The Managed Service Provider (MSP) industry has seen significant economic growth and technological evolution, driven by innovations in artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML).

According to the Markets and Markets report, the managed services market cap is expected to elevate from USD 275.5 billion in 2023 to USD 372.6 billion by 2028.

MSPs play a vital role in IT management, extending beyond the horizons of simply monitoring and managing IT services to a much bigger scale of ensuring the security of clients’ IT and telco networks against various cyber threats.

The fulfillment of this crucial role requires comprehensive IT management and monitoring solutions that enable MSPs to balance their responsibilities efficiently.

This is where Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM) solutions become a magic wand for MSPs, allowing them to manage customers’ endpoints and perform network monitoring from a single dashboard.

The rapidly evolving IT landscape and the range of available options make it mandatory to carefully evaluate and select an RMM solution that meets their specific needs and future-proofs their investment.

We created this blog to give you direction and critical points for crafting an effective checklist of the most important factors to consider while choosing RMM software.

13 Things to Look For When Choosing an RMM Software

Choosing the right RMM software involves ensuring the right pricing, deployment model, scalability, control, automation, and grade that matches your specific requirements.

To avoid any issues down the line, it is recommended to create a checklist based on the following factors to consider while choosing RMM software. Let’s discuss them in detail.

1. Core Monitoring and Management

To serve the primary purpose, it’s pretty evident that effective Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM) software is crucial for maintaining the health and performance of diverse cell tower equipment. This includes real-time monitoring of different tower equipment, including:

  • Antennas
  • Base stations
  • Power supplies
  • Cooling systems, etc.

The RMM tool should provide insights into operational health, signal strength, and connectivity for antennas while tracking uptime, data throughput, and error rates for base stations.

It must also monitor the voltage, current, and overall health of power supplies and ensure cooling systems prevent equipment from overheating.

Ensure that the RMM software you choose must evaluate and offer insights for the following checkpoints:

  • It must continuously measure and analyze signal strength and quality, identifying weak coverage spots and potential interference sources.
  • Network performance dashboard that gives insights into latency, jitter, and packet loss to evaluate network quality and ensure good user experiences.
  • Monitoring power supply levels and variations, including backup systems like solar batteries and diesel generators, is vital, especially in remote or suburban locations.

Detailed analytics on these metrics help quickly identify and resolve performance issues. This helps prompt timely actions and preventive measures to avoid service disruptions.

2. Seamless Automation

Seamless automation in RMM software is essential for streamlining iterative, daily tasks and improving operational efficiency and capacity.

This includes automating cheating a task schedule, initiating tickets, and patch management. Automating these processes reduces manual human efforts, which increases the likelihood of missed or wrong inputs caused by human error.

For instance, automated task scheduling allows MSPs to plan and execute maintenance activities without manual oversight. Similarly, automated ticket creation and streamlined response for issue resolution ensure timely and efficient troubleshooting handling.

The solutions you choose must enable automated network discovery to continuously scan and identify new devices, ensuring an up-to-date inventory of all network assets. This is crucial for maintaining network security and efficiency.

On the other hand, the RMM must offer ways to automate patch management and updates to ensure that all devices run the latest software versions, safeguarding against vulnerabilities and enhancing performance.

Choosing your RMM with these attributes and automation capabilities helps you maintain enterprise-grade service standards, reduce downtime, and focus on more strategic workflows. It will not only improve your operational productivity but build rapport with your client.

3. Proactive Issue Detection and Maintenance

Selecting an RMM also requires ensuring proactive issue detection and maintenance capabilities that are checkpoints for effective RMM software.

Choose an RMM that provides real-time alerts for equipment failures, signal degradation, and other critical issues to enable you to respond promptly and prevent minor problems from escalating.

A swift and effective mechanism that issues alert notifications on latent issues ensures that any anomalies in equipment performance or network quality are immediately addressed before they start disrupting the services.

In addition to real-time alerts, data-driven predictive analytics capabilities must be an integral part of the RMM solution you opt for. By forecasting potential failures and identifying patterns that precede equipment issues, MSPs can schedule maintenance activities before problems occur.

This approach not only reduces unexpected downtime but also extends the lifespan of equipment.

4. Environmental Monitoring

You must evaluate the RMM software’s weather monitoring capabilities, as they help you prepare for disaster in regions where extreme weather conditions are more common.

Integration with weather monitoring systems allows MSPs to track environmental conditions such as temperature, humidity, wind speed, and precipitation.

All these weather-related variables can significantly impact tower performance. For instance, severe weather conditions like storms or extreme temperatures can cause physical damage to the equipment or affect its operational efficiency.

