This is a sponsored post from Recast Software but is also a sincere piece from the author.
Table of Contents
Introduction
When Recast added Endpoint Insights to the product portfolio, the mission was to create a synergy between the dashboards and reports in Endpoint Insights and the many powerful Right Click Tools actions. Right Click Tools and Endpoint Insights operate in Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager (MEMCM, formerly SCCM).
The two products are great on their own, but the magic begins when you team them up. Let’s look at a few examples of bringing the tools together to make your workday easier.
Additional value of Right Click Tools + Endpoint Insights from Recast Software
The additional value combining Right Click Tools and Endpoint Insights includes:
- Installed applications
- Software Updates
- Hardware Inventory
Installed applications
The Software Dashboard in Endpoint Insights is a powerful tool for finding all the installed software within a collection. When Right Click Tools are added into the mix, your team can quickly identify and remove undesired software. Let’s say you have just received word from your security team that an older version of Slack has an issue, and it needs to be removed from all machines ASAP.
Using the Software Dashboard in Endpoint Insights, you can locate the software, drill down to find the offending devices, click on the devices with the old software, open System Information, and then uninstall the software.
There you have it! Your team can seamlessly go from identifying to uninstalling the offending software in seconds without leaving the SCCM console. Now your security team can rest easy.
Software Updates
Keeping on top of software updates in your environment is an ongoing battle. The Software Updates Dashboard from Endpoint Insights is a great one-stop shop to reveal the compliance status of your collections. However, knowing is only half the battle.
It’s helpful to see your compliance with Endpoint Insights, but reaching the desired 100% compliance can remain elusive. Enter Right Click Tools. From the Software Updates Dashboard, you can drill down into the categories that have not yet reached their full compliance potential to unveil the trouble machines.
Then click on the device and open the Remote Software Center, where you can next select the “Software Updates” tab and kick off those pesky updates hanging in limbo. Security is once again happy!
Hardware inventory
Endpoint Insights is about the additional device data pulled into your SCCM database. The added data includes warranty status, monitor information, and docking stations. One fantastic way to use this other data is to create collections with endpoints that contain a specific model.
For this example, we’ll select docking stations. Once your docking station model collection is created and enabled by Endpoint Insights, you can deploy current updates to those machines.
After your update is packaged and deployed, you then use Right Click Tools to kick off a Machine Policy Retrieval and Evaluation cycle so that it begins installing ASAP for all devices in your shiny new collection.
Conclusion
Right Click Tools and Endpoint Insights work as a powerful duo to enhance your SCCM capabilities. These are just a few quick examples of how you can make some instant efficiency improvements in your environment. Do you have an example of how you use Right Click Tools and Endpoint Insights together to make your life easier? Let Recast know @RecastSoftware on Twitter.
If you have Right Click Tools or Endpoint Insights and are interested in learning more about how you can add the other product, feel free to reach out to your Recast sales rep for more information. Or, if you don’t have either and want to get pricing, fill out the price request form to get a quote!