There are plenty of options if you’re looking for an alternative to Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM). SCCM is a great tool, but it can be expensive and difficult. If your organization needs something more lightweight or easy-to-use, these other tools might be the perfect fit for your organization’s needs.
SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor
SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor is a free tool to monitor your network. It provides information on the status of your servers, workstations, and other devices on your network.
SolarWinds NPM also allows you to compare data from different devices on one screen, giving you a complete view of your network’s performance.
For example, suppose an application server is slow because of too many users accessing it simultaneously. In that case, SolarWinds NPM will show that for all web applications hosted by that server at once, you can act accordingly by adding more RAM or another CPU core to the app host machine or moving some users over onto another machine with higher capacity available.
The biggest drawback with SolarWinds NPM compared with SCCM is that it doesn’t have any built-in functionality for deploying software through Group Policy (like WSUS). Still, this feature can be added via 3rd party add-ons such as Microsoft SQL Reporting Services (SSRS).
NinjaOne Patch Management
NinjaOne is a patch management solution that can manage Windows and Linux servers. It offers a free version of its product, allowing you to test the waters before jumping to a paid subscription.
NinjaOne has some great features, including:
- A built-in vulnerability scanner so you can find any gaps in your security before they become an issue.
- The ability to choose which updates or patches are installed on each machine in your network (instead of having all machines update at once).
- An easy way for IT admins and support staff alike to keep track of patches across their entire network is by using an intuitive dashboard interface.
ManageEngine Endpoint Central
ManageEngine Endpoint Central is a comprehensive solution that helps IT administrators manage their endpoints from a single console. It provides complete control and visibility into all endpoints, allowing administrators to manage the entire endpoint lifecycle.
The product offers several features to help you with your management tasks:
- Endpoint Management: The platform provides complete control and visibility into all endpoints, allowing administrators to manage the entire endpoint lifecycle.
- Compliance Management: It helps you stay compliant with industry standards such as SOX, HIPAA, GDPR, and more.
- Endpoint Protection: The platform uses advanced security features to protect against zero-day threats and malware.
- Performance Management: It provides detailed insights into performance issues on endpoints, helping administrators resolve them efficiently.
- Asset Management: The solution allows you to track hardware and software assets across your organization, ensuring that all devices comply with your standards.
- Reporting and Alerting: It offers advanced reporting capabilities and customizable alerts for any endpoint event.
Ivanti UEM
Ivanti UEM is a solution that helps you manage your software and hardware inventory, software distribution, and patch management. This on-premise and cloud-based solution can be used to improve the efficiency of your IT environment.
It allows you to discover all devices in your organization, monitor the state of those devices, deploy applications or patches across them, and even track their status throughout their lifecycle.
UEM can be used for a variety of purposes, including:
- Monitoring and managing network devices
- Enforcing security policies on managed devices
- Monitoring and managing software licenses
- Managing software distribution and patch management
- Monitoring and managing endpoint protection
Quest KACE Systems
Quest KACE Systems is a good alternative to SCCM. It is a patch management solution that can be used to manage software distribution and deployment, network performance monitoring, and endpoint security.
With Quest KACE Systems, you get real-time tools for tracking your organization’s systems state. You can see what PCs are up-to-date with Windows updates, which installed software has been updated, and which machines need attention.
You can also use Quest KACE Systems to deploy or update applications on multiple devices simultaneously so that they’re all running the same version of an application at once. For example, if you have a team of 200 employees using Microsoft Word 2013 who need the latest security patch released by Microsoft but don’t have time to update each PC manually—or if they’ve forgotten—then this is where the tool comes in handy!
Jump Cloud
Jump Cloud is another cloud-based solution that offers patch management, asset management, and remote support. But what makes Jump Cloud stand out from the others is its web console, which can be accessed from any device. This means you can manage your devices from anywhere on Earth!
It also provides several advanced features, such as:
- Remote troubleshooting
- Centralized control over all your devices
- The ability to schedule automatic updates
- Customized device groups and filters
- Mobile-friendly interface and app for iOS and Android devices
Symantec Client Management Suite
Symantec Client Management Suite is a solution that includes Symantec Endpoint Protection, Symantec Endpoint Protection Small Business Edition, and Symantec Endpoint Protection Cloud. It provides endpoint protection and management of endpoints. The product allows you to control access rights for users within your enterprise network based on their roles and responsibilities.
The suite’s management console allows you to set policies specific to each user group or department within your organization. You can also specify which applications they can use at work alongside more granular restrictions, like whether users should be allowed to access social media sites during business hours.
Symantec Endpoint Protection Cloud allows you to deploy and manage the solution remotely. This means that instead of managing your endpoint protection software from within your network, it can be installed on endpoints outside your firewall. It also comes with a cloud-based console that allows you to manage all aspects of endpoint protection from any location with an Internet connection.
Conclusion
There are a lot of great alternatives to Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager. Some of them are open source, while others are commercial products. The best part is that they all offer some great features not found in SCCM, including easy installation and setup, better management of mobile devices and apps, and a cloud-based control panel interface with full integration with other tools such as Microsoft Azure Active Directory (Azure AD).