By incorporating environmental monitoring, RMM software you to anticipate and mitigate potential issues caused by adverse weather conditions. Real-time data on environmental factors help make informed decisions about preventive measures and maintenance schedules.

This proactive approach ensures the reliability and stability of the network, even under challenging environmental conditions, ultimately leading to better service continuity and reduced downtime.

5. Scaling with Ease

Scalability is another important thing to keep in mind while choosing RMM software, particularly when managing a large number of cell towers spread across a wide geographical region.

The system should be capable of efficiently handling a growing network, ensuring that you can efficiently manage and monitor numerous towers without compromising performance.

This capability allows for seamless integration of new sites and equipment as the network expands, supporting the dynamic nature of modern telecommunications operations.

A scalable RMM platform ensures that adding new towers and equipment is straightforward. It must not take long to assign or retire resources to accommodate network growth without significant reconfiguration or downtime.

It helps you to offer and maintain competitive service level agreements with next-level operational efficiency as they expand their coverage and services.

It can also future-proof your operations, ensuring the provision of reliable and comprehensive management irrespective of network size or complexity.

6. Reliability and Redundancy

Your services’ reliability and commitment to uptime can directly impact your business and reputation. Therefore, reliability and redundancy are fundamental to ensuring continuous monitoring and management of cell towers.

High uptime ensures the RMM system will remain operational with minimal downtime. Offering aggressive service uptimes compared to your competitors also helps you win more business opportunities.

Ensure that the RMM you choose also has a robust failover mechanism. This mechanism enables the system to automatically switch to backup resources in case of a failure, thereby maintaining continuous monitoring and management without interruption.

7. Data Management and Analytics

Comprehensive data management and advanced analytics are essential to a robust RMM solution. The system should enable extensive data collection on various aspects, such as tower performance, environmental conditions, and network traffic. This data provides a holistic view of the network’s operational status and helps identify potential issues before they escalate.

Advanced analytics capabilities are crucial for making sense of the collected data. These tools allow you to identify trends, optimize network performance, and improve maintenance schedules by predicting potential failures and inefficiencies.

The RMM must offer an interactive dashboard with detailed reporting capabilities to further enhance the value of data management by providing insights needed for regulated operations and performance.

These reports also ensure that all operations meet industry standards and provide actionable information for continuous improvement and service delivery.

8. Security and Privacy

Security and privacy are paramount in RMM software, especially when dealing with sensitive data from cell towers. Strong encryption and robust cybersecurity measures are essential to protect data from unauthorized access and cyber threats.

These measures ensure that all data transmitted and stored within the RMM system is secure, maintaining the confidentiality and integrity of sensitive information.

Strict access controls are equally important, limiting who can view and manage tower data. Always choose an RMM with Admin control capabilities.

This helps ensure accountability and control by defining and limiting team access permissions to certain sessions or activities. It’s more than just ensuring authorization.

It basically means authorization with control. This helps prevent data breaches and unauthorized alterations, safeguard the network’s operational integrity, and maintain compliance with industry regulations.

9. Regulatory Compliance

Regulatory compliance is a critical factor for RMM software, ensuring that all operations adhere to industry regulations and standards, such as those set by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

Compliance with these regulations is essential for legal operation and to avoid penalties or sanctions. The RMM system should be designed to meet these standards, incorporating features that support adherence to regulatory requirements.

The comprehensive reporting and documentation that we discussed above also support this requirement by extending capabilities to facilitate easy demonstration of compliance during audits and inspections.

By ensuring regulatory compliance, you can maintain their credibility, avoid lawsuits (due to SLA violations or any mishandling), and focus on delivering high-quality services to their clients.

10. Integration with Existing Network

Integration with existing network management systems, telecommunications equipment, and other IT infrastructure is a crucial aspect of RMM software. Ensuring your RMM’s integration capabilities with the existing infrastructure is crucial; otherwise, you will end up procuring new equipment just to incorporate a new RMM solution.

Therefore, your system should seamlessly integrate with the current setup to provide a unified management experience.

But how is it possible to ensure gigantic cell tower infrastructure with a range of equipment that needs RMM integration? The Application Programming Interface (API) is the savior that provides a bridge between diverse applications by seamlessly coupling them for data transfer and dependencies.

Therefore, API support is essential for integrating the RMM software with other tools and platforms, enhancing its functionality and flexibility. This allows telcos to leverage existing tools and streamline their workflows.

API integration also enables you to use equipment from multiple vendors, avoiding vendor lock-in and providing the flexibility to choose and deploy your desired equipment without worrying about integration.

