BMC Helix Client Management provides comprehensive, automated endpoint management, delivering great service to end users while minimizing cost, maintaining compliance, and reducing security risk. It replaces the now EoL BMC BladeLogic Client Automation platform. The software automatically deploys patches and updates patch bulletins.
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ManageEngine Endpoint Central
Score 8.9 out of 10
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Desktop Central from ManageEngine is a client desktop management with patching, remote control, and configuration.
This tool will work the best in homogeneous environment where systems are running on Windows OS. In heterogeneous environment like ours where we have Windows, Linux and OS X operating systems, roll out and integration will be a challenge since not all the systems will have accessibility from a common credential
This software is suited in any environment where there are more end user than IT staff, which is pretty much everywhere. This becomes especially true in medium to large sized business and organizations. The amount of time saved (from IT Support and Administration but also from the end user's side) is simply incredible.In addition, Junior IT admins will find the automatic suggestions e.g. for optimal server configurations / setup quite useful.
The only scenario where I'm not sure the benefits will outweigh the costs are in very small businesses, where there are few end users and few PC's/Servers. In all other scenarios, this tool is truly invaluable, compared to the it's low financial cost. I would add that purchasing a perpetual license is also an option with this product and does make financial sense after 5 years or so.
Patch management provides the flexibility to deploy patches using a test to production methodology. It also allows us to customize restart actions which helps with compliance but eases disruption to the business.
Computer imaging and software deployment work together to improve speed to delivery.
Financial asset management is very useful providing all of the information we need to support our PC replacement process.
More granular access level controls for technicians (restrictions for juniors) on the Mobile Device Management add-on
Monitoring mobile data usage on mobile devices, this has been in the product pipeline for 5 years, but not yet implemented
Ability to remotely support company-owned mobile devices with no end-user permission. End-user needs to allow the remote session, when sometimes that's what we don't want since we're doing an investigation.
The process followed by the support team for incidents as well as support requests will become bottleneck for dynamically growing organisations as nothing works fast from a support point of view. A few of the requirements that we asked for took more time to execute and most of them came with a cost.
The local distributor of the product is always available, however most support is received within an hour from India. We've had complex requirements and the support team went so far as to customize their mobile application to suit our unique needs. We honestly can't complain about any support we've received and it's always been very quick.
As we decided to go for BMC Remedy for ITSM, BMC Helix Client Management was the better solution than other tools for ITAM solution as integrating ITAM and ITSM was easier than other tools and also from support point of view, it will be one throat to choke. The reporting module was elaborate and customisable.
We had 3 key points in mind on our market research when selected the MDM solution. This where: Best integration across multiple OS vendors; Ease of use of the management console; Licensing model per endpoint and agents. If we were to have a Windows only environment, then Microsoft Endpoint Manager would be the best solution. If the environment would have been exclusively MacOS then Kandji where an option. But for our mixed OS environment we have chosen ManageEngine Endpoint Central.
BMC Client Management has improved our speed to delivery, quality of service and security by providing the necessary automation tools to improve our processes.
Positive - Endpoint Central does a lot! Which gives it an amazing bang for the buck!!!
Positive - Endpoint Central makes various IT management tasks easy.
Negative - I have already mentioned this, but I can't tell you how important this is. Support - it is not great, when you get a ME tech that knows their area, then it is good to great! But it can take effort to reach that person, front line support does their best, but so many of my cases have involved more advanced support. This can take days for someone to get back to me, via email. Often I have open several cases on the same issue before reaching the correct solution.
Lastly - I spent an amazing amount of time in 2021 basically testing the product. So much so that I used that as a negotiation to bring the price down when we renewed.
I seriously considered other products at renewal time. But the discounted price did not come close to my time dealing with Bugs and low quality support.
We stayed with Desktop Central because it was successful in deploying updates - all the rest we could consider a different product if needed.
2022 - as been much better, few bugs and support has improved, but there are still timely support issues.
