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Managed Service Providers believe most Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM) systems end up being ‘shelfware’

on November 27, 2009
Managed Service Providers believe most Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM) systems end up being ‘shelfware’
We conducted industry research on Remote Monitoring & Management (RMM) software for Managed Service Providers (MSPs), Value Added Resellers (VARs) and IT support organizations and the results have proved to be very interesting indeed.
Set-up
Almost half (47%) of MSPs state that it takes over one month to be fully up and running with their Remote Monitoring and Management software. 20% say it takes 6 months or longer to be fully set-up and running.
45% of IT Support companies and MSPs state the initial investment in RMM software is too high.
42% say the ROI never meets their expectations.
Usage
53% state they pay for areas of the system they don’t use.
Ultimately, only 4% actually use the whole RMM system. In fact, 56% say they only use half the available functions of the software.
Features
The most valued features of RMM, according to respondents, are Server Monitoring, LAN & Windows Monitoring, Patch Management and Remote Support.
The top reasons for using RMM are to offer a faster fix response time and to offer preventative maintenance.
Training
When it comes to training technicians, 41% say it takes longer than one month to fully train technicians about the system with some 15% stating it takes longer than 6 months.
Over half (56%) of respondents admit their staff don’t have time to learn the whole RMM system. And, of those who do try to learn the full system, 40% of IT Support Managers think their technical teams get too buried in the detail of RMM tool deployment and lose focus on customers.
The global industry research survey on RMM software was conducted online by GFI MAX during June 2009. The survey interviewed over 200 IT Support Companies and Managed Service providers about their satisfaction with the installation and running of RMM software, the necessary training, the pricing models and return on investment.
Doug Wilson, General Manager of GFI MAX said, “The survey revealed dissatisfaction with many RMM systems, particularly in the areas of the time-consuming training and complex set-up needed. As I move around meeting with MSPs, one big area of concern is that big, bloated systems actually get in the way of the MSP delivering value to their customers. It has reinforced my view that bloatware equals shelfware, especially in RMM systems. I think that if a system can’t be up and running in 10 minutes or less, the odds of it becoming adopted as a day-to-day productivity tool for the MSP is very low. That’s why we’re continuing to focus on easier, less complex real-time systems monitoring, remote support, asset tracking, and own brand client reporting tools which can be easily implemented and adopted and have a high chance of becoming productive tools for the MSP.”
The full survey report is available for download at http://www.gfi.com/documents/max_suWe conducted industry research on Remote Monitoring & Management (RMM) software for Managed Service Providers (MSPs), Value Added Resellers (VARs) and IT support organizations and the results have proved to be very interesting indeed.

We conducted industry research on Remote Monitoring & Management (RMM) software for Managed Service Providers (MSPs), Value Added Resellers (VARs) and IT support organizations and the results have proved to be very interesting indeed.

Set-up

  • Almost half (47%) of MSPs state that it takes over one month to be fully up and running with their Remote Monitoring and Management software. 20% say it takes 6 months or longer to be fully set-up and running.
  • 45% of IT Support companies and MSPs state the initial investment in RMM software is too high.
  • 42% say the ROI never meets their expectations.

Usage

  • 53% state they pay for areas of the system they don’t use.
  • Ultimately, only 4% actually use the whole RMM system. In fact, 56% say they only use half the available functions of the software.

Features

  • The most valued features of RMM, according to respondents, are Server Monitoring, LAN & Windows Monitoring, Patch Management and Remote Support.
  • The top reasons for using RMM are to offer a faster fix response time and to offer preventative maintenance.

Training

  • When it comes to training technicians, 41% say it takes longer than one month to fully train technicians about the system with some 15% stating it takes longer than 6 months.
  • Over half (56%) of respondents admit their staff don’t have time to learn the whole RMM system. And, of those who do try to learn the full system, 40% of IT Support Managers think their technical teams get too buried in the detail of RMM tool deployment and lose focus on customers.

The global industry research survey on RMM software was conducted online by GFI MAX during June 2009. The survey interviewed over 200 IT Support Companies and Managed Service providers about their satisfaction with the installation and running of RMM software, the necessary training, the pricing models and return on investment.

Doug Wilson, General Manager of GFI MAX said, “The survey revealed dissatisfaction with many RMM systems, particularly in the areas of the time-consuming training and complex set-up needed. As I move around meeting with MSPs, one big area of concern is that big, bloated systems actually get in the way of the MSP delivering value to their customers. It has reinforced my view that bloatware equals shelfware, especially in RMM systems. I think that if a system can’t be up and running in 10 minutes or less, the odds of it becoming adopted as a day-to-day productivity tool for the MSP is very low. That’s why we’re continuing to focus on easier, less complex real-time systems monitoring, remote support, asset tracking, and own brand client reporting tools which can be easily implemented and adopted and have a high chance of becoming productive tools for the MSP.”

The full survey report is available for download at http://www.gfi.com/documents/max_survey.pdf.

About the Author:

Jesmond is Senior Web Marketer at GFI Software, with a keen interest in social media. He is an avid tech enthusiast who is always up-to-date with the latest tech and mobile operating systems, particularly Android.

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Comments
John Mello November 28, 20095:18 pm

In light of these survey findings, it’s not surprising that more and more small- and medium-sized enterprises are embracing the idea of obtaining their remote monitoring and management from software-as-a-service providers. In the current economic climate, managers of these enterprises are finding themselves restricted by budgetary constraints and purchasing shelfware could very well be a prelude to them receiving a place in an unemployment queue. Not only does going to the cloud for these services satisfy corporate beancounters, but it makes life easier for the managers by removing the hassles associated with the deployment of these systems such as technical complexity, increased infrastructure costs, licensing commitments and extended learning curves.