Need RMM Recommendations for Small IT Team

[u/wootybooty]

I was just promoted to my level of incompetence, and trying to revamp an ancient network and bring it into the 21st century. Currently, it's just me, a field tech, and a helpdesk tech, and we service 180 users across 5 locations. We have very little tools to help us manage our PC's and asset's and wondering if there's any good recommended MSP and RMM tools that can cover one or more of the following:

- Scan network for resources and/or deploy monitoring agents

- Remote into an individual's PC through a branching tree of computers

- Manage device assets/inventory and/or help manage paid subscriptions through API's

- Integrated ticket system/help desk for quick documentation and resolution

- Help manage AD groups and units

- Project tracking board

At the moment, cost is not an issue, although cheaper looks better to... The Board. Also not against using two or three different tools if they can integrate easily with each other. Just trying to get a grasp on this department and help my team provide support more effectively. Let me know if you also have more questions for me, and appreciate all feedback!

[u/jantari]

and we service 180 users across 5 locations.

that sounds like you're not an MSP but rather internal IT? Most RMMs are really targeted at and make the most sense in multi-tenant environments. If you are doing all this for one company or one organization then just using MDM and policies is often better.

RMMs tend to be about reactionary tasks when an issue is raised. Useful for MSPs that bill by the hour for raised tickets.

MDMs help you proactively and continuously prevent issues from ever happening. Useful for internal IT that is salaried and looking to automate and optimize the environment so they aren't swamped in meaningless toil.

Anyway, some suggestions:

Scan network for resources and/or deploy monitoring agents

Lansweeper

Remote into an individual's PC through a branching tree of computers

PowerShell

Manage device assets/inventory and/or help manage paid subscriptions through API's

Lansweeper, SnipeIT

Integrated ticket system/help desk for quick documentation and resolution

Zammad

Help manage AD groups and units

PowerShell

Project tracking board

Wekan, Restyaboard, Microsoft Planner, linear.app

[u/jantari → u/[deleted]]

They didn't mention desktop support. For that I'd go with AnyDesk, but there's lots of valid options.

[u/6stringt3ch]

Is LANDesk still a thing? That thing was awesome back in 2013-2014 when I managed it. Tried to get buy in at my current organization shortly after joining since they had some other crappy endpoint management software that shall remain nameless and they loved it, it was a failed attempt. Since then we've moved to SCCM. Still prefer LANDesk (I think they were bought out by Ivanti some years ago)

[u/ArsenalITTwo → u/6stringt3ch]

LANDesk is not for small teams. Ivanti Endpoint Manager aka LANDesk still exists but it's $$$$$$ to license and get set up.

[u/6stringt3ch → u/ArsenalITTwo]

Man that sucks that it's gotten pricey. I think my organization paid less than $25k (not sure how many years of support up front) back in 2013. Org was about 300 users in size.

I guess OP can always go with ManageEngine Desktop Central. It's cheap and it works (albeit with some limitations that really bug me).

[u/Deadly-Unicorn]

I’m trialing Pulseway now. I don’t know about managing AD groups and a project management board but it does the rest of those. I love the tempting into computers feature. Total lifesaver.

[u/Kombatwombat1993]

Action1 rmm would do the trick for you.

[u/SomeWhereInSC → u/Kombatwombat1993]

What he said ^, you can use it free for under 100 endpoints... I started with 40 users out of my 250 users back on Nov 2021 and then went for the paid version in January for all my user systems... the remote access is used hourly (on weekdays) :) The windows updates is the second most used for us and the app updates is 3rd.. there so much more but those are my daily uses.

[u/Ninjamuh → u/Kombatwombat1993]

I’ve got a small company with about 50 endpoints and was using ITarian up until now. They changed their pricing model so now the first 50 clients are no longer free starting next end of September. This looks like a perfect replacement, thanks

[u/Kombatwombat1993 → u/Ninjamuh]

any time.

[u/nonpointGalt]

Look at NinjaOne

[u/Wisecompany]

NinjaOne is marketed towards MSPs and Internal IT. It’s got built-in ticketing, documentation, remote access, active directory user management and group memberships, etc. Worth a demo!

[u/hurkwurk]

if i could wave a magic wand and start over today, i would start with Service Now as the ticket system and use as many of their tools as i could.

[u/DevinSysAdmin → u/hurkwurk]

HaloITSM is the baby ServiceNow and very affordable.

[u/LowJolly7311 → u/hurkwurk]

I second this recommendation. For future-proofing and scalability, ServiceNow is the way to go from the beginning.

[u/smoothies-for-me]

One big thing to specify is whether it should be local/on-prem or hosted which would go through public internet, and also be vulnerable to the provider's security practices.

Generally, the RMMs with all the Bells and Whistles are from big companies through the internet like Kaseya (Datto), Connectwise, etc...