all assets and retrieve data regarding the device.
5. Application Control
ManageEngine Endpoint Central has a feature called Application Control that lets you control the applications used by the endpoints in your network. It also provides centralized management of application permissions and usage policies.
Using the Application Control feature, administrators can automatically create whitelists and block several non-business applications. Another benefit is users have access to regulate the flexibility level for application control policy enforcement. The platform offers full control and privileged access over all the applications running on the network.
6. Device Control
The Endpoint Central’s device control feature lets you remotely lock or unlock a computer or mobile device, set screen locks and passwords on the device, disable the webcam and microphone of a device, and wipe all data from the device. It allows you to control devices remotely, manage and deploy updates, perform inventory management, and monitor devices for vulnerabilities and threats.
You can block unauthorized access, set permissions depending on the role-based access control policies, limit file transfers, and track all data usage activities. The feature helps trace file actions in real time and record relevant details. It also supports file shadowing and transfer control.
7. Anti-Ransomware
Ransomware is a type of malware that encrypts the data on a computer or network and then demands payment to decrypt it. Endpoint Central provides anti-ransomware capabilities to detect and block ransomware threats before they can do any harm to your company’s data. This feature can be enabled from the Settings tab of the Endpoint Central console.
It is an out-of-the-box solution that keeps all your files secure while causing minimum disruption in performance. The platform supports behavior detection techniques that offer proactive defense against upcoming threats. It helps accurately and quickly identify irregularities in file activities. Additionally, it has a fail-safe recovery mechanism that securely restores your data.
8. Supports Integration
The Endpoint Central console offers a centralized dashboard to manage all endpoints from one place. It also integrates with other third-party tools like Jira, Zendesk, ServiceNow, Tenable.io, etc. to offer a complete solution for endpoint management needs.
Jira is a major participant in the help desk industry and is best known for bug tracking, issue tracking, and project management. Integrating Jira with Endpoint Central will help resolve all of your endpoint-related problems. Similarly, you can improve incident handling by integrating Endpoint Central with ServiceNow. With the aid of this integration, you may manage Endpoint Central’s service operations right from the ServiceNow Console.
Endpoint Central also supports integration with other ManageEngine products like ServiceDesk Plus, Asset Explorer, OS Deployer, Analytics Plus, etc.
Pros of ManageEngine Endpoint Central
Endpoint Central can be used to centrally manage all the devices, servers, and virtual machines across the enterprise. The cloud-based platform offers a wide range of services including remote control, patch management, file transfer, software distribution, and more.
The software also offers several split mobile management features you can use to manage different endpoints, whether they are Windows or Mac. Below are a few more listed benefits of using ManageEngine Endpoint Central over other platforms:
Simple User Interface and Setup Process
The ManageEngine Endpoint Central installation process is quite simple and requires no expertise. You can download the installation package and follow the guide for quick installation. The user interface is also easy to navigate and comes with a tabbed system. It has a central dashboard that allows administrators to track the status of devices in real-time. The tab system helps navigate via Home, Inventory, Patch management, support, and other areas.
For example, you can view information about available and missing patches on the dashboard view that is accessible through the patch management tab.
Offers Mobile Device Management
ManageEngine Endpoint Central is a comprehensive and easy-to-use solution that offers Mobile Device Management. It is an all-in-one solution that can be used by IT administrators to manage different types of endpoint devices in a single console.
The platform allows users to enroll iOS or Android devices manually, in bulk, or with two-factor authentication. Further, it allows users to distribute apps to devices, take apps off the blacklist or disable them, issue redemption coupons for paid apps, etc. Administrators can also scan installed apps, audit mobile apps, and configure strict security policies.
Endpoint Security
Endpoint security covers the elimination of high-risk software, real-time alerts, comprehensive audits, scanning endpoints, and tracing system compliance with 75+ CIS benchmarks. The endpoint security feature supported by the platform also allows users to secure their data from insider attacks and ransomware.
Additionally, you can verify that your browser complies with security guidelines like STIG and CIS. Also, by screening websites and keeping an eye on the plug-ins, add-ons, and extensions being used on your network, you can harden browsers.
User Administration
Access control is a major concern for many organizations. Too much access to sensitive information can lead to data breaches and security risks. This is why many companies use role-based access control to manage their data more securely.
ManageEngine Endpoint Central offers role-based access control that allows administrators to assign different levels of permissions to different users, depending on the roles they have in your organization.
In simple terms, the solution allows administrators to customize their user roles as per their needs and requirements. This means that they can restrict access to certain features based on user roles.
For example, if you are a manager, you may be able to see all the company’s financial records while an accountant will only be able to see his or her own department’s records.
Supports 50+ Predefined Configurations
Endpoint Central supports 50+ predefined configurations, including drive mapping, patch management, application launch, display properties, configuring power schemes, security policies, configuring Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows 7, macOS Sierra 10.12, macOS High Sierra 10.13, and many more.
These configurations help customize as per the requirement of the organization without any additional configuration changes or expenses incurred by the organization for purchasing additional licenses.
Service Pack Installation
The cloud-based platform supports service pack installations for various Windows operating systems and applications. These packs help save time, and effort, and allow users to perform network scans to discover the computers that are lacking service packs and deploy them correctly. You can install the service pack on multiple systems at the same time and view their status.
Cons of ManageEngine Endpoint Central
Endpoint Central is one of the popular endpoint management solutions that helps manage and monitor endpoints remotely, as well as automates software deployments. It has fewer drawbacks, but when compared with other endpoint management solutions in this list, Endpoint Central is expensive.
