Network Operations Center Monitoring Software

That's where MSPs step in. Working remotely, MSPs allow these organizations to minimize costs while still achieving the benefits of competitive IT resources.

From a network operations center, remote monitoring software allows MSPs to offer continuous support to their clients. It provides for 24/7 support as organizations work through network issues that can harm business.

For MSPs looking to drum up new business, here’s how to make a business case for your services.

Optimize Network Management at NOCs

Network operations centers are busy places. There's a lot for IT professionals and managed service providers to stay on top of.

With remote monitoring and management (RMM), MSPs can help organizations save time — and reduce costs. Automated monitoring allows MSPs to view resources across an entire network, using a single console. Whether configuring a workstation or patching software, MSPs can use RMM to troubleshoot multiple networks’ resources.

This kind of visibility offers huge benefits for MSPs. For one, it’s a time saver. With the ability to work across numerous networks, MSPs can scale up their operations. That allows them to bring down costs, and to serve smaller organizations, many of which can’t afford the investment in an onsite IT professional.

Reduced Helpdesk Time

Another way that RMM saves time and money: reduced helpdesk costs.

IT shops conventionally have done their best to minimize helpdesk calls. The idea is that helpdesk calls incur costs. While these costs vary between organizations, one common estimate is $30-$40 per call. These costs are often calculated as a function of lost productivity.

More recently, IT professionals have instituted solutions with self-help capabilities, in an effort to reduce helpdesk calls. Organizations may, for example, allow users to change their passwords. But while such features may reduce the number of calls, they don't address the issue of endpoint malfunctions.

Traditionally, IT professionals have taken a reactionary approach to these issues. An employee may not report a hard drive malfunction until after it has failed. But at that point, the employee can't do his job. IT staff must immediately assess and fix the problem.

Clearly this is an issue. And this is where MSPs can drive down costs with a solid RMM solution. From a network operations center, remote monitoring software can inventory hardware and network performance. That kind of information allows IT professionals to proactively respond to issues — before an employee loses the ability to work.

Improved Network Health

Some organizational decision-makers may be uncomfortable with remote IT services.

But here’s another selling point for MSPs. Even if you’re working out of a network operations center, monitoring software offers key insights into an organization's network, allowing you to maintain a network’s health.

Remote monitoring allows MSPs to keep tabs on network assets such as patches, hardware updates and new devices that enter or exit the network.

These insights are vital for any network administrator — on-site or off-site. And for MSPs, such insights are strong enough to make the case for remote work.

Prevent Disruptions

A healthy network is a stable network. It's also a cost-saving network. By one estimate, organizations can lose more than $5,000 a minute when critical applications are down.

That can be the difference between the life and death of an organization.

But with remote monitoring and management, MSPs gain actionable insights, which help them prevent costly application outages.

An Ally of MSPs

MSPs have a major challenge, as they work to resolve issues across numerous networks and client sites. That’s why they turn to RMM solutions.

Remote agents can connect to networks without experiencing any issues with firewalls or VPNs. They also allow MSPs to carry out work if their clients are offline. Administrators can solve problems without logging into an infected machine, and they can perform a host of vital functions across workstations and servers. These functions include operating system updates, antivirus scans and server updates.

The Tools You Need For Remote Management 

But with a crowded market, how should MSPs look for the right solution? It's easy. Go for the No. 1 remote management platform on the market, the one with the most comprehensive tools to secure, maintain and improve your networks — all from a single pane of glass.

We’re talking about MSP RMM from SolarWinds MSP (formerly LOGICnow).

With our remote management platform, you benefit from:

• Bulletproof web defense
• Automated patch management
• Data vulnerability reports
• Industry-leading managed antivirus
• Continuous backup and lightning-fast disaster recovery
• And much more

Remote Monitoring

MSP RMM offers real-time monitoring so you can prevent problems before they arise.

Maintain a healthy environment with:

• Automated alerts. Track device availability, network security, backup status and server performance, using a single, lightweight dashboard.
• Security monitoring. Keep tabs on antivirus scans, errors in event logs and more.
• Automated emails. You can choose to receive automated messages every time there's a failed check or overdue server.

With MSP RMM, you can monitor everything with:

• Cross-platform support: Monitor workstations and servers running operating systems that include Windows, OS X and multiple builds of Linux.
• Network performance monitoring. SNMP functionality allows you to monitor servers, printers, routers and switches.
• Smart phone monitoring. Keep tabs on phones and tablets using mobile device checks and monitoring.

MSP RMM also offers proactive maintenance with features that include:

• Background maintenance. Address workstation issues without disrupting users by using remote command lines and custom scripts, among other options.
• Scheduled maintenance. Set your maintenance to run during off hours, saving employees from any disruption to their productivity.
• Granular permissions. Set specific rules about who can access data across your networks.
• Bulk actions. Standardize maintenance across your networks, including checks, rules and tasks. You can easily perform bulk actions across hundreds of devices.

