![\"\"](\"https:\/\/jumpcloud.com\/\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image-7.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nThe power of desktops and laptops are conducive to productivity at a rate that mobile devices still can\u2019t match. The big question: If Mac, Windows, and Linux systems are here to stay, how can an IT manager best manage them all in the same environment? <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Luckily, unlike a circus manager, IT admins have a Swiss Army knife to help manage their digital circus: an open endpoint management system. This article will discuss open endpoint management systems, how they work, and identify the best ones and their key features.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pros and Cons of Open Endpoint Management Systems<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
“Open software<\/a>” has a publicly available and modifiable source code.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Therefore, open endpoint management systems enable IT administrators to centrally manage and monitor endpoint devices such as laptops, desktops, mobile devices, and servers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Admins use them for software deployment, patch management, remote control and support, security management, etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The benefits of open endpoint management systems are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n And the downsides are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are several factors to consider when choosing endpoint management software. However, we’ll focus on three which we think apply to most organizations:<\/p>\n\n\n\n It’s a no-brainer that your management system must be compatible with the devices that make up your workforce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While a few workplaces still use a homogenous fleet of devices, most organizations have shifted toward a heterogeneous collection of Windows, Mac, Linux, and even Android.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Regardless of the case, you will want to select a system compatible with the devices that the employees in your office use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Most endpoint management systems cater only to specific operating systems, while others, such as JumpCloud, provide coverage<\/a> for a broader range of devices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You should also consider the variety of integrable tools the management system provides. Many management systems come bundled with solutions that give IT admins seamless management capabilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For instance, with JumpCloud, IT admins can do more than just manage devices; they can also leverage multi-factor authentication (MFA)<\/a>, single sign-on (SSO)<\/a>, and password managers<\/a> to improve security.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Besides these factors, also consider integration with third-party tools that provide other solutions. For example, an admin who integrates their endpoint management systems with security tools such as antivirus software or threat detection platforms can proactively identify and address security threats on endpoints better than those who don’t.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Lastly, ensure your preferred endpoint management system can handle more or fewer devices without compromising performance or features.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Also, the management system should be flexible in its pricing models. This means you shouldn’t get locked into a one-size-fits-all structure. Instead, you should be allowed to pay only for the features and endpoints you need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n JumpCloud, for example, provides multiple pricing options<\/a> that allow organizations to select the solutions they want for as many users as they need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So here are our top three open endpoint management systems of 2023.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Strictly speaking, JumpCloud isn’t open source since its source code is proprietary. However, it leads a new generation of endpoint management systems, thanks to its revolutionary approach of focusing on users in addition to devices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This approach positions it to be the best fit for heterogeneous work environments as it helps users have seamless access to the resources that they need irrespective of their device or location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A few upsides to JumpCloud besides the ones pointed out above are that organizations can implement a Zero Trust security approach<\/a> with the tools that the platform provides such as MFA and Password Manager.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Also, admins can consolidate their tool stack and beat down the attendant costs that come with using several tools that can be replaced with one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \ufeff\ufeff<\/p>\n\n\n\n Lastly, users don’t have to bother with the headache of remembering passwords for different devices because JumpCloud uses a single set of credentials for logging in. A bonus to this is that when integrated with JumpCloud’s SSO, they can access other applications and resources under the same conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Wazuh<\/a> is a cloud-based and free open source<\/a> endpoint management system that is primarily focused on security capabilities. Its main functions include monitoring, detecting, and providing alerts about security events.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \ufeff\ufeff<\/p>\n\n\n\n Wazuh also monitors file integrity<\/a> by detecting changes in file ownership, attributes, permissions, and content. With its assessment tool, Wazuh finds weak spots in assets and helps admins tighten them up before attackers exploit them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Also, Wazuh provides compliance management features<\/a> such as improved security controls, log analysis, and incident response, which help organizations to meet regulatory requirements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n CrowdSec<\/a> is another open source security solution designed to protect servers, containers, and virtual machines from various types of attacks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It works by detecting and blocking suspicious traffic that may be trying to get access to a server through brute force, HTTP attacks, website scalping\/scrapping etc. It also registers IPs that it recognizes as threats, as well as those pointed out by other CrowdSec users, and denies them access to servers on which it is running.<\/p>\n\n\n\n CrowdSec is an easy-to-set-up solution that requires minimal configuration. Its greatest advantage, however, lies in its community support. Not only does its community contribute new features, but it also actively shares threat intelligence by reporting dangerous IP addresses. This improves the detection capabilities of the platform’s \u201cbouncer\u201d and helps it shoot dangerous IPs on sight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \ufeff\ufeff<\/p>\n\n\n\n Open endpoint management systems provide the tools that IT admins need to deploy and enforce network-wide policies on devices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n JumpCloud stands out as the device-agnostic solution that helps admins manage users from a single, unified platform. Besides flexibility, it offers the tools needed for organizations to unify their IT stack with MFA, SSO, MDM, identity lifecycle management and more. Are you one of the 85% of IT leaders<\/a> who say they\u2019re adding technologies faster than they can productively use them? If so, we invite you to sign up for JumpCloud today<\/a> and become the true ringmaster of your digital circus.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Managing a user\u2019s system has become more critical than ever. IT admins are on a budget, so is there an open source endpoint management solution?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":163,"featured_media":82604,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_oasis_is_in_workflow":0,"_oasis_original":0,"_oasis_task_priority":"","inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[],"collection":[2778],"platform":[],"funnel_stage":[3016],"coauthors":[2640],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nPros<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Cons<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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![\"\"](\"https:\/\/jumpcloud.com\/\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/office-ariel-view.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nHow to Choose Open Endpoint Management Software<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
1. Assess Compatibility<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
2. Identify Integration Options <\/h4>\n\n\n\n
3. Evaluate Scalability and Flexibility<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/jumpcloud.com\/\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/woman-working-laptop.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nThe Best Open Endpoint Management Systems of 2023<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
1. JumpCloud Directory Platform<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/jumpcloud.com\/\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/g2-review-efficient.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n2. Wazuh<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/jumpcloud.com\/\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image-6-1024x247.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n3. CrowdSec<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/jumpcloud.com\/\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image-6-1024x629.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nJump Ahead with JumpCloud<\/h2>\n\n\n\n