Another quarter, another webinar done right! Wednesday, April 09, 2025, at exactly 10 a.m. CDT, the What’s New with Hexnode: Q1 2025 webinar kicked off in style. The hour-long WNWH: Q1 2025 webinar was a lively session packed with live feature demos showcasing feature updates and releases from the Hexnode den in Q1 2025. Whether you were able to attend the session live or missed it, here’s your quick skim at all the highlights from the latest installment of the WNWH webinar series.
Microsoft Entra conditional access: Intelligent access control for modern workforces
One of the most impactful updates this quarter, Microsoft Entra conditional access, brings a robust layer of contextual security to Hexnode. As we all now, today, in 2025, traditional authentication is not enough. So, this release empowers IT admins to enforce granular access policies based on real-time conditions like device compliance, location, and network security.
By integrating conditional access policies, Hexnode ensures that only trusted apps and approved devices can access sensitive corporate resources. IT teams can also mandate multi-factor authentication (MFA) for added protection—reducing the risk of breaches without increasing administrative overhead.
Key use cases include:
- Protecting sensitive data by enforcing device encryption and blocking logins from untrusted or non-compliant endpoints.
- Securing remote workforces with location-aware access control and health-check mechanisms.
- Minimizing security breaches through MFA enforcement and application-based access restrictions.
Enhanced Windows app management: More control, less complexity
With scalability and agility being the core focus, Hexnode’s Windows app management just got a powerful upgrade. With the latest updates, app blocklisting/allowlisting and application compliance are now treated as separate functions. This means IT admins can block specific apps without automatically marking devices as non-compliant, allowing for more nuanced policy enforcement.
App deployment has also been significantly streamlined. EXE and MSIX apps can now be deployed via the required apps policy, ensuring critical applications are installed automatically with minimal manual intervention.
Hexnode now supports MSI app version control!
Yes, admins can now upload, manage, and deploy multiple MSI versions—making updates, rollbacks, and targeted deployments simpler and more precise.
Enterprise app configurations for Android
Hexnode now brings app configuration support to in-house Android Enterprise apps—not just those from Managed Google Play. IT teams can remotely deploy apps with predefined settings, ensuring they’re ready to go the moment they land on a device.
This enhancement eliminates setup hassles and significantly reduces the risk of misconfigurations, giving both IT admins and end users a smoother experience.
Here’s how this feature elevates enterprise app management:
- Streamlined app provisioning: Apps arrive pre-configured, minimizing manual setup and saving valuable time.
- Consistent user experience: Uniform app behavior across all devices and users.
- Effortless policy enforcement: Deploy settings and restrictions automatically without end-user involvement.
Enhanced VPN support for Android: Flexible yet secure!
Hexnode now supports VPN configuration deployment for Android Enterprise devices in both Device Owner and Profile Owner modes. Whether managing corporate-owned devices or BYOD setups, IT teams can now ensure secure, policy-driven access with ease. Maintain consistent and reliable security across all Android environments.
This update also introduces advanced features like always-on VPN, VPN lockdown, and bypass lockdown, giving admins tighter control over data flow and protection.
Key benefits of this update include:
- Broad deployment flexibility: Configure VPNs across fully managed and work-profile Android devices.
- Always-on security: Ensure continuous secure access to corporate resources.
- Lockdown control: Restrict internet access to VPN-only for tighter data security.
- Selective exceptions: Allow internet access for specific apps without compromising protection.
Kiosk mode for Windows gets a power boost
Hexnode’s kiosk mode on Windows just got a major upgrade! With website kiosk support, IT admins can now lock down devices to only approved websites—perfect for public-facing or task-specific use cases. Admins can also fine-tune the kiosk browser settings, personalizing the interface and behavior to align with branding and user experience goals.
Another key enhancement? Multi-app kiosk mode is now supported on Windows 11, enabling seamless deployment across modern Windows devices.
What this means for you:
- Tighter control: Limit web access to only approved URLs.
- Better user experience: Customize the kiosk browser to match your brand and workflows.
- Wider compatibility: Enable both single-app and multi-app kiosks on Windows 11.
