Selecting the Right RMM Solution for Your Business
Unraveling the MSP Essentials: Key Features, Benefits, and Considerations for Your Ideal RMM Tool
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Introduction
A remote monitoring and management tool is the lifeblood of IT shops that help businesses run their day-to-day operations efficiently. RMM tool is how these external IT shops or managed service providers are able to do their work remotely. It’s how they keep the businesses up and running, whether they are next door or half a world away.
Why do you need an RMM?
For the longest time — technicians had to visit the site in person to monitor or fix IT issues — from patch updates to system failure. But now, RMM allows them to monitor, manage, and troubleshoot any number of endpoints from a single workstation. They can fix any issue that occurs from where they are, rather than having to rush to the site.
And if they were not rushing to the site, they were using a remote desktop tool to access the affected devices and fix the issues from afar. While they got a break from the laborious on-site trips, when it was time to roll out patches or run antivirus scans, they spent hours if not days doing it individually for each and every device.
That was before RMM changed the game, with a complete solution that comprises patch management, network monitoring, proactive alerting, antivirus solutions, application management, and bulk action capabilities, to name a few. With an RMM technicians can fix issues as they occur rather than perpetually watching over hundreds of devices and ensuring they are free of issues. With an RMM they can also proactively prevent issues before they occur rather than firefighting when the damage has already been done.
Benefits of RMM
RMM is the go-to solution for MSPs as it offers all the capabilities they need to keep their clients’ IT operations humming. Some of the core benefits of RMM include:
Little to zero truck rolls through remote support
Increased technician efficiency with the automation of mundane tasks
Reduced operational costs through minimization of costly IT errors
Increased uptime through continuous maintenance of asset and network health
Better visibility and control over operations with real-time data reports and analytics
Improved security with automated patch management and antivirus solutions
Why is it important to select a good RMM tool
A good RMM is not a nice-to-have but a must-have if you’re an MSP. But, how to find a “good” RMM?
Some might argue it’s the one with the most features, which is a myth that has long been busted in the software world. Feature overload or “bloat” can make the software complex to navigate. If your technicians use 10 core features for their daily work, having 100 more will only lead to unnecessary resistance. Moreover, you might end up paying for features you don’t even use.
Also as an MSP, you don’t just fix issues, you run a business. You have other tools you need to run your business, like a Professional Services Automation (PSA) tool or a project management tool. It is important that your RMM plays nice with these other tools you use.
Finding the right RMM tool can be baffling even for the most tech-savvy IT guy. It is not as easy as finding the top-rated one on Capterra or one that everyone seems to love. What works for a financial services MSP who work with internal IT teams may not work for an MSP who works in healthcare. You need one that is right-suited for your needs.
That’s why we thought of creating this guide, to help you sort out your priorities, guide your buying process, and make a decision you won’t regret! So let’s dive in.
Core features to look for
All RMMs are built differently, although they have more or less the same functionalities. Based on the type of businesses you work with, there may be some unique features you require. But there are some core features or table stakes every RMM must have. You can start by evaluating your RMM of choice against these features.
Endpoint discovery and management
MSPs usually keep their heads on a swivel so they are quick to know when something goes wrong. But this becomes difficult when they are dealing with hundreds of clients with hundreds of pieces of equipment. When something happens, knowing exactly what went wrong, in which piece of equipment, and when could make all the difference.
This is where endpoint management helps, with a centralized repository of any physical device that can be connected to a network, including desktop computers, laptops, virtual machines, mobile phones, and servers. The health of an IT infrastructure is a product of the health of each and every asset. Endpoint management refers to the tools and resources to ensure all of a company’s endpoints are discovered, monitored, updated, and optimized for maximum utilization. This will essentially help you cut costs, improve security, speed up service delivery, and reduce errors by simplifying endpoint lifecycle management.
Your RMM tool should be able to manage all the endpoints in your client network with automatic deployment of the RMM agent to each endpoint.
Key considerations
Ability to maintain an up-to-date asset catalog through auto-discovery of assets
Ability to support both agent and agentless discovery
Ability to map the relationship and interdependencies between assets and other configuration items.
Maintaining a secure and centralized database of all asset information
Ability to run periodic scans to discover significant events in your IT environment
Checking asset availability to know which is active and which is inactive
In-depth visibility into areas of wastage such as unused licenses and software
Ability to scan and flag any issue in the assets for quick diagnosis
Endpoint monitoring
Endpoint monitoring helps you identify potential issues before they become problems. Once the agent is deployed, your RMM tracks and collects data from each endpoint to find out what adheres to normal behavior and what doesn’t. Endpoint monitoring focuses on various parameters to determine the health, security, performance, and availability of endpoints present in a network.
