As we move into remote and hybrid work environments, the need for efficient IT management has never been more critical. Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM) is the perfect solution that seamlessly bridges the gap between distance and productivity.
Unless we are looking at a small office with a handful of devices, it is hard to find an IT support setup that can actually ensure uptime, safety, network updates, and optimum performance of all its IT infrastructure without the use of a Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM) tool.
This makes it imperative that you understand the need, functions, benefits, history, and future of RMM software for Managed Service Providers (MSPs).
What is Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM)?
Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM) refers to the process and technology that allows IT professionals to monitor, manage, and maintain computer systems, endpoints, and networks remotely. RMM tools provide MSPs and internal IT departments with complete visibility and control over their IT infrastructure, regardless of the location.
RMM is an acronym used interchangeably for both — the process and the tool, used for this purpose; like SuperOps, an industry-leading RMM.
Remote monitoring and management work on an agent-server structure.
What is an RMM agent?
An agent is a piece of software installed on all endpoints and nodes on the network, constantly feeding data about the device's health and performance to the server.
What is a server in RMM?
The monitoring and management bit happens at the server side, from where the manager or technician can see real-time and historical data about each point, section, or the entire network at a glance. Think of it as a central command center for sending across any instructions or updates to the endpoint agent for execution or implementation.
This entire exchange of information is stable, secure, and happens in real-time. The agents can detect, and at times predict, any issues that have happened or may arise on the endpoint and hamper work and the enterprise network. In such scenarios, they raise alerts to the tech team managing the network or the agent assigned to those endpoints. Some RMMs also raise a ticket with relevant information and put it in the queue for discovery and resolution by the IT MSP.
How did RMM evolve over the years?
Computers have been around for a lot longer than personal computing, but enterprise networking of computers came much later. In the 90s, all networks were still using Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP), and on-site technicians ruled the roost. The switch from local IT guys and teams to large-scale IT management teams and IT MSPs took place only in the late 90s. A lot of MSPs did enter the fray and battled it out with their own versions of early-stage RMM designs to help manage IT infrastructure better.
It took another decade, and only around 2005-06 did we see early versions of what can be called the early versions of today’s RMM tools. Remember, these legacy solutions were still installed in the systems one by one. The licensing of these systems was also done on a per-system or user basis, and subscriptions were never even thought of. But they became the base of the solutions that have now taken over the IT MSP domain. Just as SaaS became a major thing in the late 2010s, cloud-based RMM really took on. Then again, the modern intuitive visual design elements and intelligent automation are far newer concepts in the RMM world.
Who uses RMM software?
Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM) software helps many types of users manage IT systems across different industries. While MSPs use RMM software the most, others benefit from it too:
MSPs monitor and manage many clients’ IT from a single dashboard. They catch issues early, update software automatically, and fix problems remotely.
Internal IT teams in medium to large companies oversee employee devices, servers, and networks. They update and troubleshoot without disturbing employees, which is great for remote or hybrid work.
IT consultants and freelancers support small businesses or multiple clients remotely, solving problems quickly without onsite visits.
Industries with strict regulations like healthcare, finance, and legal use RMM to keep systems secure, updated, and compliant. For example, hospitals monitor medical devices and financial firms protect sensitive data.
Retailers and businesses with multiple locations manage IT systems remotely, updating software and fixing issues from one central spot to save time and money.
Schools, colleges, and universities keep student and staff devices updated and running smoothly across campuses, which is especially important for remote learning.
Companies with remote work or hybrid workforces support employees working anywhere by managing devices, applying updates, fixing problems, and maintaining security to keep productivity high.
Why do MSPs need remote monitoring and management?
Managed Service Providers (MSPs) support multiple clients across various industries and locations. To do this efficiently and at scale, RMM software is essential. Here’s why:
MSPs benefit from centralized management, allowing them to monitor and control all client systems from a single dashboard without needing to visit each site.
Proactive monitoring ensures continuous system checks and real-time alerts, helping MSPs prevent downtime before clients even notice issues.
RMM enables remote support, allowing technicians to quickly troubleshoot and resolve problems without traveling on-site, which speeds up response times.
Routine tasks like patching and updates are handled through automation, saving time and ensuring client environments remain secure and consistent.
RMM platforms support scalable growth, making it easy for MSPs to onboard new clients, add devices, and enforce policies without significantly increasing workload.
MSPs can provide detailed reporting that offers clients clear insights into system health, updates, and support activities, which builds transparency and trust.
RMM helps maintain security and compliance by enforcing policies, pushing patches, and keeping audit trails for regulatory standards like HIPAA and GDPR.