Pricing Plans
Endpoint Central is available in four editions – Free, Professional, Enterprise, and UEM.
- The free edition is the best option for SMBs, as you can manage up to 25 endpoints freely. The edition also offers Patch management, asset management, software deployment, configurations, remote control, Windows system tools, as well as OS deployment for a single server and 4 workstations. The free package also covers two-factor authentication.
- The Professional package, on the other hand, covers all features of the free edition plus mobile device management, endpoint security as an add-on, Active Directory, and User Logon Reports.
- The Enterprise Edition includes all features of the professional edition plus license management, software metering, USB Device Management, WAN Bandwidth Optimization, OS Deployment as an add-on, prohibited software, and a self-service portal.
- The UEM edition is the most expensive one and includes all features of the Enterprise edition. The package also covers modern management for Windows and macOS devices.
For exact quotes and other details, visit the sales team.
System Requirements
Endpoint Central is a web-based system that manages, monitors, and reports on the endpoint devices in an organization. It can be used to manage all types of endpoint devices such as PCs, Macs, tablets, smartphones, and more.
The following are the system requirements for installing Endpoint Central:
Minimum System Requirements:
- Windows Server 2003 SP2 or later on Microsoft SQL Server 2005 or later with a minimum of 10 GB of hard disk space for installation
- 1 GB RAM (4 GB recommended)
- Minimum 1024×768 screen resolution (higher resolution recommended)
- Internet connection is required during installation only
It’s vital to remember that the on-premises edition is the only one that offers OS imaging and deployment.
Why Choose Endpoint Central?
Endpoint Central provides a comprehensive endpoint protection suite that ensures your business is well-protected against viruses, malware, and other threats.
Endpoint Central is the best endpoint protection software that you can find on the market. It has all the features that are needed to protect your business from cyberattacks and data breaches. Plus, it is constantly updated to keep up with new security threats.
Here are a few more reasons that will convince you to opt for ManageEngine Endpoint Central over other software available in the market.
- Remote Desktop Sharing Remote Desktop Sharing is a method of sharing your desktop with someone else over the internet. Endpoint Central allows you to access your computer from anywhere in the world. You can share your screen with someone else, or allow them to control your computer remotely. It also includes keyboard and mouse control, as well as audio and video.
- Quick Software Deployment Endpoint Central automates software deployment with minimal manual intervention. Rolling out software across enterprises is getting extremely difficult due to the exponential increase in endpoints. With the help of an automated deployment tool and without any user input, Endpoint Central enables you to distribute software packages and automate software deployment in all the devices running Windows, Mac, and Linux.
- Supports App Management The solution supports app management for both iOS and Android devices. The dashboard includes a list of all the installed apps on each device with details about their origin, publisher, last update date, etc. This information helps in quickly identifying any potential security risks in the system which may have been installed inadvertently or by mistake. Users even have the authority to disable blacklisted apps.
- Runs Audits and Generates Insightful Reports The cloud-based platform also helps in monitoring networks and identifying any potential security risks. It also generates insightful reports that can help users to make more informed decisions in the future.
- Security Management Security management is a process that defines and implements security measures to protect data, systems, and networks from outside threats. Security management also monitors and analyzes alerts generated by security systems to identify potential intrusions. It provides a set of controls that can be used to manage risks related to information security.
These controls are designed to mitigate the impact of any potential risks on an organization’s business goals, reputation, customer relationships, or other assets. With this feature, you can identify assets, develop controls, assess risks, and monitor devices in real-time.
You can also set up strict security measures like device locks and passcodes to protect corporate data from outside threats.
ManageEngine Endpoint Central Modules
Endpoint Central is a powerful and easy-to-use endpoint management software solution. It provides you with a complete view of all the endpoints in your network. You can see the list of all your devices, their location on the map, their operating system version, etc. This information is crucial for security audits and vulnerability assessments.
Endpoint Central has four modules:
- Patch Management Keeps your endpoints updated with the latest patches from Microsoft and other vendors such as Adobe or Oracle
- Antivirus Protection Provides real-time protection against viruses with automatic updates
- Configuration Management Allows you to configure settings on each endpoint in an organized way
- Inventory Management This shows you a list of all your devices, along with their location and other details.
Conclusion
Desktop Central is ManageEngine’s full-stack UEM solution that helps manage and secure a high-diversity deployment of devices, ranging from servers, desktops, laptops, phones, and tablets, to point-of-sale machines, OEM Config devices, and other IoT endpoints. Get all of your customized endpoint configurations and management in one single console.
ManageEngine Endpoint Central is a popular UEM solution that presents itself as a cutting-edge desktop and mobile management solution. It can help manage various devices running Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iOS, and Chrome OS.
ManageEngine Endpoint Central is a powerful endpoint management solution for enterprises of all sizes. This platform offers features like endpoint vulnerability assessment, mobile device management, and remote support. It also enables IT admins to configure and enforce policies for their endpoints. These policies help them control the data on devices, access to the internet, etc.
Most importantly, the software is available as a cloud service or an on-premise deployment option. Get better visibility into each device and install patches. The platform offers multiple ways to automate patch deployment and improve visibility so that you can discover unpatched vulnerabilities faster.
The system as a whole does an excellent job of providing a streamlined endpoint management experience that makes it simple to update a complete network from a single location, despite the user interface occasionally being unnecessarily complex.
Get a quick overview of Endpoint Central’s features, pros, cons, system requirements, and pricing plans to check if it meets your business requirements. Start a 30-day free trial.