- Simplified management: Roll out consistent kiosk setups across diverse Windows environments.
Enhanced Windows canagement: More control, more customization
Unlock new levels of flexibility and control for Windows device admins by leveraging Hexnode’s recent updates to its Windows management solution. Here’s a look at the three standout additions:
- OMA-URI support: Push custom configurations via configuration service providers (CSPs) to fine-tune settings beyond default policies. Configurations are applied atomically—so no conflicts, no chaos.
- Wallpaper management: Set custom desktop and lock screen wallpapers to reinforce your organization’s branding and improve the end-user experience.
- Hexnode Access + Okta integration: Sign-in just got smoother. Hexnode Access now works with Okta, along with existing support for Google Workspace and Microsoft Entra ID.
What this means for you:
- Achieve deeper device customization for niche IT requirements.
- Deliver a branded user experience across Windows devices.
- Enable secure, streamlined logins across multiple identity providers.
Smarter Deployments
The deploy tab in your Hexnode portal just got sharper—with automation features that respond in real-time and reduce manual overhead:
- Compliance-triggered actions: Instantly act when devices fall out of compliance or move outside secure locations—no delays, no lapses in security.
- Linux policy automation: Assign and remove policies on Linux devices automatically for seamless lifecycle management.
- Expanded remote actions: Control just about everything—scan devices, send alerts, enforce lost mode, manage power settings, and more—across platforms like iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, and even Apple TV.
Here’s what this unlocks:
- Simplified Linux device management
- Proactive, location-based and compliance-based automation
- Enhanced cross-platform remote control
- Faster incident response and minimal device downtime
Linux app management: Centralized control for your Linux fleet
Managing Linux devices has never been this efficient or effortless. Hexnode now brings powerful app management capabilities to Linux, offering IT admins the visibility and control they need:
- Centralized app view: Add and monitor Linux applications right from the Apps tab alongside other platforms.
- Remote app actions: Perform essential app operations remotely without needing user intervention.
- Policy enforcement: Apply app-specific policies across your Linux endpoints to ensure consistent behavior and compliance.
Benefits at a glance:
- Unified app management across platforms
- Better control and visibility over Linux apps
- Remote enforcement = fewer support tickets, faster resolutions
Declarative Device Management: Smarter and faster Apple device monitoring
As we all know, declarative management = smarter, lighter, and more responsive Apple device control. And so, Apple’s Declarative Device Management is now supported in Hexnode. Say yes to a more intelligent, efficient way to manage Apple devices.
- Proactive status updates: Devices self-monitor and report significant changes like compliance violations—no more constant polling.
- Faster compliance enforcement: Get real-time updates for quicker response and policy execution.
- Reduced server load: Less back-and-forth between device and server means better performance and scalability.
- Improved user experience: Fewer disruptions and more seamless device operations for end users.
What’s Next: A Peek into the Hexnode Roadmap
And that, ladies and gentlemen, was the last of the features discussed in the WNWH: Q1 2025 webinar. However, the webinar did not end there. The host gave the attendees a sneak peek into the future plans of Hexnode. According to my sources 
, Hexnode is gearing up for another wave of powerful updates! Here’s what’s just around the corner:
- Registry edit configurations for Windows: Remotely push registry settings to customize and secure Windows systems at a granular level.
- Self-service portal: Empower end users with a portal to install approved apps, view device details, and perform specific actions—cutting down on IT overhead.
- CIS device compliance: Enforce Center for Internet Security (CIS) benchmarks automatically to maintain top-tier security and compliance.
- Okta device trust: Ensure only trusted, compliant devices can access Okta-secured resources, strengthening identity-based access control.
It’s a wrap!
Aaaand with that, we come to the end of this recount session of the What’s New with Hexnode: Q1 2025 webinar. From new functionalities to improved workflows and usability, this webinar covered a wide range of features aimed at making your Hexnode experience smoother. And the next installment of the What’s New with Hexnode series promises to be even better. So, stay tuned, stay secure—and as always, thank you for choosing Hexnode!