Defend Against Web Threats

Web attacks have grown increasingly sophisticated in recent years.

MSP RMM offers rock-solid web protection, keeping employees safe and productive. Our solution goes beyond enterprise standards, and lets you configure your own content filtering policies, blacklists and whitelists.

Features include:

• Broad protection. Defend against malware, adware, botnets and phishing, among other threats.
• Custom blacklists. Configure your own browsing policies and set granular-level controls to keep specific users off non-work-related sites.
• Advanced analytics. View detailed reports on internet usage. This gives you the power to uncover irregularities in browsing behavior.
• Device-specific policies. Create custom rules for desktops, laptops or servers.
• Custom messaging. Create your own custom, user-facing messages that appear when users reach a blacklisted website.

Uncover Rogue Devices

When working within a network operations center, monitoring software must offer total visibility of your network’s devices. Here, SolarWinds MSP delivers. MSP RMM gives you a complete view of the devices on your networks. This allows you to find and properly manage devices before they become an issue.

Features include:

• The details. Our device-discovery platform allows you to obtain details such as MAC addresses, IPs, hardware versions, host names and operating systems.
• Total visibility. Easily monitor devices using our single console and discover devices as they enter or exit your network.
• Automation. You can automate the search and discovery of devices on your networks.
• Active directory monitoring. We offer active directory monitoring tools to handle any issues in a Windows network — before they lead to bigger problems.

Advanced Managed Antivirus

Our managed antivirus keeps your networks free of both known and emerging malware. Features include:

• Advanced signature-based scanning. MSP RMM uses traditional signature-based detection, which blocks all known threats.
• Heuristic protections. Using heuristic checks, you can defend against previously unknown threats.
• Behavioral scanning. You can eliminate even the most advanced threats using real-time monitoring. Our RMM solution detects programs that act in ways commonly associated with malware exploits.
• Customization. Create your own policies for quarantining, exclusions and definition-update schedules.
• Reduced drains on resources. By scheduling deep scans, our managed antivirus allows you to tread lightly on network resources.

Access Workstations Remotely

With Take Control and Remote Background Management, you can offer your clients frictionless, secure maintenance, no matter where your clients are. One click offers simple and secure access to any server, or any workstation, all from a convenient dashboard.

Because this allows you to do more with less, you can continue to scale up your operations. You'll also be in a better position to build strong relationships with your users, and boost productivity among your engineers.

Features include:

• Quicker connections. Connect even through firewalls so you can quickly fix your users’ issues.
• Strong security. Remote viewing sessions take place over a secure connection and have a limited bandwidth impact.
• Streamlined remote background management. Work on your client machines without interrupting the end-user, as you manage file systems, system configurations, system services and more.

But Wait — There’s More

The features listed above are only part of the story. With MSP RMM, other key functionalities include:

• Industry-leading backup and recovery. 
• Detailed reporting 
• Automation of routine tasks
• Data-driven insights powered by machine learning and the collective wisdom of over two million endpoints.

Our layered security solution is an MSP’s dream, and keeps your networks running without disruptions. It’s why we’re the No. 1 RMM solution on the market.

Want to give MSP RMM a test run? You can try our solution with a 30-day free trial and see why MSPs continue to choose intelligence with SolarWinds MSP.

About SolarWinds MSP

SolarWinds MSP delivers the only 100% SaaS, fully cloud-based IT service management (ITSM) platform, backed by collective intelligence and the highest levels of layered security. SolarWinds MSP’s products, including Risk Intelligence, RMM, Backup & Recovery, Mail Protection, Access Manager, Manager and Anywhere — comprise the market’s most widely trusted integrated solution. – comprise the market’s most widely trusted integrated solution.

Deployed on millions of endpoints across hundreds of thousands of networks, the platform has the industry vision to define and deliver the future of the market. SolarWinds MSP provides the most comprehensive IT security available as well as the first ever IT notification feature powered by prescriptive analytics and machine learning.

SolarWinds MSP's passion is helping IT professionals secure and manage their systems and data through actionable insights, rewriting the rules of IT.

For more information, visit www.SolarWindsMSP.com.

----------

Sources:

Wired: http://insights.wired.com/profiles/blogs/the-top-4-benefits-of-remote-monitoring#axzz4KLgyqYpp
Disaster Recovery Preparedness Council: http://drbenchmark.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/ANNUAL_REPORT-DRPBenchmark_Survey_Results_2014_report.pdf
Techopedia: https://www.techopedia.com/definition/28529/remote-monitoring-and-management-rmm