# Device Onboarding with Endpoint Central

## Table of contents

1. [What is Device Onboarding?](#def)
2. [How to onboard devices?](#howto)
3. [How to automate onboarding process for modern laptops?](#howtoauto)
4. [Related Article](#art)

## What is Device Onboarding?

Onboarding your endpoints will be the first in managing and monitoring them. Device onboarding lets IT administrators and teams add the required devices to their scope and get started with their endpoint management and security operations. Endpoint Central supports onboarding both traditional devices (which includes servers, desktops, and laptops) and modern devices (which includes mobile devices, rugged devices, IoT devices, TV, laptops running on Mac, Windows 10, and Windows 11).

## How to onboard devices?

To onboard a device, IT administrators should install an agent (for a server, desktop, or laptop) or enroll them to the central server (in case of a mobile device, rugged device, IoT, TV, Hololenses, Surface Hubs, laptop, or Chromebook). Endpoint Central supports a number of methods to onboard a device. Check these pages to learn about the following:

- [Installing an Agent](https://www.manageengine.com/products/desktop-central/agent-installation.html)
- [Enrolling a Device](https://www.manageengine.com/products/desktop-central/help/mobile_device_management/enrollment/mdm-windows-autopilot.html)

![Install agents on devices running on Windows, Mac, and Linux with Endpoint Central](https://www.manageengine.com/products/desktop-central/help/images/device-onboarding-2.png)

![Enroll your modern devices using Endpoint Central](https://www.manageengine.com/products/desktop-central/help/images/device-onboarding-3.png)

## How to automate onboarding process for modern laptops?

Endpoint Central supports both traditional and modern management capabilities across the supported operating systems. While modern devices are associated with modern capabilities and traditional devices with traditional capabilities, modern laptops (laptops running on Mac, Windows 10, and Windows 11) fall into both categories. IT administrators have to onboard these devices twice in order to expose them to Endpoint Central's complete capabilities. However, this process can be automated and achieved in a single step. [Read this guide](https://www.manageengine.com/products/desktop-central/help/mobile_device_management/enrollment/mdm-windows-autopilot.html) to know more on how to automate and unify this process.

## Related Article

- [Agent Installation Methods](https://www.manageengine.com/products/desktop-central/agent-installation.html)
- [Enrolling a Device](https://www.manageengine.com/products/desktop-central/help/mobile_device_management/enrollment/mdm-windows-autopilot.html)
- [Windows Azure/Intune Agent Installation Methods](https://www.manageengine.com/products/desktop-central/azure-agent-installation.html)
- [Agent Installation via GPO](https://www.manageengine.com/products/desktop-central/help/configuring_desktop_central/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-agent-installation-via-gpo.html)