There’s a quiet revolution going on in your organization’s IT operations. Even as IT environments become more diverse and more complex, evolving technology platforms and tools are easing the burden of managing a fleet of PCs across the workforce.
The combination of Windows 11 and a new generation of AI PCs promises a lot more than the ability to support and process complex AI workloads quickly and securely. These PCs are being designed from the ground up to be more secure and easier to manage than previous generations of endpoint devices. This increased functionality will make it easier for ITOps teams to provision, support, and refresh devices across their workforce.
For example, CoPilot+ PCs powered by Snapdragon X Series processors include a secure core, featuring a TPM 2.0 processing unit, secure boot, BitLocker drive encryption, and other hardware-level protections. In addition, zero-touch provisioning tools make it easier to securely onboard employees from any location.
“The base image that leaves the factory from any OEM is tuned to be as secure as possible when it gets to the customer,” says Craig Tellalian, director, Field Applications Engineering at Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. “So ITOps doesn’t need to wipe, reload, and reconfigure the operating system like they would traditionally have to do. They can just layer their own settings and controls on top of it, which leads to a quicker, faster, easier way to deploy and manage those PCs.”
Once deployed, CoPilot+ PCs improve monitoring and management of devices, with capabilities such as increased device telemetry, to help detect threats and remediate vulnerabilities in real time, as well as a persistent connection to all devices, allowing for real-time updates and security patches.
AI PCs also reduce risk, because the onboard neural processing unit (NPU) can process data and run workloads locally instead of having to move data to and from cloud services.
In addition, the AI capabilities that OEMs and ISVs are building into security and management tools will add a level of automation and self-healing capabilities to each device, taking some of the guesswork out of ongoing maintenance and further streamlining IT operations.
“AI tools are revolutionizing IT operations by facilitating predictive maintenance, offering proactive insights, automating code generation, expediting access to crucial information, and improving self-service functionalities,” says Zeeshan Sabir, vice president of IT at Qualcomm Technologies. “These tools help with automation of routine tasks and complex analysis, allowing IT teams to focus on higher-value activities and interactions.”
With such a broad and deep menu of AI-enhanced capabilities in the new generation of AI PCs, it may take some time for ITOps teams to determine the right balance of capabilities and protections, with the goal of delivering a highly secure environment without compromising user productivity.
“Because it’s a new operating environment, IT may not know which features to enable or disable initially,” says Tellalian. Some teams are likely to default to disabling all of them out of the gate and then activating them over time as they determine their impact and usefulness.
When a workforce is stuck with outdated, underpowered PCs, ITOps teams feel the pain. For easier fleet management, stronger security, and fewer IT headaches, the time is right to upgrade to the new generation of AI PCs.
“Most companies don’t upgrade their entire PC fleet in one year,” says Sabir. “However, expect higher demand for new AI PCs as users benefit from their improved performance, capabilities, and battery life. Good news always travels fast.”
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Sponsored by Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.