You’re on vacation on a tropical island thousands of miles from home. In case you have guests or an emergency, you can manage and control your door access, air conditioning, lighting, and more from your mobile. That’s the beauty of remote monitoring, right? That sense of security and tight grip over your home infrastructure is quite an assurance. In the world of IT admins, this assurance is all about remote monitoring and management (RMM) of corporate devices.
Modern IT management and network infrastructure control heavily rely on remote monitoring and management solutions. RMM software is pivotal in enabling remote administration, empowering IT administrators to supervise computer systems, networks, and endpoints from a centralized vantage point.
Imagine RMM tools as vigilant sentinels, maintaining constant watch over the critical elements of your IT infrastructure. They serve as digital bridges, connecting you to your devices no matter where they are physically situated. Whether you manage an extensive network spanning various locations or a diverse array of devices scattered across multiple sites, remote monitoring systems unify them all. This unification provides effortless monitoring and control capabilities, all from a single command center.
This blog is about the essentials that make a remote monitoring system effective and how a Mobile Device Management (MDM) solution steps into the scheme of IT admin things.
What is Remote Monitoring and How it Works
Before the advent of remote monitoring systems, the IT sector depended on manual monitoring practices to oversee its infrastructure. IT administrators would perform periodic system checks, conduct in-person inspections, and rely on user feedback to detect problems. Unfortunately, this approach frequently resulted in prolonged downtime, restricted insight into infrastructure well-being, ineffective allocation of resources, and laborious issue resolution.
In contrast, the arrival of remote monitoring systems ushered in the era of real-time monitoring, preemptive maintenance, and automated notifications. Remote monitoring hinges on three essential aspects:
Enabling Data Collection via Connectivity: This entails establishing a robust and secure infrastructure to aggregate data from various sources. Much like a rail network, it creates seamless and secure data transmission pathways to a central system where it can undergo analysis.
Establishing a Data Processing and Storage Platform: This involves implementing a central system capable of proficiently handling and securely storing data. It utilizes databases, servers, and specialized software to manage and manipulate data efficiently.
Implementing Tools for Data Presentation and Actionable Insights: This encompasses deploying tools and techniques to visually represent processed data with clarity, facilitating informed decisions for IT administrators. It also includes creating user-friendly reports, graphs, and alerts that provide actionable guidance based on the data. Learn how to create data presentations effectively, ensuring your insights are communicated in a way that is clear, concise, and engaging.
Previously, managed service providers (MSPs) were commonly responsible for handling remote monitoring services, particularly for large organizations with multiple business units. These MSPs would utilize a centralized dashboard as a command center to access and oversee the various systems owned by their clients. This dashboard also provided them with remote access to their clients’ IT infrastructure, enabling efficient management of different aspects of the systems and devices.
However, implementing more efficient workflows and connectivity protocols has simplified the deployment and scalability of remote monitoring systems. Consequently, businesses can now easily integrate remote monitoring systems into their IT environments, eliminating the need to delegate these tasks to MSPs.
Remote Monitoring Essentials in MDM
Remote monitoring using an MDM solution empowers organizations to leverage real-time data, enabling more informed decision-making and swift service responses. Imagine the daily routine of IT admins, absorbed in managing the organization’s complex network infrastructure. It is an ongoing mission to guarantee the smooth and secure operation of all the devices.
Amidst the daily IT challenges, a remote monitoring system emerges as a savior, offering a sense of reassurance and confidence.
Here’s a look into some remote monitoring essentials that are key to making this system effective.
Real-time Monitoring and Alerts
Real-time monitoring of important parameters, such as battery usage and status, ensures IT admins have a bird-eye view of device health. With remote monitoring, IT admins can promptly detect anomalies or deviations from predefined device thresholds—for example, data usage alerts. Thus, immediate actions and quick resolution of issues become possible.
Remote Support and Troubleshooting
Remote access and management: A remote monitoring system provides IT admins the benefit of remotely accessing and managing monitored devices from anywhere. Options such as assuming screen control and screen mirroring eliminate the necessity for physical presence or intervention.
Remote configuration and troubleshooting: IT admins can remotely configure device settings and install or uninstall apps. More importantly, they can remotely troubleshoot device issues and record the troubleshooting sessions. All of it saves a lot of time and overhead by reducing the necessity for on-site visits.
Reporting and Analysis
Intuitive UI and Data Visualization: Remote monitoring using MDM software offers an intuitive interface featuring a user-friendly dashboard. This empowers IT admins to interpret and analyze the data collected effortlessly.
Comprehensive Report Generation for Informed Decision-Making: IT admins can utilize detailed reports that cover critical device metrics and valuable usage insights. These reports pertain to many device management parameters, such as location, app installations, and failed login attempts. It facilitates informed decision-making on the grounds of streamlining device management further.
Security
MDM-based remote monitoring ensures only authorized IT personnel access the corporate devices. Role-based access control (RBAC) makes this possible, as only IT admins can access the MDM dashboard.
Productivity
When IT admins can troubleshoot device issues remotely, devices are up and running smoothly in very little time—reduced device downtime results in improved employee productivity and device performance. For devices with which customers interact (like kiosks), it enhances the customer experience.
Device Metrics that Remote Monitoring Encompasses
An effective remote monitoring system offers immediate visibility and invaluable insights. Several crucial metrics that warrant remote monitoring through an MDM solution include:
Device Information
Gathering details about the device, including data and battery consumption, app usage, and RAM and CPU stats, is crucial in pinpointing possible performance bottlenecks, fine-tuning resource distribution, and guaranteeing the devices operate with maximum efficiency.
Monitoring metrics pertaining to endpoint performance, including CPU and RAM usage, facilitates proactive issue resolution and performance enhancement. This capability enables the early detection of underperforming devices and the prompt resolution of any potential issues to prevent disruptions to productivity.
Security Parameters
Keeping an eye on security elements aids in identifying and addressing potential dangers, such as malware infiltrations, wrong passcode attempts, or outdated software versions. Staying abreast of security incidents with an acceptable use policy (AUP) also enables you to put in place essential measures for protecting your devices and data.
Device and Data Compliance
Monitoring devices remotely guarantees alignment with regulatory standards and internal protocols, enabling the detection of any devices that fall short of compliance. Compliances such as battery and data consumption thresholds or restricted data sharing can be met by setting up automated or scheduled violation alerts. This empowers IT admins to implement corrective measures and uphold a secure and compliant IT ecosystem.
Patch Management
The remote monitoring capabilities of an MDM solution include managing the patch process of devices. It ensures that devices or endpoints remain current with the most recent security patches and software updates, decreasing vulnerabilities and lowering the risk of being exploited by known threats.
Leverage Remote Monitoring with Scalefusion MDM
Just as you would wish to remotely monitor your smart home during a vacation, smart workplaces must empower their IT admins with remote monitoring tools. Remote monitoring and support is one of the most essential elements in an MDM solution like Scalefusion, which organizations require in modern workplace environments. With Scalefusion, IT admins can leverage extensive remote device management features.
Get in touch with our experts to learn all about the remote monitoring capabilities of Scalefusion MDM. Sign up for a free 14-day trial today!