By reducing the need for onsite visits and automating workflows, RMM lowers operational costs and improves technician efficiency.
MSPs deliver a better client experience by offering fast, proactive service that minimizes disruptions and exceeds client expectations.
Using RMM gives MSPs a competitive edge through faster service delivery, enhanced reporting, and more proactive IT management, helping them win and retain clients.
How does RMM software work?
An RMM software installs lightweight agents on devices like desktops, laptops, servers, mobiles, and IoT gadgets. These agents run quietly in the background, collecting real-time data on performance, health, and security.
The data is sent to a central platform where IT teams or Managed Service Providers monitor key metrics, CPU, memory, disk space, network, and software updates, from a single dashboard.
If an issue is detected, such as hardware failure, outdated software, or suspicious activity, the system alerts the IT team. They can then fix problems remotely, deploy patches, and perform maintenance without interrupting users. Curious to know more? Here is a complete guide on RMM software for you.
What are the benefits of RMM?
Using a Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM) software offers numerous advantages to IT professionals, businesses, and managed service providers. Here are some of the key benefits:
Enhanced device and network security
Your local IT team can provide an employee with an updated and protected piece of equipment to access the network. But how can you be sure that it remains that way and monitor the usage patterns without an RMM agent in place?
This is a constant need here to ensure that all devices connected to the network are secure. There should be no malware or spyware leaking information, or unauthorized access to the network via the device, and in case of a malfunction or any device going missing, it must be swiftly wiped and locked, or bricked if possible.
But how is this possible without RMM agents monitoring it all the time?
This is just one scenario.
Remote access and real-time troubleshooting
Let us look at an example where an employee is on the move or working remotely. He is halfway across the world where his device’s connectivity is not stable due to a lack of some software patches. What would be an easier option?
a) Asking the employee to report with his device to the closest office location
b) Having an RMM agent onboard the device allows the tech to remotely update the device and get it up and running.
RMM has the capability to solve IT MSP’s multiple issues. Even if you can reach and service every endpoint (longshot) and have scheduled check-ins to help you preempt any upcoming network and device issues, there is no scope for real-time network checks and endpoint health hygiene on your own. An RMM can detect real-time issues and trigger an alert to ensure that they are tackled at the earliest.
Constant repairs and downtime not only affect the client’s business and morale but also reduce their confidence in your ability as an MSP or an IT support provider. Proactive monitoring and service improve uptime, stability, and machine life, making it cost-effective and providing customer satisfaction.
Scalable IT management across devices and locations
RMM allows you to set up processes the way you prefer — assign a single POC technician to address multiple endpoints across different locations, or handle one-on-one IT management processes for endpoints and networks spread across.
As an IT MSP, you can onboard more clients and support more endpoints, networks, and IT requirements with smaller teams, and this expansion takes much less time than conventional transitions. For example, at SuperOps, we believe that the ideal number of endpoints that can be assigned to one agent can be somewhere between 100 and 150.
This also ensures optimum utilization of the resources. Apart from saving on travel time and expenses, this enables users to manage everything remotely. All this translates into great cost management.
IT MSPs can also monitor and manage multiple devices across platforms from a single RMM console. The fact that RMM agents report on performance metrics too helps them in detecting and alerting clients about incompatibility issues and bottlenecks, which can then be removed.
Predictable costs and proactive maintenance
Another great advantage of RMM is the predictability it brings in managing IT infrastructure. It enables a proactive approach to IT support and maintenance, facilitating consistent monitoring and management of their systems.
By paying a fixed monthly fee for an RMM solution, businesses can forecast and allocate their resources accordingly, eliminating the uncertainty of variable costs that may arise from unforeseen IT issues or emergencies. This enables them to plan their finances more efficiently and avoid any sudden financial strain due to unexpected IT expenditures.
Furthermore, with an RMM solution, potential IT problems can be identified and resolved proactively before they escalate into major issues. RMM tools can detect early warning signs of potential failures or security breaches through continuous monitoring of systems, networks, and endpoints. This proactive approach minimizes downtime, enhances system performance, and ensures business continuity.
Key features of modern RMM software
There are a few core functions that must be handled by all modern RMM solutions. Usually, in all of these, you will see a mix of monitoring and management, with one enabling the other. Let us take a deeper look at them:
Real-time viewing and holistic monitoring of the client network
An RMM for IT MSPs monitors the health of individual devices, nodes, and the complete network at all times in real time. This means it ensures that hardware, software, and connectivity are up and working at all times and at all places.
