PDQ Deploy & Inventory is a self-hosted, agentless endpoint management and patch automation solution that helps IT administrators scan, organize, and maintain Windows devices on on-prem and VPN-connected networks.
Common use cases include: automated third-party patching and Windows Cumulative Update deployment, software inventory and compliance auditing, dynamic device group management, PowerShell script execution across targeted endpoints, and recurring maintenance automation for on-prem/on-network Windows fleets.
PDQ Deploy & Inventory consists of two complementary tools sold under a single license. PDQ Inventory scans Windows devices across the network to collect hardware specifications, installed applications, OS versions, Active Directory attributes, and custom data defined via PowerShell Scanner. It automatically groups devices into dynamic collections based on criteria such as software version, disk space, or AD membership, and syncs with Active Directory to keep computer records current. PDQ Deploy uses those collections as deployment targets to push software, run scripts, and automate patch management on a defined schedule and silently, without interrupting end users. The Package Library provides 500+ prebuilt packages covering popular third-party applications and Windows Cumulative Updates for workstations and servers, maintained and tested by PDQ.
Key features include:
- Automated patch management: Schedule recurring deployments of third-party software and Windows Cumulative Updates to targeted device groups, with heartbeat-triggered retries for offline machines
- Dynamic Collections: Device groups that update automatically based on defined inventory criteria, enabling precise and up-to-date deployment targeting
- Custom packages and scripting: Build multi-step deployment packages, deploy executables/installers/msi packages, and execute PowerShell or batch scripts across targeted devices for configuration changes, troubleshooting, and maintenance tasks
- Reporting: Prebuilt and custom reports with scheduled, automated email delivery — commonly used for compliance audits and management reporting
- Central Server mode: Connects multiple admin consoles to a single PDQ server, allowing IT teams to collaboratively manage packages, schedules, and deployment histories from their workstations
Unlike PDQ Connect, PDQ's separate cloud-native, agent-based product for remote and hybrid fleets, PDQ Deploy & Inventory is purpose-built for on-prem and VPN-connected environments where devices are network-accessible.
PDQ was founded in 2001 and is headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah. The company develops device management software purpose-built for Windows-focused IT teams, ranging from solo sysadmins to mid-sized IT departments. PDQ's product portfolio includes PDQ Deploy & Inventory for on-prem environments, cloud-native PDQ Connect for remote and hybrid fleet management, SmartDeploy for Windows imaging, SimpleMDM for Apple device management, ISL for remote access and remote desktop support, and PDQ Detect for vulnerability management.
PDQ Deploy & Inventory is used by IT teams in education, government, manufacturing, healthcare, and finance. Licensed per administrator with unlimited endpoint access — not per device.
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Overview by
Heidi Flaig