This new software allows IT managers to monitor and manage up to 50 devices remotely (laptops, tablets, or mobiles), visualizing their position, their network’s security status, and more features that intend to help maintain visibility on enterprise fleets as they transition to remote work
SAN FRANCISCO, April 07, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Prey Inc., provider of the cross-platform, open source anti-theft and device management software that protects more than eight million mobile devices, released today the Remote Device Monitor. This is a free, lightweight version of Prey’s management software designed to provide companies that are rushing a transition to remote work with a way of having visibility and basic security control over the computers, laptops, and mobile devices that their workforce take home during the COVID-19 crisis. This tool is composed of two parts. The agent, installed on the enterprise’s device, and the online management panel, from where the fleet’s manager will be able to monitor the linked devices live in a global map view that reflects the device’s live location, their unique ID, online status, connectivity, active network, and the network’s security status to ensure the device is not in a vulnerable environment.
Moreover, administrators have a field at disposal on each device to assign a user, and add a contact for that user, to keep accountability of the worker responsible for each of the devices. If contact with the user is necessary for a quick alert, administrators can also send an individual or collective message alert that will be displayed on the devices’ screen.
This is available as a standalone solution, companies can sign up here, but utilizes the same agent installer as the rest of Prey’s platform.
The Concerns That Rushed Remote Work Generated
This new free asset was conceived from an investigation that the Prey team kickstarted after seeing the concerns and troubles raised by its user and the IT community during this unexpected and in-mass shift to remote work.
The team reviewed the main concerns that were to be addressed in these circumstances and identified the following: a vast majority of the community needed to have visibility of the location of the company’s devices assigned for remote work. The second concern was keeping basic accountability of the workers responsible for each device. Thirdly, 50% of the consulted users considered network information necessary to implement palliative measures if the connections are insecure, badly protected, or open.
Advice on Remote Work Preparation
Prey has 10 years of experience as a remote device management and security solution, and the same amount of time as a company that works under a hybrid-remote work policy, where the location of work is flexible and non-mandatory for its workers.
Due to this, the team has decided to compile a series of recommendations to overcome the technical, humane, and communication challenges that come with the implementation of remote work. As promoters of this work policy, two introductory pieces were shared:
- What we Learned From Working in a Hybrid-Remote Office for 10 Years.
A piece that focuses not on the technical aspects of a remote work policy, but on the communication challenges it generates with time and how to address them.- Sudden Remote Work: The Ultimate Checklist to Maintain Operations:
An in-depth piece that does evaluate and enumerate the technical challenges an IT team must face to ready their organizations for remote work in a safe, and organized manner.About Prey Inc.
Prey Inc. is a software development company, provider of the Prey service: an anti-theft, data protection, device management and tracking platform for enterprise organizations with 10 years of experience in the market. It currently serves over 7 million users worldwide and protects more than 8 million laptops, tablets, and mobiles. Prey’s cross-platform, open-source security solution consolidates mobile device management on a single account, no matter how many different device manufacturers or operating systems need to be tracked.Find out more at: www.preyproject.com.
Prey Releases Free Remote Device Monitor Tool to Help Small and Medium Businesses Switch to Remote Work During Global COVID-19 Emergency