11. Pricing Plans

When evaluating RMM software, understanding the pricing plans is essential for making an informed decision. Here are three common pricing models and how they work:

  • Subscription-Based Pricing – This model typically involves a recurring fee paid monthly or annually. It often includes access to all features, regular updates, and customer support. Subscription-based pricing provides predictable costs and is scalable, allowing businesses to adjust their plans as needed without significant upfront investment.
  • Per Tower Pricing – In this model, the cost is determined by the number of towers being monitored. This approach allows you to pay only for the towers they manage, offering flexibility and cost-efficiency, particularly for businesses with a variable number of towers. It’s beneficial for scaling operations gradually and can include tiered pricing based on the volume of towers.
  • Per Device Pricing – This pricing structure charges based on the number of devices being monitored and managed. It is ideal for cell sites with a diverse range of devices at each tower site. This model provides clear visibility into costs related to specific devices and can be easier to budget for when the number of devices per tower is known and stable.

It’s crucial to consider and evaluate the cost breakdown to avoid getting into compounding payments without noticing them in the first place. The cost breakdown includes:

  • Initial setup cost
  • Ongoing maintenance cost
  • Hidden costs, such as onboarding or premium support, are also important.

It’s also important to evaluate the total cost of ownership over time to avoid surprises and budget overruns. The goal is to select an RMM solution that aligns with your budget.

Other things to evaluate while opting for subscription-based pricing include Service Level Agreements (SLAs), which should be carefully reviewed to understand the terms of service, including uptime guarantees, support response times, and conditions for scaling up or down. SLAs ensure that the provider will meet specific performance standards, which is critical for maintaining service quality and client satisfaction.

12. Future-Proofing

Future-proofing is a critical consideration when choosing RMM software to ensure that it remains relevant and effective as technology evolves. One key aspect is regular software updates and the vendor’s commitment to innovation.

Frequent updates not only provide new features and improvements but also ensure the system remains secure against emerging threats. A vendor dedicated to continuous innovation will help keep the RMM software aligned with the latest industry standards and technological advancements.

Support for next-gen technologies, such as 5G and the Internet of Things (IoT), is also essential. As these technologies become increasingly prevalent, the RMM solution must be capable of managing and monitoring new types of equipment and networks.

This includes handling the higher data speeds and connectivity demands of 5G and the vast array of connected devices in IoT ecosystems. By supporting these emerging technologies, the RMM software ensures that telcos can seamlessly integrate and manage new innovations without needing any upgrade or change.

13. Deployment Options

Choosing the right deployment option for RMM software is crucial, balancing flexibility and control based on the organization’s needs. There are two options to consider for RMM deployment: one with greater control and the other with greater flexibility.

  • Cloud-Based Deployment – Cloud-based deployment offers easier scaling and flexibility. It allows you to quickly add or remove resources as needed, reducing the need for significant upfront investment in hardware. This model also simplifies maintenance and updates since the vendor manages these aspects. However, it relies strongly on the service provider’s infrastructure and security measures.
  • On-Premises Deployment – On the other hand, on-premises deployment provides greater control over the RMM system. It allows for customized configurations and direct management of data security, which can be crucial for compliance with specific regulatory requirements. The downside is that it requires substantial initial investment in infrastructure and ongoing maintenance by the internal IT team.

Note: Cloud deployment comes with a subscription model, which we discussed above.

You can also opt for the mix of both worlds, that is, a hybrid deployment model that offers a middle ground, combining the scalability of cloud services with the control of on-premises solutions.

This approach allows organizations to leverage the benefits of both deployment models, optimizing their RMM system to meet specific operational and regulatory requirements.

When considering cloud services, it’s essential to evaluate the Service Level Agreement (SLA) and Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) to avoid confusion. The NDA ensures the confidentiality of sensitive information handled by the service provider.

Additionally, the Service Termination Agreement (STA) is also crucial to review, as it defines the terms for ending the service, including data retrieval and potential costs, ensuring a smooth transition without service disruptions or data loss.

Conclusion

Now you know what and how to buy by maintaining a checklist of these crucial factors to consider while choosing RMM software. You can select an RMM solution that is well-suited to an organization’s specific demands with a scalable, secure, and easy-to-use workflow. A comprehensive approach to evaluating the above-mentioned factors will definitely help you choose the right RMM platform.

Have more questions or doubts about choosing your RMM? SalTec is your go-to place for choosing the right tower monitoring software for your needs. For your growing needs in tower management and monitoring fueled by rapidly expanding operations, connect with our team of experts, who will guide you in choosing the best solution for your tailored telco needs.