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What Is Patch Management and Why Does It Matter?

Software is bound to have flaws. Between implementation errors and design faults, it’s common for these bugs to reach the end-user on their device. Patches are updates issued by the developer to fix a bug or vulnerability. Patch management is the act of distributing or applying these updates.

These software bugs make your company’s system vulnerable to cyberattacks, so patch management is critical to your data’s safety. As cyberattacks become a rising threat to software systems, patch management has become a standard for operational compliance by many regulatory bodies.

Benefits of Automated and Managed Patching Solutions

Beyond the security aspect, these system updates improve your company uptime and add additional features to your software. When software has bugs, it may run slower or force shutdowns more often, which holds your team back. Regular updates through patch management ensure your software runs as efficiently as possible while offering extra features for ease of use.

Knowing that patch management is essential for any business, why should you automate it? Automated patch management supports:

  • Improved security

    When you rely on manual patch management, your software will likely spend more time in a vulnerable state than with an automated setup. Automation determines the priority levels of different bugs and applies updates based on the security risk.
  • Reduced IT efforts

    Manually releasing updates each time your software develops a bug can be time-consuming. This type of work can be irregular and involves several steps, pulling your IT team away from higher-priority projects. With patching automation, IT professionals can manage the process in a few minutes and move onto more important tasks.
  • Easy compliance reporting

    With patch management becoming a standard among many regulatory bodies, automation makes it easy to show proof of security practices.
  • Enhanced visibility

    As software grows and changes with your business, it can be challenging to stay informed about every aspect of your system. Automated patch management offers visibility where you may not have had it before to ensure an efficient system.

Our Patching and Managed Apple IT Services

At Orchard, our automated Apple patch management ensures your system receives updates according to security priorities. We update our app catalog every day to ensure you have the securest, most advanced version of every application. Other features of our Mac patch management include:

 

  • Advanced patch reporting for full visibility into updates.
  • Custom patch distribution based on priority groups and individuals.
  • Patch alerts that keep you connected throughout the day.
  • User-friendly interface for update deployment in minutes.

Contact Orchard Today

With monitoring and updating around the clock, Orchard ensures your apps are safe and efficient. Even when your software expands with your business, our Mac patch management scales with you. Request a quote today to receive more information.