Many companies pay for “managed IT” and receive a phone number to call when something breaks. Management is something else. It means knowing what devices the company has, what state each one is in, and being able to act on all of them without visiting a desk.
What a managed computer has
- An inventory entry. Who has it, what it is, how old it is and when the warranty ends.
- Remote management. An agent that reports the machine’s health and lets support fix problems without a visit.
- Automatic updates for the operating system and common software, with a report of what is behind.
- Endpoint protection that watches for suspicious behavior as well as known viruses, and is itself monitored.
- Disk encryption, so a lost laptop is an inconvenience and not a breach.
- Remote lock and wipe for laptops and phones that hold company data.
Old operating systems
Standard support for Windows 10 ended on October 14, 2025. Machines still running it receive security fixes only through Microsoft’s paid Extended Security Updates program, which is a temporary bridge. An inventory tells you how many such machines you have and which can be upgraded.
Joiners and leavers
Management shows its worth when people arrive and leave. A new starter should receive a computer that is ready on the first morning. When someone leaves, their access should end that day and the device should be recovered or wiped.
Questions for your provider
- Can you show me a list of every device and its update status today?
- How many machines are missing protection or are overdue for updates?
- What do you do when a laptop is lost?
- What is your checklist when an employee leaves?
Related service: IT & CTO/CIO management.