Remote Monitoring & Management platforms (RMM) allow managed service providers to perform necessary and important IT management tasks even though the objects under management may not be physically in the presence of the MSP. Because many MSPs employ a "one-to-many" business model, physically going to each device in order to work on (or observe) it becomes problematic, not to mention expensive and challenging to scale.
RMM technologies enable the MSP to remotely perform IT management tasks from a computer screen and an Internet connection. In many scenarios, the RMM technology is located within the NOC, where the MSP also handles help desk related issues for their customers.
The RMM technology often works in conjunction with other MSP enabling technologies. Whether it is a help desk or trouble ticketing solution, a CRM, a security consoleIn some cases, RMM technologies can also work in conjunction with other tools to allow "out of band" access to objects, meaning that the same remote access can exist even if the object may be offline or non-functional.
RMM tools used to be very costly during the 1990s but became much more simple to use and less expensive, thereby allowing many IT service companies to enter the managed services profession. RMM tools enabled MSPs to stop sending technicians on site to customers and instead made it possible for MSPs to observe and work on many remote devices all at the same time.
