For most employees, working from home means one thing: more freedom. Part of this freedom is having the flexibility to acquire new devices, such as a laptop, that make work easier and improve the employee experience. But what happens when employees have to return to the office (at least partially)? After all, we quickly got used to this new way of working and don’t want to do without the extra devices.

The increasing number of devices encourages shadow IT

According to a study carried out by Matrix42 and Research in Action, each individual employee uses up to five devices, and this figure is rising. After all, employees want working in the office to be just as easy and flexible as it is when they work from home – think: bring your own device (BYOD).


Employees want to see and expect an enormous amount from devices and applications, which is putting companies under pressure. IT departments have to provide uniform management for both devices and applications, and constantly install updates and patches to keep them up to date and ensure security.

This is because the increasing number of devices and applications also encourages shadow IT. In particular, this affects devices and applications that are not managed by a company’s IT department. Meaning they fly under the radar, so to speak. It is not something that employees often do maliciously. They are simply unaware of what they are doing or the gravity of the security risks that their actions entail. For example, pretty much everyone uses WhatsApp – and not just on their smartphones. But in the browser extension on their company laptops, too.

This often makes communication significantly quicker and easier. However, it also makes people more likely to not think twice about sending important internal company documents via the service. Sometimes even accidentally sending them to people who are not authorized to see them. The consequences can be devastating. It is becoming clear that people, and how they use their devices, can also develop into a critical security factor.

Being open to what employees need

Do these challenges mean that BYOD must not be an option for employees? No. Quite the opposite, actually. A suitable UEM solution forms the basis that allows IT departments to deal with the high number of devices.

People returning to the office full time in particular will see BYOD gain more popularity. The employee experience should always be front and center. Since it is vital for keeping employees motivated and, ultimately, the success of the company. Companies need to be open to what each individual employee needs. This starts with giving them the freedom and flexibility to choose their device models while onboarding runs.

What does a good UEM solution need to offer?

• The ability to be integrated into the existing IT landscape: The only way to save resources is by integrating the solution into the existing IT infrastructure in the most optimal way possible.
• Zero-day support: The solution must support a new operating system from the moment it is installed and constantly evolve with it.
• Automation capacity: Automating the solution increases productivity and reduces the number of errors caused by manual steps.
• Adaptability: The processes are not adapted to the software, but the software is adapted to the processes. Tools such as an integrated Workflow Designer allow users to do this in just a few clicks of the mouse.

Matrix42 recognized by Forrester

Matrix42 is a “strong performer”. Achieving top scores in the Performance category of this year’s “The Forrester Wave™: Unified Endpoint Management, Q4 2021.” Forrester reserved particular praise for Matrix42’s excellent employee experience. The software provider offers its customers comprehensive self-service functions and a wide range of management tools. The acquisitions of FireScope and TeamViewer saw Matrix42 expand its portfolio, and will continue to do so in the future.

Its improved self-service portal featuring AI assistance and the service-oriented Enterprise app store allows Matrix42 to provide its customers with a high degree of user-friendliness. In addition, Matrix42 is one of the few providers to offer native remote support for mobile and traditional endpoints.

Find out more about Matrix42’s comprehensive solution portfolio – especially UEM – here: Unified Endpoint Managment