Automated network scanning and policy management
Good RMMs are equipped with automated network scanning and discovery, which means as soon as a new device is plugged into the system, it adds it to inventory, applies all relevant policies, and installs an agent software.
If it doesn’t have permission to install the agent or administer the policies on a device on the network, it can at least prompt the user to do it, and if he or she does not do it, it can limit their access to the system or inform the admin, which leads us into the next function.
Sending alerts to technicians about events
In case of an IT event taking place, the RMM must send an alert to concerned teams or technicians who are in charge of that department or those endpoints. Now, this does not have to be a failure at an endpoint or network device.
It can be an alert like an unauthorized new device trying to perform certain functions — failed or succeeded — citing an attempt at breach or security lapse. It can be a prediction that decreasing the efficiency of a particular section of the network can affect the functioning of multiple business units that depend on it and call upon techs to update it.
Create tickets and assign them
As part of identifying or predicting a possible issue, an RMM must create a ticket with all the relevant data available and assign it to the right agent/team or queue for easy and timely resolution of the issue. The ticket can contain reports leading up to the event, the possible causes of the issue, and maybe steps to resolution. It is a learning process, and once an event occurs and a solution is successful, it can be used as a template for possible resolutions.
Create logs, and data reports, analyze and visualize them, and share them
As the RMM keeps collecting real-time data, it must log the data every time it goes through a monitoring cycle. This helps in understanding the network progress and device health over time, usage, and their relations to any events. This analysis can then be used to optimize the network's health and performance and also to showcase how an MSP’s work has improved network health and performance over time for the client.
Automatic system updates, policy, and patch management
One of the greatest strengths of RMM lies in how it reduces operational costs and saves time by keeping systems secure, up to date, and running smoothly with minimal manual effort.
Through centralized policy enforcement, IT teams or MSPs can instantly apply rules across all connected devices. Whether it is restricting access to sensitive network drives or enforcing security protocols, RMM ensures compliance automatically.
RMM also handles patch management efficiently by scheduling and applying updates across endpoints without user intervention. If a critical patch causes issues, the system can even roll it back to a stable state, minimizing downtime and ensuring business continuity.
Additionally, it supports remote software deployment and update management for network devices, keeping the entire infrastructure consistent and well-maintained.
This automation is one of the key benefits of the new age cloud-based RMM solutions like SuperOps, which save companies millions in time and cost savings and improved system efficiencies.
How to select the right RMM software?
Choosing the right Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM) software is a crucial decision for any IT team or Managed Service Provider (MSP). Here are some key features to consider when selecting an RMM solution:
Ease of use: Look for an RMM platform with an intuitive interface that is easy to navigate. A clean, user-friendly dashboard helps your team quickly understand device statuses, alerts, and tasks without a steep learning curve.
Comprehensive monitoring: Ensure support for all devices and platforms, including desktops, servers, mobile, and IoT. It should monitor CPU, memory, disk space, network health, and security status.
Automation capabilities: Look for automation of routine tasks like patch management, software updates, system scans, and alerts. This reduces manual work and speeds up resolutions.
Integration with other tools: Choose an RMM that integrates with PSA platforms, ticketing systems, antivirus solutions, and other key IT tools to streamline workflows.
Security features: The platform should support endpoint protection, remote lock/wipe, and real-time threat detection. Ensure it meets industry standards and offers strong encryption.
Scalability: Select software that scales with your growth, able to handle more clients or devices without added complexity or cost spikes.
Customer support and training: Opt for vendors offering responsive support, onboarding help, and useful documentation or tutorials.
Pricing and licensing: Understand the pricing structure, per device, user, or subscription. Favor transparent pricing with no hidden fees.
RMM vs traditional IT support: what’s the difference?
