Features sponsored by Republic of Gamers ROG Zephyrus M16

By Raeford Liebenberg, Manager at Silvermoon, a Galix company

The Work From Home (WFH) reality of today has presented Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs) with new challenges around managing their IT. When everything was on premises and all employees came into the office, it was easy for IT support to fix problems, deploy updates and so on. Now, however, the workforce is distributed, many solutions are deployed via the cloud, and managing and maintaining technology has become more difficult. Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM) delivered by a Managed Services Provider (MSP), is the ideal solution to assist.

Remote management for a remote workforce

RMM makes sense in a remote working environment. It enables IT to install software remotely, check for patches and updates, and leverage monitoring and alerting for potential issues such as low disk space or excessive memory utilisation. This in turn ensures that security features are up to date, that suspicious activity can be flagged, and that certain problems can be proactively addressed. Essentially, RMM gives greater visibility into the health of devices and the network.

More secure, better managed

RMM also extends beyond desktops and laptops to include servers, network access points, switches, routers and more. This means it can add huge value for SMEs while improving security posture and mitigating risk. In addition, patches and updates can be scheduled to run automatically at times that do not disrupt users, with automated reporting on success or failure, and security vulnerabilities can be remediated without delay. This removes the element of human error when it comes to manually installing security patches and software updates, which are often the cause of network vulnerability. In addition, the lifespan of devices is increased along with improved performance and better user satisfaction.

From break-fix to proactive problem solving

The typical SME approach of ‘do nothing until something breaks’ is no longer a viable strategy in a WFH environment, because a company cannot simply deploy IT personnel to fix a problem. Businesses also cannot afford the downtime an IT problem would cause, because the impact to productivity and profitability could be catastrophic. It is essential to move away from this break-fix approach to a more proactive strategy.

RMM from an MSP is much like having a maintenance plan for a vehicle, and ensuring it is serviced before it breaks down. It is also a cost effective approach that can be tailored to an SME’s budget, depending on the service level negotiated between a client and their trusted MSP partner. It is vital to consult with the MSP partner to ensure the right solution is delivered depending on a business’ requirements.

The gateway to improved IT services

In the current environment, RMM from a trusted MSP partner can help SMEs to save money, keep endpoints up to date and secure, and prevent downtime. It is also the gateway for other managed services, such as backup and security, which can be used to further enhance the IT environment. Your trusted MSP can tailor products specifically to the needs of your business and build the foundations for improved technology and better business support.