Businesses with robust endpoint monitoring are well-equipped to understand what their endpoints are up to, from which one is not reachable to which one is vulnerable to security threats.
Some of the core aspects of endpoint monitoring are:
Resource utilization and performance monitoring
It is important to track how the resources in a network are utilized, such as CPU, memory, disk, and network. If a resource is overutilized or utilized disproportionately in comparison with its counterparts, the system flags the behavior, identifies what is causing the extra load, and alerts the technician to take action. It is important to monitor this because, if a CPU or a disk is being overused, it is not available for normal usage or for processing new requests.
Availability monitoring
Availability monitoring tracks the online status of endpoints. It checks for connectivity issues, pings devices, and assesses response times to ensure all endpoints are available and working properly.
Process monitoring
Process monitoring helps you track when a process doesn’t comply with the policies or throws an error. Your RMM should allow you to set up scripts to automatically kill processes that have gone rogue.
Event log monitoring
An event log is a file that records all the significant events or occurrences in a system, from policy changes to failed login attempts. When an issue occurs, this chronologically recorded list of events will help the technician identify where exactly the problem is.
Event logs are typically classified by the component in question (Ex: system, application) and the level of severity (Ex: information, warning, error). The types of events logged differ between each operating system.
User activity monitoring
User activity monitoring refers to tracking user behavior on endpoints, from file access requests to changes in user privileges. It can help you detect suspicious activities that don’t comply with your security policies.
Network monitoring
Endpoint monitoring requires an agent to be installed on the device. We’re talking about workstations, laptops, and more. But there are components you can’t monitor by installing an RMM agent on it. We’re talking about all the networking components like routers, servers, switches, and firewalls.
Network monitoring uses the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) to track all the devices in your network to ensure proper performance, health, and stability. As a result, you will be able to eliminate costly downtimes caused by cyberattacks or unattended network failures.
Alerting
Monitoring ensures any issue in a network is identified while alerting ensures your technicians are notified, enabling immediate action. Alerts are typically generated when specific predefined conditions are met. It can help technicians understand where to focus, identify the root cause, and proactively fix the issue even before your client knows about it.
Make sure your RMM allows you to create policies specific to each client. Every alert should be mapped to the respective assets, device information, and tickets if any. This helps your technicians get highly contextual alerts, where they have all the information they need to resolve the issue by creating tickets, running scripts, executing patches, or running commands in the console.
One more important point to consider is if your RMM knows which alerts matter and which don’t. Remember, all alerts are important, but not all of them are urgent. Oftentimes, your technicians get alerts for perfectly normal things. It’s a lot of noise they don’t need, but are forced to deal with.
So when choosing an RMM, see how advanced and how granular the alert configurations go. Or even better — see if the RMM has an Intelligent Alerting feature.
Intelligent alerting
Intelligent Alerting enables your platform to understand what’s important and what isn’t. With time, your platform will be able to weed out redundant alerts, notify technicians only when their intervention is needed, and create tickets automatically so the issue is resolved faster.
In today’s complex IT environments, the line between proactive alerting and alert overload is becoming microscopically thin. Intelligent alerting hits just the sweet spot.
Automation
IT professionals are some of the most overworked people out there. Reason? High dependency on human resources, cost-cutting initiatives that put pressure on existing technicians, constant firefighting, and seemingly unachievable deadlines. Automation can solve many of these problems by helping you reduce manual work and focus on things that matter.
In fact, the benefits of automation go much beyond cutting a few corners here and there.
Better efficiency: By automating repetitive tasks such as assigning tickets or updating patches, your technicians can provide faster and more efficient support. They are free to do more meaningful work now, like upskilling themselves or going the extra mile for a client.
Compliance: Automation allows you to streamline your processes, ensuring established policies are adhered to and there is no room for human error.
Improved client satisfaction: Automation helps technicians act quickly when an issue occurs, exceeding client expectations. When their time is not eaten up by redundant tasks, they can focus on giving better solutions to their clients.
Cost reduction: Automation helps in reducing costs by minimizing the need for manual intervention wherever possible. You simply stop spending $60,000 per year on someone just to keep a record of invoices or assign tickets.
Differentiation: By eliminating busy work with automation, you can allocate your resources toward developing strategic initiatives, exploring leading tech, optimizing organizational efficiency, and driving busin
Scripting
Scripting refers to using a set of commands or instructions to automate a process or fix an issue. You can either run these scripts manually or schedule them based on specific conditions, adding more firepower to your automation. Choosing an RMM with strong scripting capabilities is paramount to efficiency. See if the RMM supports the scripting languages you operate with. Some of the commonly used languages are PowerShell, VBScript, Bash, MSI, and Bat. PowerShell is a no-brainer to have if your environment is primarily Windows. PowerShell is also a go-to for anything with complexity.