Aspect | Traditional IT support | Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM) |
Approach | Reactive (fix issues after they occur) | Proactive (detect and resolve issues before they escalate) |
Downtime | Higher, due to delayed issue detection | Minimized, thanks to continuous monitoring |
Maintenance | Manual and irregular | Automated and scheduled |
Scalability | Limited, requires on-site presence for each location | Easily scales across locations and devices remotely |
Cost efficiency | Higher long-term costs due to frequent emergencies | Cost-effective through prevention and automation |
IT staff productivity | Focused on firefighting and repetitive tasks | Freed up for strategic, higher-value work |
Security | Reactive patching and risk of missed updates | Timely patching and real-time threat alerts |
Visibility | Limited insight into system performance | Real-time dashboards and reporting across all devices |
RMM vs MDM (Mobile Device Management)
Feature | RMM (Remote Monitoring & Management) | MDM (Mobile Device Management) |
Primary focus | Managing the entire IT infrastructure | Managing mobile devices only |
Devices covered | Desktops, laptops, servers, IoT, networks | Smartphones, tablets, rugged mobile devices |
Core functions | Monitoring, patching, software deployment, automation | App management, security policy enforcement, remote wipe |
Security | Endpoint protection, threat detection | Enforce encryption, remote lock/wipe, password policies |
Use cases | MSPs, internal IT teams needing broad oversight | Organizations with mobile-first or BYOD environments |
Integrations | PSA tools, ticketing, antivirus | UEM tools, identity/access management |
Real-world use cases of RMM across different industries
Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM) tools are transforming the way businesses across various industries maintain IT infrastructure, ensure security, and improve efficiency. Here are some real-world use cases:
Healthcare: RMM helps manage electronic health records and patient monitoring systems remotely while ensuring uptime and security compliance, including HIPAA requirements.
Financial services: Financial firms use RMM to secure client data and monitor critical trading platforms, automating updates and receiving real-time threat alerts to maintain trust and compliance.
Education: Schools and universities rely on RMM to support distributed student and faculty devices, simplifying software updates and reducing the workload on limited IT staff.
Manufacturing: RMM monitors IoT devices and production line systems to prevent downtime and schedules proactive maintenance, boosting productivity and reducing repair costs.
Managed Service Providers (MSPs): MSPs automate backups, patching, and client monitoring remotely. For example, Selectgroup reduced support calls by 80% after adopting SuperOps.ai’s RMM platform.
Selectgroup, a UK MSP, switched to SuperOps’s RMM to ditch old tools. Automation and smart alerts cut support calls by 80% and saved techs 4 hours daily, turning reactive support into smooth, proactive service.
Retail: Retailers manage POS and inventory systems across stores using RMM, enabling remote updates and troubleshooting to ensure smooth and secure customer transactions.
What more can an RMM do?
Modern RMM tools however, can do much more than just remote monitoring and management. They have so many more functions embedded in or available as add-ons. Let us look at some of the most popular ones:
Professional Services Automation (PSA)
Professional Services Automations is a really great use of modern SaaS capabilities. And most popular RMMs like SuperOps, Atera, and Syncro provide PSA capabilities. Do not get confused, we did say that automated remote management is a core function of most RMMs. PSA acts as an additional automation interface that isn’t included otherwise in many RMMs. For example, SuperOps gives you the power to use intelligent automation on many more mundane and repetitive tasks; you can check that out here. This means that these functions don’t just work but keep learning and getting better with use.
Integration with other tools
IT MSPs use a bunch of tools for managing IT infrastructure, and it is imperative that the RMM tool they use can work well, or at least be compatible, with all of them. Most great RMMs offer a wide variety of integrations.
Built-in ticket and issue management
We already discussed how raising a ticket for any event is a core function of an RMM. But good RMMs come with ticket management systems in place. Functions like queue and approval management are extra-useful. Modern UI, like ours at SuperOps, also helps you have an in-depth look at the history of tickets with just one click or move it with a drag-and-drop.
Invoicing and contract management
Now that a Super RMM (see what we did there?) enables you to deliver superb service to your clientele, it's time to collect the monies. Your RMM can help you track and record the hours spent on each ticket, issues, and different functions of your entire team for each client, and also create invoices right in the system and send them across. Some RMMs, like super ones (ok, no more!), also help you manage your contracts with various vendors in a centralized place, making it easier for you to know when and where your contract ends and when to start negotiating for a new one or find a new vendor for that particular product.
Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
Managing clients is an art form, and great CRMs have only made it easier. Nowadays, your RMMs also include a CRM of some sort to help you manage client relationships better. Many help you collate messages from multiple channels and track the progress of individual queries, aside from an overview of complete relations.
Project management
Like the functions before this, individual apps performing this particular function very well exist in all spheres. But if you are an up-and-coming IT MSP, it is wiser to save costs by using built-in tools for project management too. Most RMMs have these built-in nowadays to help manage projects better.
IT documentation management
This feature is useful to keep all your monitored and unmonitored asset information in a simplified and structured way for easier access and retrieval.
Now we are not saying that an RMM should include all these optional features, but it is great to have some of them, if not most or all of them, at your disposal, as integrations will help you get stuff done. But depending on your size, the cost of using multiple products may be prohibitive. And leaving any essential feature out may lead to loopholes in your data and process that will surely affect efficiency.
