As AI moves to the edge, the endpoint is becoming where intelligence happens, and where risk now concentrates.

Peachtree Corners, GA – August 12, 2026 — Stratix Corporation, a leading provider of managed mobility services (MMS), today released new research showing 63%, have already experienced a data compromise linked to shadow AI, the use of unapproved AI tools by employees outside of IT oversight. The finding, from the company’s new report The State of MDM in 2026, shows that AI risk at the endpoint is no longer theoretical. It is already here.AI workloads are moving out of the cloud and onto devices, and as they do, the endpoint is no longer simply where work happens. It is increasingly where intelligence happens, where data is interpreted, decisions are supported, and sensitive information is processed at the edge. That shift is opening a governance gap. When employees turn to consumer AI tools to move faster, corporate data can flow into platforms that sit entirely outside IT oversight. As the stakes rise, many organizations are also rethinking device strategy, reevaluating bring-your-own-device programs and shifting toward corporate-owned, personally enabled models that give IT greater visibility and control. 

In response, endpoint management is evolving from a routine IT administration task into a foundational layer for security, governance, and defense. Rather than banning AI outright, organizations are building guardrails around it, and traditional mobile device management is becoming a control plane for protecting data and governing intelligence at the edge. 

“Endpoint management has entered a new era,” said Elizabeth Klingseisen, Senior Vice President of Marketing at Stratix. “Organizations clearly see the opportunity in AI at the edge, but they are also telling us they have real concerns about security, governance, and visibility. That is why endpoint management is now a strategic imperative and can no longer be treated as just a back-office IT function.” 

Key findings include: 

• AI at the edge is gaining traction. Forty-seven percent of respondents said they are very or extremely familiar with AI at the edge. 

• Hybrid AI leads current deployment models. Thirty-five percent reported using a combination of cloud and edge AI, more than any other approach. 

• Organizations are containing AI, not banning it. Seventy percent use containerization and 65% use application-level controls to separate corporate data from personal use. 

• Endpoint management is becoming a security control layer. Seventy-three percent described endpoint management as critical or important to their security architecture. 

• Platform sprawl creates strain. Respondents reported using three or more endpoint management platforms on average, and ranked increased security risk and gaps as the leading impact of using multiple platforms. 

• AI-powered threats require AI-powered defense. Seventy-four percent agreed that AI-driven endpoint security is essential to defend against modern threats, while 62% said they already use AI-driven features within their endpoint management platforms. 

“AI is creating tremendous value for enterprises, but it’s also creating new pathways for risk. We’re seeing organizations take a much closer look at their BYOD programs as they work to balance employee flexibility with security and compliance requirements. Going forward, organizations that succeed will be the ones that treat endpoint management as a strategic capability rather than an administrative function,” Klingseisen added. 

The full report, The State of MDM in 2026: Why and how organizations are rethinking their endpoint management strategy in the AI world, is available at: https://ww3.stratixcorp.com/lp/state-of-mdm-2026