Try to write most of your scripts in PowerShell and use as little logic as possible in the RMM's scripting engine. This will make your work portable should you try to switch platforms in the future.
It is also important that your RMM comes with robust script libraries or a forum that enables script exchange. Writing scripts can be time-consuming, and there is no need to reinvent the wheel when you can use out-of-the-box scripts to automate your processes effectively.
“With SuperOps, I do absolutely have that trust that it (policies) is
working. And every day I check it and I haven't had any issues and
that is brilliant, that I can have that trust. I know if I look on there, all
those servers are working, and they've all got space. When SuperOps
added scripting, it was very cool. I have added scripts to restart
servers and now I do not have to worry about when I should restart
servers. I know servers are restarting every two weeks; I don’t even
have to look. This was not the case with other tools I used. Thanks to
SuperOps, I have stopped working at night a lot and that’s really good.”
- Mathew Fenton
Auto-remediation or Unattended device management
Auto-remediation is a workflow that automatically clears alerts that match certain predefined conditions. This means with some amount of initial work, you can eliminate the need to manually deploy scripts, run commands, or even lift a finger when certain issues occur.
But note that auto-remediation is much suited for smaller “closed-loop” processes first. It can have some limitations when it comes to complex processes with a long list of remediation steps. Adding a series of conditions that might not interact well with each other may lead to cascading failures and unintended consequences. In this instance, you can use Runbooks, which involves human intervention at a level it’s necessary.
Make sure your RMM allows you to add time to auto-remediation so you don’t miss billing your client. If you have clients who pay a fixed price unless a device is required or some outlier occurs that requires out-of-the-ordinary work, they won’t be paying for services like these unless you show a record of some actions that were taken. Your RMM should allow you to add a predetermined time on tickets like these on a script level. This ensures that you never leave money on the table for the work you do, even if it’s through automation.
Policy management
Policy management involves establishing a set of policies or rules to govern the lifecycle and usage of assets in a managed network. Policies simplify the process of applying patch updates or running antivirus scans on assets at scale. Once a policy is assigned or modified, they are reflected automatically in all the assets under that policy, without further user intervention.
When it comes to asset management, there is no one-size-fits-all configuration. Look for an RMM that helps you create policies that make sense for different clients with hierarchical and group-based policies.
Group-based policy management helps you break down asset sprawls into manageable groups by setting group-based policies. If your client environment is relatively simple, you can use hierarchical policies where you assign policies at the global level and let those policies cascade over to individual clients, sites, or devices. This type of cascading policy management or policy inheritance eliminates the need to individually configure policies for each asset or group.
Your RMM should also allow policy overrides. While the lower-level assets or groups automatically inherit policies defined at the global level, these lower-level entities should have their own specific policies that can override the inherited policies if necessary. This adds another layer of customization to handle unique requirements and edge cases.
Patch management
Patch management is the process of monitoring, applying, and updating software patches to systems, in order to ensure they are up-to-date, protected from vulnerabilities, and operating efficiently. A patch is a piece of code that is created to fix bugs, remove vulnerabilities, add new features, or enhance the performance of the software. Patch management gives your clients peace of mind knowing their security — and reputation — is intact.
Make sure your RMM has automated patching so you don’t waste hours scouring for gaps. Automated patch management monitors the availability of patches, assesses their relevance, and updates them automatically to all the managed assets without disrupting service delivery. With patch management effectively running behind the scenes, you have your security posture improved, downtime reduced, and business continuity guaranteed. At all times.
Another thing to ensure is if your RMM supports patching of all the operating systems you support, from Windows to Mac to Linux. It should support third-party patch management too, to keep critical third-party applications like Chrome or Adobe up-to-date.
Security management
You can’t be too careful when it comes to security. Applying security management strategies will help you catch vulnerabilities in real-time, isolate affected components, and take necessary actions to safeguard critical data before it falls into the wrong hands.
To give your client environments the highest form of security, look for an RMM with robust antivirus features, compliance with industry-accredited security standards such as HIPAA, and integration with key industry players.
Reporting
Reports help you collect and analyze data to arrive at important business decisions and showcase value. Reporting is one of the core RMM features that take MSPs from “IT guys” to trusted service partners, which provides expert insights that are useful for all, from MSP owners to your own team. You can use reports to show the value you provide, build credibility, and guide improvement efforts.