Automation tool
Automation capabilities in RMM help automate routine maintenance tasks and updates such as software updates, patch management, and system configurations. This helps in saving time and also minimizes human error. With automation at the core of RMM software, MSPs can focus on strategic initiatives, while mundane and repetitive tasks are handled seamlessly, ultimately leading to enhanced productivity and improved service delivery.
Patch management
Patch Management enables businesses to keep their software, operating systems, and applications up to date with the latest security patches and bug fixes. RMM makes the patch management process simple by automating the detection, deployment, and monitoring of patches across the entire IT infrastructure.
Reporting and analytics
RMM's reporting capabilities provide a complete overview of system performance, network health, security incidents, and other metrics you need to keep track of. With these detailed and customizable reports, MSPs can track trends, identify areas for improvement, and make data-driven decisions.
Device monitoring
Device Monitoring enables MSPs to have real-time visibility and control over their IT devices. RMM lets you continuously monitor critical parameters such as CPU usage, memory utilization, disk space, and network connectivity. By promptly detecting and alerting potential issues, device monitoring empowers IT teams to take proactive measures, prevent downtime, and ensure optimal performance.
Common challenges without RMM
Without Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM) software, businesses can face several significant challenges that impact their IT efficiency and security. These common problems often lead to increased downtime and higher risks.
Businesses often experience delayed issue detection because problems are usually discovered only when users report them, which leads to longer periods of downtime.
Without RMM tools, software updates and security patches can be applied inconsistently, increasing the risk of vulnerabilities in the system.
Security risks are higher since ongoing monitoring for threats like malware or ransomware is limited or absent, allowing these issues to go unnoticed.
The lack of proactive management results in increased downtime as IT teams react slowly to problems instead of preventing them.
IT teams tend to spend more time dealing with urgent issues and firefighting rather than focusing on strategic or preventive tasks.
Without real-time visibility into device health and performance, businesses struggle to manage their IT infrastructure effectively.
The best RMM products out there
Now to be fair, at SuperOps, we believe that any product that you use can be the best for your needs if it is tailored to it. Hence, we put so much effort into our platform being so intuitive with the desire to constantly learn and adapt to you. But before we invite you to take a totally free 14-day plunge with us, we would love to show you some of the other products that have been around and inspire us continuously.
If you are interested in a detailed comparison, earlier this year, we did some research on the best RMM tools in 2025. Here, we took some of the best Remote Monitoring Management solutions for IT MSPs that lead the popular choices and put them through our grueling test comparing them on various aspects like pricing, essential and extra features, support, training, integrations, and more.
To be honest, we did not come out on top back then, but we learned a lot more about the RMM ecosystem out there and used those learnings to improve ourselves and thus give you a product that will surely take the top spot come 2025. We will try and give you a nutshell version here, for quick reference.
Take a look at our category-wise winners here:
In terms of pricing, our main criteria were that users should be given clear, open pricing instead of custom quotes and genuine, no-strings-attached free trial for new users. After this, we compared pricing points to crown the top three as Itarian, Atera, and SuperOps.
Next up, we looked at key features, and that battle was owned by Itarian and NinjaRMM. But in terms of integrations, Atera and SuperOps drew a close battle with them again.
Next was the battle of UI, and our modern, intuitive, humane UI beat the competition hands down. SuperOps was followed by N-able and Atera in this section.
Then we discussed ease of use based on user reviews on popular sites like G2 and Capterra to find that Ninja outscored us by a slight 0.05 for the top spot, while Atera was a close third, just 0.10 below us.
We did compare support and training, but it was more of a checkpoint comparison than a full-blown ranking. The final verdict we found gave us a lot of hope and made us work even harder to become better. Here’s the result from our research reproduced:
SuperOps: Best overall RMM software with Intelligent automation, great UI, competitive pricing, and a range of features
Atera: Good set of core features, but expensive with the recent increase in pricing.
Itarian: Best for SMBs who have very few endpoints to manage
NinjaRMM: For feature-loaded RMM with great support, also the NinjaOne suite.
N-Able RMM: N-able has a lot of great features
Syncro: If network health is your top priority, and cost is not.
Manage Engine Central: If you use Manage Engine Suite, this integrates well with all Zoho services too
Naverisk: Does its job well, get a great quote though
Datto: Good UI but consistency issues persist
Kaseya: Old school interface, gets work done
Still wondering about RMM? Take SuperOps for a spin for three weeks, totally free of cost, and we will help you find all your answers. Sign up today!