Implementing remote monitoring and management (RMM) can be the difference between a profitable managed services provider (MSP) business and one that, at best, scrapes by. RMM enables you to monitor your clients’ IT systems and endpoints proactively, allowing you to correct issues before they result in downtime — and irate clients — and to cover more accounts than you and your staff could without the solution.
The Undeniable Impact of RMM on MSP Businesses
The ROI of an RMM solution is proven. For example, a LogMeIn Central study found that MSPs can save between 30 minutes and 4 hours each day with remote monitoring and management. In addition, about three-quarters of IT professionals estimate that RMM saves their companies $50,000 or more yearly.
LogMeIn’s research also asked IT professionals where RMM provides the greatest value, and “IT team efficacy/productivity” topped the list with benefits for 50 percent of respondents. Other areas where RMM provides value include:
- Company security, 50 percent
- Managing IT security threats, 49 percent
- IT team satisfaction, 46 percent
- Visibility into endpoint infrastructure, 44 percent
- Managing IT team time, 43 percent
- Company’s brand reputation, 42 percent
- Reducing costs, 41 percent
- Customer service, 39 percent
- IT team retention, 38 percent
- Customer relationships and loyalty, 37 percent
- Company revenue, 35 percent
Remote Monitoring and Management Trends to Watch
RMM has become an established part of many MSPs’ business strategies, but in response to tech, regulatory, and industry advancements, RMM solutions may evolve in the coming years. Watch these trends in the remote monitoring and management space:
- Machine Learning and Other Forms of Artificial Intelligence (AI)
RMM vendors are beginning to discuss AI as a part of their product roadmaps. In addition to AI-based alerts, AI could enable you to automate some tasks that people must now perform. AI-powered condition-driven automation, for example, could allow you to train your system so that when it’s triggered in a specific way, it responds with the appropriate action. Automating with AI promises to save time and money and reduce errors by eliminating the need f for human intervention.
- Support for Regulatory Compliance
The regulatory environment will only become stricter as legislators attempt to protect consumer, healthcare, payment and other sensitive data. With remote monitoring and management solutions giving you access to your clients’ networks and, potentially, their data, RMM vendors are providing you with features and guidance on protecting your clients — and your own business — from security vulnerabilities and the high costs of noncompliance. Datto offers this ebook, for example, on complying with the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
- Complementing Security Solutions
Securing a business’ network takes a comprehensive approach that ensures all appliances are working correctly and haven’t been compromised. Remote monitoring and management doesn’t replace a security information event management (SIEM) solution, but it can work with the SIEM. For example, RMM could share CPU usage data with security solutions to help spot malicious activity.
- Managing Growing IT Environments
Your clients have more devices in more places, and as remote work and the number of IoT networks increase, businesses’ connected environments will continue to grow. RMM solutions make it easier for companies to manage, monitor and protect these additional endpoints.
Your Business is Evolving. So Should the Tools You Use
Customers are more demanding, the regulatory space has data protection in its crosshairs, and the threat landscape is growing more ominous. To stay competitive, you need tools capable of delivering quality managed services.
Take a look at your remote monitoring and management software vendor’s product development roadmap and plan to make the best use of the new features available to your business. 
