Still trying to understand RMM?
Remote monitoring and management (RMM) is the process of tracking, monitoring, and managing endpoints for multiple clients. It is mostly used by managed service providers (MSPs) to provide IT services to organizations who outsource their IT requirements. Two of the basic solutions required to start a MSP business are an RMM tool and a professional services automation (PSA) tool. Choosing the best RMM-PSA combo is a different topic altogether that we’ll leave for another discussion.
Why is remote monitoring and management needed?
Managing an IT environment made up of laptops, desktops, servers, smartphones, etc. is challenging. It’s even more difficult to manage several disparate environments spread across an entire country or continent. Tracking thousands of IT assets can turn into a nightmare, and setting up a client location visit to troubleshoot each issue is not ideal.
This is where an RMM tool can help MSPs by automating regular tasks and monitoring clients’ networks in real time. An RMM tool enables MSPs to provide seamless and proactive IT services rather than a break/fix model, regardless of the client’s location and infrastructure. In other words, remotely monitoring and managing client endpoints helps MSPs improve their efficiency and increase revenue.
How do remote monitoring and management tools work?
RMM tools deploy lightweight software, often described as an “agent,” on client workstations, servers, mobile devices, and other endpoints. The agent then collects real-time data for the entire network, including endpoints, and feeds that data into the RMM solution. The RMM tool, in turn, provides the MSP technician with granular insight into every aspect of the client’s infrastructure.
Through the agent, MSP technicians can also connect and control endpoints remotely to troubleshoot any issues. The RMM tool’s agent also helps detect any problems and automatically reports them to the MSP technician.
Benefits of remote monitoring and management
An RMM solution offers MSPs many benefits, including the following:
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Manage thousands of endpoints across hundreds of clients from a single location.
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Protect clients’ networks from malware and other zero-day attacks through patch management.
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Cut down on expenses and time leakage during client visits by remotely troubleshooting issues.
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Automate regular tasks, like disk defrag, to save time and improve efficiency.
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Discover and track all hardware and software for easy auditing and management.
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Extend the lifespan of clients’ assets, and cut costs for customers by managing their licenses.
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Decrease clients’ downtime for minor issues.
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Improve customer loyalty and satisfaction, which affects an MSP’s Net Promoter Score (NPS), a key performance indicator that measures the willingness of customers to recommend a company’s products or services to others. An MSP’s NPS can affect its revenue.
The future of remote monitoring and management
The managed services market is growing strong at a rate of 9.3 percent annually and is forecast to reach USD 282 billion by 2023, according to B2B industry research firm MarketsandMarkets. SMBs are a big reason for this growth, as many are outsourcing all their IT needs; RMM will likely evolve to parallel the expanding needs of small businesses. An RMM tool is basically a client management tool that’s specialized for MSPs, and we believe these solutions will soon become part of mainstream unified endpoint management solutions.
Looking for an RMM solution? Try Desktop Central MSP, our award-winning client management tool optimized into a powerful RMM solution for the MSPs of today!
