What is Patch Management?
Patch management refers to the distribution and application of updates to software. Patches are often needed to correct errors or bugs.
Patches are often released, by software manufacturers, to address security issues in software. When devices are left unpatched, cyber criminals can exploit the vulnerabilities in the software, which could cause serious disruption to business. Automated patch management means that devices are consistently up to date and vulnerabilities are resolved.
Companies also release patches to fix bugs within software or even add new features. Therefore, having a patch management policy in place can improve software stability and overall user experience. It also helps to ensure that all devices are running consistently updated versions of software with the same features available.
Patch management also provides a degree of control when dealing with issues in software. Any problematic patches that companies release can be omitted in a Patch management policy, preventing disruption.
A software management policy can be configured to install specific software on devices. This makes setting up and maintaining devices easier as every device targeted by the policy will automatically download the desired software.
This can be customised on a device level to ensure that each employee has the necessary software to preform their role within the company without taking up space with unnecessary software.