To get maximum value out of reporting, look for an RMM with the following capabilities:
The ability to create custom reports for unique use cases
A library of out-of-the-box reports or default reports to generate quick reports about technician performance to resource planning
A clean and professionally built dashboard to get an overview of the entire environment at a glance
Report scheduling to automatically create and distribute of reports to clients at a specific time. You don’t have to set up reminders or even manually hit send every time you have to send out reports
The ability to brand reports with your company name and logo for brand reinforcement and trust building
The ability to support different formats of export from PDFs to Microsoft Excel
Remote access
Remote access enables technicians to troubleshoot client devices by initiating remote sessions from anywhere. Through remote sessions, your technicians can identify issues and perform maintenance actions, even without your client being present. Not all issues can be resolved through automation or by running scripts, some require expert assistance. This makes remote access a crucial feature to look for in any RMM.
Here are some key considerations when evaluating remote access in an RMM:
Unattended remote access to proactively fix issues without interrupting end-users
Automatic deployment of streamer through the RMM agent
Secure connection to ensure the end devices are not vulnerable to attacks
Improve the quality of support with the ability to transfer files, record sessions, share screen, reboot, or wake the device remotely
Multi-platform support to access client endpoints remotely from Windows, macOS, or Linux devices
Ability to print documents locally so you can access when connecting between Windows devices
Ability to transfer sessions to loop in technicians or bring in expertise
Live chat to help end-users with any questions they may have
Ability to take background control of a desktop to perform functions in the background without disturbing the user or taking over the desktop
Mobile application
When dealing with thousands of endpoints, it’s difficult to stay on top of each one. Your technicians should have a mobile application to get things done on the go. With full IT management in the palm of your hands, your technicians can provide faster support, monitor alerts, and keep the business going when they get going.
Some features that make your mobile RMM application useful are:
Some level of feature parity with the Web version to be able to perform common activities such as tracking alerts or viewing assets
Ability to view or execute scripts
Take remote control of end-user devices
Get notifications on important events
Availability on primary operating systems like Android and iOS
Mobile-ready interface so working on a small screen doesn't become a pain
Key integrations
Although RMM is a staple software for MSPs, it’s not the only software you need. PSA is another table stake. But it doesn’t end there. MSPs typically have an array of tools to manage different parts of their business, from invoicing to documentation. Your RMM should support integrations that matter to your business.
In fact, even if you choose the best RMM out there, the value you get out of your RMM directly relies on how seamless these integrations are. Disjointed tools are a major problem in today’s IT world. They can make the platform hard to navigate, configure, or use for even simple tasks.
There are not many ways to know if an RMM plays well with your tech stack, because each MSP has their own set of tools and requirements. Start talking to fellow MSP owners who use a similar tech stack or go through r/msp on Reddit. As a thumb rule, avoid choosing legacy RMMs. They are heavy, resist innovation, and naturally lack the ability to pair up with modern tools.
Your RMM should have the following core integrations:
PSA
Data backup
Invoicing
IT documentation
Remote access
Antivirus solution
Payment processing
Project management
Active directory
Unified PSA-RMM platform
A unified PSA-RMM platform is the real MVP as it helps you manage all critical MSP operations in one place rather than shuttling between a ton of tabs, tools, or even devices. It might be a fool's errand to keep the data flowing through two databases residing in two different software. Every time your RMM needs to access the contract information from the PSA software, you're sending it on an adventure across the lands of API keys and security protocols. That is both time-consuming, expensive, and error-prone.
For data to be useful, proximity is essential. Even better than proximity, though, is two software built to be unified from day one, so they truly work together. While you can combine different RMM and PSA to work together, it’s lots and lots of work, labor, and money. Plus vendor management becomes really simplified if you work with a unified PSA and RMM solution. With each vendor, you go through multiple meetings, multiple contracts, and a million support tickets. Now multiply that by two. That's what happens when you have to work with separate PSA and RMM tools.
But let us warn you, many vendors may claim to offer unified PSA-RMM solutions, when in reality they treat their PSA and RMM as separate 'business units' within the same organization. They might have acquired or built these solutions separately. That effectively means they are companies within companies, which is as good as buying from two independent vendors. For these vendors, unified means nothing more than a competitive advantage or a move to capitalize on the “unified” wave.
A unified platform is the ethos of SuperOps.ai, which provides a fast, reliable, and future-ready RMM for fast-growing MSPs. If you’re interested in how the SuperOps.ai RMM works, sign up for a free trial or book a demo with our product experts. We’d love to show you what we’ve built!
Conclusion
The key takeaway is, don’t fall for shiny objects. One with the most features can be heavy and one with not enough features can be inadequate. Find the sweet spot so you don’t spend thousands of dollars setting up your platform or onboarding your technicians.
Leverage the power of the MSP community, consider the business side of things like ROI and contract terms, and choose one that you can scale with easily.
After all, RMM is meant to make life easier for technicians, not difficult.
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