Remote monitoring and management (RMM), also know as network management or remote service software, is a type of software that is designed to help managed IT services providers (MSPs) remotely and proactively monitor client endpoints, networks, and computers. This also referred to as remote IT Management.
In response to the pandemic, a stay-at-home order was put in effect for Ontario on March 23, which triggered an enormous shift to remote work which changed the office as we all know it forever. Many companies urged employees to organize their homes to accommodate the new normal and management prepared to shed office spaces and permanently move some portion of their workforce to remote working.
Working from home is now the new trend
With such a shift and moving most white-collar workers from their offices, it is no surprise that some will miss even the mundane facets of office life – from shouting across the cubicle mazes, bad coffee, watercooler conversations to showing family vacation photos. What makes office life meaningful for several though, is that it helps sustain organizational culture. Taken for granted are the beliefs and practices that support how people work together. In our office, for example, most jobs or collaborations were done faster when one can simply walk to the other person’s desk. Most jobs are completed faster when we can see each other’s screen, and being right there to answer questions. We were also able to easily fix simple problems from a mouse not syncing to a laptop not working.
The growing trend of remote work or working from home, has made conventional IT solutions challenging for several organizations. As workforces became remote and distributed, so too must the tech support and maintenance solutions that keep modern workforces operational.
What is the right Remote Tool?
Finding the right RMM solution was not easy, because they are not a one size fit and need to be tailored to suit the needs of your company. We researched AnyDesk and Teamviewer but these solutions only offer limited remote assistance. Zoom did not offer the flexibility to have remote admin control as the UAC window was not popping to enter the admin password. We wanted the right efficient solution that will enable us to transition seamlessly and save us both time and money. This led us to Datto RMM.
Monitoring Capabilities
Datto Remote Monitoring and Management solution was the right fit for our company needs. An integral part of this RMM solution is its monitoring capabilities. Devices are monitored on an ongoing basis, which gives us the ability to identify security risks and efficiency issues so that contingency plans can be put in place. Alerts were set up to ensure that these issues are reported to the relevant person or persons so that they can be resolved.
For example, the CFO of one of our clients had a laptop with hard drive issues. We were only aware because we received an alert from Datto RMM stating there was a high number of errors on the drive. Thanks to this alert, we were able to remote into the system, check the hard drive and find that the drive was nearing failure. It is not okay for anyone’s laptop to go down, or a hard drive to fail – but especially not the CFO of an organization! We were able to get the accountant on a new system within hours, preventing loss of critical financial data and minimal downtime.
Technical Support
Datta RMM also provides an overwhelming amount of technical support, as long as the Datto agent was on install on a device, we can access that user’s device as long as it is connected to a wifi network. We can troubleshoot and fix issues relating to CPU, processes, security, memory, or any other error on the device which allows us to reduce overall labor and increase productivity. In other words, we are able to see and fix an issue before it becomes a problem.
Another client of ours has staff in Toronto, California, Arizona, and even Illinois. Even before the pandemic, many of their staff were remote. Especially the sales folks. Just yesterday, we had a senior salesperson in a crisis where he could not find a signed contract from one of his sales. Any salesperson will tell you, a signed contract means a sale – anything else is fiction. We were able to quickly remote into his system, help him find the missing email. The salesperson did not have to wait for our software to install or need to interact – other than clicking “allow” when we remoted into his system to take control.
Onboarding made easier
At the onset of setting up our staff to work remotely, we were also onboarding new interns. Usually, this process involves purchasing the laptop, getting the laptop to the relevant IT personnel to set up and install the relevant software, then someone would pick up the laptop and have it delivered to the intern. This could take up to a week depending on the availability of the IT staff. Using the Datto agent, we were able to install the relevant software and ship the laptop to the intern immediately.
We were also looking for a much easier way to automate the smaller issue, for example, updating an application. Many users shelve the maintenance and updating of their devices or software because they find it time-consuming. There are others who might say, it’s not their job to do. They will simply ignore or mute an update notification for the following day, and most time this would be postponed indefinitely. Datto monitors all of our company-owned devices and automated all of these tedious tasks. This allows our IT experts to work on other important tasks and our employees’ devices taken care of without having to cut into their time.
Why Datto RMM?
Datto RMM gives IT service providers the ability to manage more clients than traditional break/fix IT providers and to do so more efficiently. Through Datto RMM, technicians can remotely install software and updates, administer patches, and many more. As a Managed Service Provider, our top priority is to tailor the Datto RMM solution to effectively manage your network and technology assets to keep them safe and optimized so you stay productive.