What is remote monitoring and management (RMM)? RMM is the process in which system administrators or managed service providers (MSPs) use software to remotely monitor and maintain an organization’s IT architecture.
The rise of remote work has made it so that employees often use mobile devices, such as tablets and computers, to conduct business outside the office. System administrators may also sometimes work from a place other than the office. In these cases, businesses worry about their ability to keep their systems running smoothly. In these situations, RMM proves to be most invaluable.
RMM, also called “network management” or “remote monitoring,” is the answer to the problem of keeping systems running smoothly when some of a business's critical employees work remotely. Administrators can download software known as an “agent” onto every device that is going to connect to the organization’s central network. This “agent” is the component of RMM that gives it the ability to work remotely from anywhere in the world. It enables the RMM platform to recognize a network regardless of location.
RMM programs make it so that administrators can do everything from remote policy enforcement to system monitoring without having to physically be in the same place as the devices that they are charged with managing. The “agent” component of RMM software takes critical administrative functions and adds a slight level of automation to them. Administrators receive warnings and insights from the “agents” that have been keeping an eye on their network’s health. These insights are specific enough that administrators can act on them to ensure the smooth running of their network.
Mobile device management (MDM) is the protocol that administrators use to manage a company’s mobile devices. MDM solutions enable administrators to control every aspect of the mobile devices that members of their organization use for work. To many, there seems to be no difference between RMM and MDM. However, when one examines them carefully, one will realize that while they may be similar, they are starkly different.
MDM is a highly specific type of protocol and software. While it enables administrators to gain insights into the mobile devices that a company’s employees are using, its focus is a narrow one. RMM takes a more broad view of network health. In fact, many RMM solutions employ MDM features in their design so that they can address that particular aspect of network management. MDM is an important aspect of the RMM process. However, it is only a single facet of what can go into the RMM process. RMM is a broader category that can also include various protocols and pieces of software that allow for the management of servers and other devices that are physically connected to the organization’s networks.
PSA (professional services automation) is a class of software that enables organizations to integrate automation into their business operations. They are an all-in-one program for making automation a core part of business operations. PSA solutions enable administrators to create consistency across their networks.
Managed service providers (MSPs) are the group that uses PSA software in conjunction with RMM platforms. PSA is vital to the successful management of networks by MSPs. RMM software and platforms are the programs that do all of the tasks that MSPs are hired to accomplish. PSA software tracks all of the data that is produced by the RMM solutions as they are performing their tasks. When these two types of software are combined, they streamline the entire monitoring and management process.
RMM software solutions are the programs that administrators use to monitor and manage their networks. These are the programs that actually empower administrators to take full control of their network administration process. RMM solutions can assist IT professionals in a number of different ways:
When RMM software is deployed, the whole process of remotely maximizing the efficiency of a network becomes infinitely easier for organizations and managed service providers to handle.
There are many different factors that organizations and MSPs should consider when they are trying to decide on an RMM solution. These can include:
The price of an RMM solution is variable and can be impacted by many different factors. These factors can include:
Network administrators can benefit in many ways if they use RMM solutions. These benefits can include:
