Top 5 Things to Look For in Your RMM Platform

Selecting a remote monitoring and management (RMM) system is a big decision — and it’s not an easy one. There’s a lot to consider, and it’s important to do your homework to ensure that the relationship is mutually beneficial and yields the desired business benefits. Finding the right partner from the start is vital; otherwise, things can get awkward. And expensive.

You want to make sure that the technology and the provider you choose are able to meet your goals and ambitions. Aim for someone flexible and easy to work with, offers business resources, support services, complementary tool sets, and makes delivering your managed services more streamlined and efficient.

Having more time to focus on your customers and nurture your business? Who doesn’t want that?

To get a deeper understanding of what needs to go into your decision-making process, we pulled in two experts to get a sense of the top things you should look for in a new RMM system.

1. Long-term strategic partnership. You want a partner who listens to and acts on your suggestions for improvement. You also want someone who has a long-term vision that is in line with yours, and who will be around long term.

Locknet’s Peter Kujawa

“Selecting an RMM platform is the second most important technology decision most MSPs will make,” says Peter Kujawa, division president and corporate counsel at EO Johnson Business Technologies – Locknet Managed IT Services. “You don’t want to have to make it again because the vendor changed direction, ownership [and so on].”

2. Integration to your PSA. Already have an existing professional services automation (PSA) tool in place? You will definitely want your new RMM system to offer seamless integration with it.

“We moved to Datto RMM because of the seamless integration it had with Autotask,” says Peter Kujawa. “We estimate this integration will ultimately save us one to two minutes per ticket. While that might not sound like much, we handle 300-400 tickets every day, finding efficiencies like this one save us from having to add additional FTEs as we grow.”

3. Monitoring and maintenance automation. Ideally, your RMM tool should have monitoring and maintenance automation. It goes without saying that the more you automate, the more time and wiggle room you create. Poetic, eh? Technicians who aren’t pressed for time can focus on more important things, such as service calls or high-value projects.

4. Comprehensive patching capabilities. All-inclusive patch management will allow you to stay ahead of those pesky and ever-increasing system vulnerabilities. It automatically patches servers and workstations, better arming it and decreasing the likelihood of your device becoming compromised.

IFX Networks’ Jack Haime

Bonus — offering patch management as part of your RMM is a nice add-on service as part of your contract, which means an opportunity to bump up revenue.

5. Continuing support. So, you’ve done it. You’ve deployed your RMM platform and have launched full-steam ahead. Now what? Jack Haime, vice president of business development and SOLA sales director at IFX Networks, says ongoing support is key. You must ensure that your vendor will be there for you for the long haul.

Look for someone who has a good reputation in the industry — someone with a history of success and an above-average financial standing. This may seem like a no-brainer, but this aspect is most important when you consider your future as you build your business.