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Is there a worthy SCCM replacement? This endpoint management solution, often called ConfigMgr, has been a core solution for Windows®-centric environments. But, as IT infrastructure shifts to non-Windows solutions, many IT admins and MSPs alike are searching for a next generation SCCM replacement.
What is SCCM?
SCCM, which was previously known as SMS, or Systems Management Server, stands for System Center Configuration Manager. SCCM is a Microsoft tool which is often used to manage on-prem, Windows-based devices such as systems and servers. The solution was often paired with the Microsoft® directory service, Active Directory® (AD or MAD). In tandem, AD and SCCM were able to give IT organizations a great deal of control over their Windows environments. However, as end users have started to leverage macOS® and Linux® platforms, iOS® and Android® smartphones, and tablets, a new generation of endpoint management solution has been needed.
In response, Microsoft has developed a cloud-based MDM/MAM (mobile device and application management) solution, called Intune®, to address part of the problem. Intune was created to help manage the influx of mobile devices in the modern workplace. Combined with the on-prem SCCM, IT organizations and MSPs could potentially leverage all Microsoft solutions.
Trouble in a Heterogeneous Space
The challenge for IT admins and MSPs with SCCM and Intune has been that both solutions still struggle with managing macOS and Linux systems. Further, with the amalgam of solutions available from Microsoft, IT organizations end up needing to purchase a number of different solutions to not only manage systems, but the users as well. This siloed approach to identity and system management clearly creates inefficiencies for organizations, on top of the fact that it greatly increases the toll of management solutions on IT admins’ and MSPs’ budgets.
Given this state, IT and MSP organizations are left with only a couple of choices. They can either accept this status quo and the downsides attached to it, or seek out an SCCM replacement.
SCCM Replacement from the Cloud
The good news is that a next generation cloud identity management platform is not only controlling user access to a wide range of IT resources, but replacing SCCM for endpoint management across Windows, macOS, and Linux systems. This solution, JumpCloud® Directory-as-a-Service®, has reimagined Active Directory and SCCM for the modern, cloud era.
With Directory-as-a-Service (DaaS), admins need not worry about their end users’ choice of system, applications, or even work locale when regarding identity management. As a serverless, browser-based, third-party solution, DaaS federates access to IT resources regardless of platform, protocol, provider, or location.
Learn More
Is your organization seeking out an SCCM replacement, or just interested in what a cloud directory service can do? Contact us and learn about Directory-as-a-Service. You can also go to our YouTube channel for more educational content. Of course, if JumpCloud seems like the solution for you, feel free to sign up for Directory-as-a-Service, absolutely free. Your account comes with ten users, au gratis, to get you started.
