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- As remote and hybrid work prevails, the role of an IT manager has grown in complexity.
- IT teams must now manage devices across locations and respond to a higher volume of tickets than before.
- From updating cloud management to improving browser security, here’s how IT managers can succeed in their roles.
An IT manager's job can be stressful. From navigating requests and tickets to managing applications and devices across offices, the role isn't for the faint of heart. But investing in the right technology can help you succeed — and in some cases, you won't even have to touch your operating budget.
Thoughtful tools can help IT managers reduce application management stress, align with their organization's business strategy, and prioritize strategic tasks instead of administrative ones. Here are three tips to help you get started.
1. Leverage a reliable and secure web browser
Today's workers spend more of their work day on the web, making browser stability and security more important than ever. Google Chrome remains the most-used browser worldwide, and for good reason: It's secure by default, user-friendly, and reliable. For IT and security teams, Chrome offers a way to protect corporate data with customizable, enterprise-grade security controls.
Organizations that turn to Chrome can easily combine its collaboration, privacy, and security features with other tools in the Google ecosystem — or integrate them with third-party platforms.
And Google recently announced memory and power-saving features for Chrome. The newest version significantly reduces random-access memory, more efficiently manages tabs, and includes energy-saving features that kick in when a device is low on battery.
2. Implement cloud-based browser management
Chrome Browser Cloud Management allows you to manage browsers across different platforms from a single console, where you can customize Chrome to meet the needs of your business. In 2022, the Chrome Browser Cloud Management team added capabilities for managing Chrome on Android and iOS, in addition to the existing support for Windows, Mac, and Linux systems.
Chrome Browser Cloud Management enables IT teams to block potentially harmful extensions, force install necessary ones, and monitor versions, add-ons, plug-ins, URLs, and more. It can be used alone or integrated with third-party platforms for additional insights and security.
And to help employees avoid technical issues while they work, Chrome Browser Cloud Management allows you to set bookmarks, pre-install extensions, or respond to users' requests for extension installs. Default homepages enable employees to request extensions and access the tools and resources they need.
You can monitor the security and productivity concerns for your entire organization or at the individual user level. And there's no fee for managing Chrome from the cloud.
3. Integrate with other solutions
Chrome and Chrome Browser Cloud Management are designed to integrate with Google Workspace and other cloud solutions to further guard against cyberattacks. BeyondCorp Enterprise offers extra safeguards against threats and protects valuable data through a zero-trust framework built with a distributed workforce in mind.
Organizations that use third-party solutions can seamlessly integrate them with Chrome through the newly launched Chrome Enterprise Connectors Framework. This allows organizations to seamlessly integrate their Chrome browser with popular security frameworks such as Splunk, Palo Alto Networks, Crowdstrike, and others. These integrations support optimizations around identity and access, endpoint management, and security and insights reporting — all in an effort to ease the transition toward a zero-trust model.
The framework also protects users when they navigate to a known malicious site, attempt to access files known to contain malware, reuse passwords on non-approved sites, or change corporate passwords after reusing them on non-approved sites.
Today's workforce relies on browsers more than ever. When those browsers are safe, secure, and easy to use, organizations are better positioned for success.
This post was created by Insider Studios with Google Chrome.