In an era where networks and computers have become the lifeblood for every company, and the fast-changing IT landscape is becoming increasingly complex and inextricably connected, managing the IT infrastructure is no longer an option but a requirement.
However, keeping computing and networking environments up, running, optimized, and secure can easily exceed the staffing and financial resources that are required for due diligence — even for companies with massive IT staffs and budgets.
Consider that:
- Securing networks against cyber threats that increase in number and virulence nearly every day is a 24/7/365 job.
- Keeping the computing environment operating at maximum capacity to achieve that desirable 99.99% uptime benchmark often remains an elusive pipe dream instead of a tangible reality.
- Performing regular maintenance, keeping up with patches and service packs, and maintaining a finely tuned network can be daunting.
Many companies have the added burden of meeting strict industry-compliance requirements. And all companies must keep pace with constantly evolving security threats.
Failing to meet any of these challenges can have a negative impact on the success of a company that can result in network downtime.
Remote Access Software is a Must
Managed services provide a way to overcome the challenges, hassles, and headaches described above by generating a continuing stream of revenue from an integrated suite of profitable IT managed service offerings. As an MSP, you become your customers’ trusted outsourced IT department, acting either as the sole IT staff or working in tandem with internal resources.
The specific services you provide to your customers will depend on their unique needs and circumstances. But the key to success is establishing a trusted relationship with your customers. And the key to establishing trust is choosing the right remote access software that can clearly demonstrate the value, benefits, and differentiation of your managed services to your customers.
Remote access software allows MSPs to manage networking and computing environments for a myriad of customers, without having to visit customer sites. Gone are the days of jumping in the car, driving to the customer location, performing the work onsite, and then returning to your office — only to try and recall where you left off.
Remote access frees you to be in multiple places virtually at one time! This freedom not only means that you can support a multitude of customers at one time. Freeing your business from geographical limitations means you can expand your clientele to a worldwide base of potential customers. The world becomes your own, allowing you to market your services to any company anywhere in the world.
In addition to convenience, remote access provides an attractive and cost-effective way for MSPs to scale their business. With the right remote access software, MSPs can attract new business with little, if any, additional costs. By doing more with less, MSPs have an economical way to grow their business to be as large as they desire.
And with the right tools and prompt service, your customers will respond with testimonials about your rapid response times, the power of being proactive, and how outsourcing computer and network monitoring and maintenance allows them to focus on their core competencies without network neglect or computing concerns.
Finding the Right Application
Finding the right remote access software involves asking the right questions.
- Is the connection to client networks secure?
- Does the software offer automated functions that minimize or obviate the need for your intervention?
- Does the software offer additional tools you can offer customers?
- Can you use a single console to manage all of your customers?
- Will the software work out of the box with different operating systems and versions (e.g., 32-bit vs. 64-bit systems?)
Secure Connection
In today’s age of prominent network breaches and well-publicized headlines of stolen information, security has become a prime concern. In order to safeguard the security of customer networks, the remote access software you choose should establish a secure connection between your location and your customer’s site.
Automated Functionality
Automation is the key to scaling your business and increasing profitability. The more tasks you can automate, the less time you and your staff will have to spend performing them manually. And there are only so many manual tasks one can perform before the law of diminishing returns takes over.
To your customers, automating functionality will deliver a more standardized and consistent service delivery method. To you, it will mean better utilization of your staff and resources, fewer scripts that need to be written, greater opportunities to scale your business, and more time you have to grow your business.
Examples of functions that can be automated include:
- Updating operating service packs and patches
- Scheduled preventative maintenance routines
- Scanning for viruses and malware
- Resetting passwords
- Performance monitoring
- Mapping network drives
- Moving, copying, and deleting files
- Defragmenting and optimizing drives
Maximizing Services to Your Customers
An MSP is only as good to his customers — and as profitable to his company — as his tools will allow. To offer your customers the most comprehensive services possible, look for remote access software that comes bundled with value-added tools that can satisfy other requirements your customers might have, such as anti-virus and data backup and recovery. The more services you can offer customers, the greater the likelihood that they will patronage you as their one-stop shop for all of their IT needs.
