RelateIT is one of Denmark’s biggest Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central partners and delivers ambitious enterprise resource planning (ERP) and IT infrastructure solutions that meet the requirements for modern IT and secure future operations. Founded in 2012, RelateIT has five offices in Denmark and one in Dubai, supported by 125 employees that manage around 300 customers.
RelateIT measures its success in the close relationships it develops with its customers while addressing their unique needs. The RelateIT team is focused on every customer requirement and adjusts the level of project management required to exceed the customer's expectations while ensuring their IT structure is well-maintained and secure. RelateIT takes pride in being a different kind of IT partner that takes a pragmatic approach to its customers' IT projects.
RelateIT serves a mix of customers with some requiring a few endpoints to be managed and others more than 1,200 devices. With thousands of endpoints spread across different customer networks, RelateIT oversees the patching, applications update, and OS update of all the devices while providing real-time endpoint management support.
RelateIT has customers with numerous point-of-sale (POS) devices in multiple countries, and some customers who have ships operating on the west coast of Africa only connected through a VSAT connection. A primary challenge is to deploy zero-day patches and software updates to these devices which have minimal network connectivity.
Discussing the managed services provider (MSP) IT network, RelateIT Senior Consultant Per Bendixen said: "In most of our clients' systems, almost all the endpoints were based on Windows 10 with a few new Windows 11 users appearing recently along server workstations, which are Windows 2016 and 2019. For all endpoints, it is necessary to ensure up-to-date patching and software updates".
Bendixen, the senior consultant within the IT team, oversees the overall MSP infrastructure, focusing mainly on maintaining Microsoft 365 (formerly Office 365) and the Azure network. Being with RelateIT for more than three years, Bendixen recognized the need for a complete endpoint management tool to automate everyday management and security tasks and be available in real time to help customers troubleshoot issues with their devices.
Bendixen and team were looking for an endpoint management solution that would work well on standalone computers and servers. They wanted a simplified interface that provided a holistic overview of the status of IT management tasks created for every customer, and especially those customers for whom complex software package creations and deployments were necessary.
RelateIT previously tried Intune for endpoint management, but the complexity of the interface made them search of a straightforward MSP solution which can balance all the endpoint management activities needed for their customers in a single software.
To effectively monitor their customers' endpoints in real time and to provide support in patching, updating the OS and other software, and deploying security configurations, RelateIT shifted to Endpoint Central MSP in 2019. This enables the IT team to provide services tailor-made for each of their customers' IT environments.
Centralized patch management
Bendixen notes that the main benefit with Endpoint Central MSP is the ability to automate patch management even to a customers' endpoints which are mostly in a closed network. This helps the RelateIT team keep all the devices updated and secure, even those with low bandwidth and those not connected to the internet. By installing the Endpoint Central MSP agent on all of their customers' devices, RelateIT can manage all Windows and third-party software updates, reduce the possibility of vulnerabilities, and prevent zero-day exploits in their client's IT environment.
Complete POS device management
RelateIT also touts Endpoint Central MSPs' capabilities for managing POS devices. On most devices in the retail sector, POS devices are usually configured and forgotten. As Bendixen observes: "The POS is normally created from an image and deployed to the store, and no one worries about it as long as it runs. It is never updated."
However, RelateIT ensures that the operating system for the POS hardware is first updated and then deployed to the customer network. Next, the IT team confirms that all software packages are applied to create a customized POS for the customer's network. With Endpoint Central MSP, Bendixen and his team can monitor which POS is online or offline, apply Windows patches, and update the software and operating system.
360-degree IT asset management
Thanks to Endpoint Central MSP, RelateIT can now manage both hardware and software assets in all their customers' networks seamlessly. This solution provides extensive details about all customer assets, and enables RelateIT to generate a quick report or view a dashboard that provides all the information needed for planning and proactive IT management. This is handy when it comes to deployment of an operating system update for the customers' endpoints.
Ease of remote troubleshooting
The built-in, one-click remote access capability of Endpoint Central MSP enables RelateIT to provide extensive support to their customers when troubleshooting and managing their endpoints. This ensures that they can provide dedicated support to each customer's endpoint and manage their IT network.
With Endpoint Central MSP, RelateIT now manages multiple customers with numerous endpoints with a small IT team. As service providers, they can deliver dedicated support to each customer and carefully maintain their IT with regular patching, software updates, complete asset management and real-time remote support, all from a single console.
With extensive support for customizations available from ManageEngine's team for Endpoint Central MSP, Bendixen looks forward to the complete integration with Azure AD and the cloud model of Endpoint Central MSP to provide further support to customers planning to migrate to a cloud infrastructure.
Bendixen is pleased with the support he receives from the Endpoint Central MSP help desk. He is happy with the timely assistance, knowledge, and support provided for RelateIT during product implementation and also for their everyday queries.
ManageEngine Endpoint Central MSP is a holistic endpoint management solution specifically designed and developed to help MSPs manage thousands of servers, desktops, laptops, and mobile devices of numerous clients from a central location. It automates the complete endpoint management life cycle of customers, ranging from simple system configurations to complex software deployments. With over 10 years of expertise in the MSP space, ManageEngine Endpoint Central MSP understands the needs of MSP IT management, and developed a robust product to defend against cyberthreats and provide 360-degree endpoint management. Endpoint Central MSP serves hundreds of customers around the world and helps MSPs cut costs on IT infrastructure, achieve operational efficiency, improve productivity, and combat network vulnerabilities. For more information about Endpoint Central MSP, visit www.desktopcentral.com/msp
Free Edition 
Also Available in PDF format