Navigating the Endpoint Complexity and Security Maze: Why Comprehensive UEM Is More Essential Than Ever

28. May 2025, Will Wyatt

A new survey of IT professionals finds that many IT teams that are struggling to manage and secure a sprawling digital landscape with increasing numbers, types and locations of endpoints. Survey findings also point to tool consolidation and unified endpoint management (UEM) solutions as critical considerations when managing rapidly evolving business technologies.

Short and Sweet:

The growing challenges of endpoint complexity: Hybrid and remote workforces have caused an explosion in the number, diversity and location of endpoints.
Tool and team consolidation still needed: Many IT teams are finding it difficult to keep pace with increasing infrastructure complexity and rising security threats using fragmented management tools.
Shadow IT, AI, and security risks: Inadequate network transparency, delayed patching and shadow IT increase security risks at many organizations.
UEM as a strategic imperative: When used to their full potential, UEM solutions like the baramundi Management Suite can comprehensively address current challenges and better prepare organizations for the future.

A new 2025 survey of IT professionals by the Enterprise Strategy Group, “The Growing Role of AI in Endpoint Management and Security Convergence”, paints a sobering picture of endpoint security readiness across industries. From patching delays to shadow IT, many organizations are finding it difficult to keep pace with the increasing complexity of endpoint environments and rising cyber threats using fragmented IT management tools.

The Growing Challenge of Endpoint Complexity

The days of managing a largely homogenous fleet of Windows PCs are long gone. Hybrid and remote workforces are now the norm, resulting in a larger number of diverse endpoints that IT teams must manage. Employees today use an average of 2-3 devices daily including Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android and virtual desktop systems. Many organizations today manage thousands or even tens of thousands of endpoints deployed in IT and IoT/OT networks.

Managing heterogeneous endpoints at scale using disparate tools increases complexity, costs and security risks. Without network transparency and consistent tools and procedures, it’s harder than ever to maintain visibility, enforce policies and respond to threats in real-time. It also makes early detection of misconfigurations, compliance failures, and vulnerabilities much more difficult.

Unsurprisingly, the survey showed that 38% of IT professionals find endpoint management more difficult than two years ago, and 42% feel the same about security (Source: Enterprise Strategy Group, now part of Omdia).

Patch Management: Still a Weak Link

One of the most consistent themes to emerge from the Enterprise Strategy Group survey is the difficulties organizations face with patch and update management. Delays in vulnerability identification, limited automation, and manual processes result in critical security gaps.

The effectiveness of patch management tools is often diminished by fragmented IT environments. Without a unified platform, it's easy for certain endpoints—or even entire device types—to fall through the cracks.

By centralizing patch deployment across OS platforms and enforcing update policies uniformly, UEM solutions help ensure that no device is left behind.

How AI Is Shaping the Future of Endpoint Management

Download the full Enterprise Strategy Group report: The Growing Role of AI in Endpoint Management and Security Convergence to gain insights into the challenges and goals IT and security teams face today.

Download the report here

Shadow IT and Rogue Applications

Another key concern is the proliferation of unauthorized devices and applications. These hidden risks increase an organization’s vulnerability to malware, data leaks, and compliance violations.

A robust UEM solution brings unauthorized hardware and software into the light. Through real-time inventory and application controls, IT teams can detect, manage or restrict unapproved apps and devices, reduce attack surfaces and enforce security policies consistently.

Fragmented Tools = Fragmented Security

Managing devices with a patchwork of disparate tools doesn't scale and cannot provide the capabilities needed to handle endpoint security, inventory, patching and compliance. That approach also increases complexity, incident response times and operational costs.

In contrast, UEM platforms consolidate endpoint management under one intutive admin interface using consistent policy-based procedures. UEM also enables a high degree of automation, remote monitoring and maintenance, and a comprehensive dashboard showing infrastructure status (Source: Enterprise Strategy Group, now part of Omdia).

Underused Potential of UEM

While UEM tools are widely available, the Enterprise Strategy Group survey revealed that many organizations fail to use them to their full potential. Advanced capabilities like granular configuration enforcement, real-time analytics and integration with security operations remain underused in many environments.

However, organizations that fully embrace UEM report significant improvements in endpoint security, audit readiness, and mean time to resolution (MTTR) for incidents.

UEM is a strategic imperative

It helps to think of a UEM platform not merely as an integrated collection of IT management tools but as a necessary and more effective way to manage business technology infrastructure with both tactical and strategic benefits.

At a tactical level it provides a single pane of glass for visibility and control across the entire endpoint ecosystem to:

Tame diversity and complexity: UEM consolidates provisioning, configuration, patching, software deployment, and policy enforcement for multiple operating systems and device types.
Bridge staff and skills shortages: An integrated UEM platform enable existing staff to manage a broader range of tasks more effectively using consistent workflows. Automation also frees up IT staff for higher priority projects.
Strengthen security & vulnerability management: A comprehensive solution integrates with security functions and provides the visibility needed for effective vulnerability management, consistent policy enforcement and faster threat detection and response.

At a strategic level, UEM transforms endpoint management from a reactive problem-response approach to one focused on proactive problem-prevention, improved security and performance optimization.

Advanced UEM solutions like the baramundi Management Suite also integrate proactive tools for Digital Employee Experience (DEX) management, an essential capability for managing hybrid work environments diverse devices.

The baramundi platform also comes with the company’s highly regarded customer support and multiple training options so IT teams can use its solutions to their full potential.

In the face of escalating IT challenges, a comprehensive UEM solution is a strategic imperative. It's the foundation for regaining control, enhancing security posture, and enabling the business to operate securely and efficiently in an increasingly complex digital world.

Of respondents surveyed, an overwhelming 85% said that budgets for endpoint security and endpoint management will increase in the next 18-24 months (Source: Enterprise Strategy Group, now part of Omdia).