Musical Consoles
The value of having a comprehensive set of tools can be reduced significantly if the tools cannot be managed from a single pane of glass. Having separate consoles for different clients, different computers, and different tools can make end-user management a nightmare. To avoid this maze of “musical consoles,” look for remote software that offers a 360° view of the companies, computers, and networks being managed from the same dashboard.
Operating System Considerations
Remote access software designed for a single operating system will limit the computers, servers, and workstations that you can manage. Look for heterogeneous software that is designed to work with the widest number of operating systems. If your customers have a mix of 32-bit and 64-bit operating systems, be sure the software can handle both versions with the same degree of flexibility.
Introducing MSP RMM
MSP RMM from SolarWinds MSP (formerly LOGICnow) strikes the right balance between the simplified remote access you need to manage clients and the strong security your customers require for peace of mind. It allows you to connect securely to customer networks — even through firewalls — without interrupting network operations or users.
Compatible with Microsoft Windows, Linux, and Macintosh OS X operating systems, MSP RMM puts you in the driver’s seat. With automated monitoring, patch management, automated maintenance, and more, MSP RMM will be the only software you will need today and in the future to keep your customers’ computer systems and network running at peak performance, and deliver fast support to more users, without having to add staff, hardware, or incur travel expenses.
Plus an integrated web dashboard provides one-click access to any computer, server, or workstation under your management — just as if it were in front of you.
A few of the remote monitoring and management activities you can perform include:
- Running preconfigured automated tasks
- Scanning customer networks automatically or on demand
- Managing patches across different devices, operating systems, and products
- Automating routine tasks
- Running scripts through the dashboard on your own schedule
- Moving, copying, and deleting files
- Mapping network drives, editing the Windows Registry, and installing software
- Viewing running processes and the resources they’re using
- Ending non-responsive processes
- Starting, stopping, and restarting services
- Changing the start-up type of a particular service
- Showing service dependencies and adding a Windows Service Check to monitor problem services
A Flexible Suite of Additional Tools
To stand apart from the competition and be successful in a crowded marketplace, today's MSPs require more than just remote monitoring and management tools. MSPs must deliver a wide variety of value-added services that cater to the unique requirements of their SMB and enterprise clients.
MSP RMM comes with a variety of revenue-generating tools, including managed antivirus, patch management, web protection, online backup and recovery, asset and inventory tracking, and prescriptive analytics to help you prevent IT issues.
With these features and more, MSP RMM delivers a flawless, comprehensive IT management experience to your customers while automating and offloading as much work from you as possible.
Layered Security
Not only is MSP RMM the ideal stand-alone solution for MSPs; it is particularly well suited to participate with other members of the SolarWinds MSP product family as part of a layered proactive, detective, and reactive security strategy.
- Proactive security stops network breaches at the perimeter before they can enter the network
- Detective security prevents network breaches when they occur
- Reactive security addresses an attack that sneaked through the other two security layers
Together, this layered approach will make your network ironclad and shut down all threats to your computing infrastructure. In the unlikely event that an attacker is able to bypass the layered security, SolarWinds MSP solutions allow you to recover systems to a safe state.
MSP Benefits of Using MSP RMM
MSP RMM provides MSPs with a great strategy for satisfying and retaining current clients, attracting new customers, gaining higher business valuation from recurring revenue, and developing stronger relationships with all customers.
Joining the MSP RMM family of MSPs will allow you to:
- Realize generous profit margins by continuing to build new sources of recurring revenue
- Leverage the loyalty and equity in your ties with existing customers
- Increase the value you deliver to new and existing customers
- Improve the TCO on your invested capital
- Set your business apart from an increasingly crowded and commoditized arena
Many MSPs operate their businesses without realizing the full potential for generating recurring revenue. MSP RMM provides MSPs with the tools to optimize the selling and delivery of the most comprehensive managed services in the industry.
About SolarWinds
SolarWinds 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 products — including Risk Intelligence, Remote Management, Backup & Disaster Recovery, Mail and Service Desk — comprise the market’s most widely trusted integrated solution.
Deployed on over two million endpoints across 240,000 networks, the platform has the industry vision to define and deliver the future of the market. SolarWinds provides the most comprehensive IT security available as well as LOGICcards, the first ever IT notification feature powered by prescriptive analytics and machine learning.
SolarWinds's passion is helping IT professionals secure and manage their systems and data through actionable insights, rewriting the rules of IT. Contact us today to get started!
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