The Remote Device Management Guide

Introduction

Estimates place the number of connected devices at nearly 16 billion as of 2023 (Statista) — with that number ballooning to 32 billion by 2030.

Though many of those devices will be owned and operated by individuals, billions will be relied upon by organizations and businesses. Keeping those devices up and running is the job of millions of IT professionals, technical support teams, and connected product people.

‍Avoiding downtime and keeping remote devices up-to-date and operational is a job for remote device management. Remote device management (or RDM) is a category to describe software that is used to observe, control, and maintain remote devices — i.e. devices like:

• Mobile devices – smartphones, tablets, iPads iPhones, Android-devices
• Computers – servers, desktops, and laptops
• Connected products – kiosks, digital signs, security and camera systems, point-of-sale systems, Internet-of-Things (IoT) devices, printers, etc.

With so many kinds of remote devices, it should come as no surprise that the RDM space is complicated.

Use this guide to familiarize yourself with the different types, benefits, features, and powers of remote device management platforms, from remote monitoring and management (or unified endpoint management) to remote desktop protocol, mobile device management, and more.

Pay special attention to the variations in RDM based on what kinds of remote devices are being managed. In particular, an IT department will have dramatically different RDM needs as compared to a connected product team given the variations in the underlying products being managed.

While the guide can be read from beginning to finish, use the menu to navigate the document as you see fit. If you have questions, reach out to info@goCanopy.com.

Overview of Remote Device Management (RDM)

Remote Device Management (RDM) is a category of software that’s used to monitor, manage, automate processes, and control remote devices like computers (servers, desktops, and laptops), mobile devices (smartphones and tablets), Internet-of-Things or IoT devices, connected products (kiosks, POS systems, digital signage, security systems), and other remote technology.

Why Is Remote Device Management Important?

The number of connected devices, which includes everything from IoT to consumer and professional devices, was nearly 16 billion in 2023, according to Lionel Sujay Vailshery, senior researcher at Statista. Valishery forecasts the number to reach more than 32 billion by 2030 (Statista).

The colossal growth of internet-connected devices comes with increasing reliance on those devices. At the smallest scale, people depend on remote devices to:

• Do their jobs (laptops, printers, smartphones);
• Shop and complete financial transactions (point-of-sale/POS systems, ATMs/banking, self-service technology)
• Find or submit information (digital signs, kiosks, etc.)
• Provide security (camera systems, access control)
• Communicate, collaborate, submit information (smartphones)
• … Thousands of other tasks or experiences

When remote devices break, the world notices. Though a broken kiosk at the grocery aisle or malfunctioning printer may be an inconvenience, when things break across an ecosystem the consequences can be severe. For example, the global Crowdstrike outage impacted 8.5 million Windows devices, resulting in air travel grinding to a halt while also impacting completely unrelated industries like healthcare, emergency systems, and financial institutions.

Why Should an Organization Use Remote Device Management?

For businesses and other organizations, RDM ensures expensive assets are up-to-date and able to perform important tasks and fulfill their purpose. Companies need remote device management software to keep connected technology operational.

Specifically, RDM helps ensure that connected technology:

• Delivers a predictable, consistent experience for users
• Drives transactions or revenue for a business
• Supports the productive and efficient use of expensive resources
• Avoids expenses, e.g. reducing costly, in-person technical support and truck rolls

The kind of remote devices requiring management will further inform why an organization will choose to adopt RDM software.

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What Kind of Remote Devices Need RDM Software?

Billions of remote devices are consumer products — like smartphones and personal computers or smart products like TVs. Remote device management software could be used on these kinds of devices; however, this kind of RDM software is outside of the scope of this guide. 

RDM software is primarily for the billions of business- and organization-owned products — like company-owned laptops, printers, servers, and more. Remote assets like these are owned by the organization and function as endpoint devices to be used by employees and other stakeholders. 

Therefore, the responsibility for this class of remote devices rests on the organization. For example, a company will want to maintain security over what an employee-owned device can access. A company will also want to make sure its technology is working properly so that employees are able to do work using that technology.

What Remote Device Management Features Should You Expect?

Whether it’s a laptop, smartphone, or PC — or a digital sign, point-of-sale system, kiosk, or other remote device, IT professionals, connected product teams, and technical support teams use RDM tools to do things like:

Monitor Devices

Remote device monitoring is made possible through connecting to the remote device or connected product over the Internet. The depth of connection varies across different kinds of remote devices.

For a remote device like a smartphone, tablet, or computer, connecting requires access to the OS, which is built to manage the underlying hardware. 

For a connected product like a POS system or self-checkout kiosk, connecting is more complex. A point-of-sale system at a quick-serve restaurant can involve everything from kiosks to displays to drive thru technology. A security system may include IP cameras, access control panels, smart locks, sensors, and more. A self-checkout kiosk at a grocery store combines a computer, touchscreen, bill acceptor, credit card reader, scales, a camera, barcode scanner, printer, OS, proprietary software, power source, network controller, and more. 

Whatever the case, remote monitoring offers real-time monitoring of remote devices by sending periodic status updates from each device — sometimes called remote device heartbeats — into a centralized software platform. Status updates can include things like:

• Network status and latency details
• Status of critical software services
• Recent operational data and log file information
• Hardware health metrics (CPU, memory, and disk usage)
• Device configuration details (more on this below)

Whatever updates are monitored should be configurable through the remote device management software. For a more in-depth look at remote monitoring, see What Is Remote Monitoring?

Manage Devices

RDM software helps teams accomplish different remote device management jobs, and those jobs differ based on the kinds of devices managed. For example:

• IT teams use RDM tools to remotely monitor, manage, and support IT infrastructure, including desktops, laptops, servers, and other network-connected devices. Usually accomplished through Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM) software for IT infrastructure (see below), managing devices for IT teams can include:
  • Remote device software and application management: Allowing or preventing unauthorized software, ensuring a standard set of applications, etc.
  • Remote device security management: Managing data encryption and protection, threat detection, and policy enforcement.
  • Onboarding new devices: Managing device settings, configurations, and more when new IT assets are activated.
• Connected product and technical support teams use RDM to manage systems of remote devices. Accomplished through Remote Monitoring and Management software for connected products (see below), managing devices for these teams can include:
  • Managing device settings and configuration: Ensuring remote devices are up to date, running the correct software and firmware
  • Remote access: Launch remote desktop (Windows) or SSH (Linux) sessions to perform critical tasks like file transfers, log exploration, etc.
  • Onboarding new devices: Managing device settings, configurations, and more when new connected products are deployed.

A business or organization’s remote device management needs will dictate functionality.

Automate Device Processes

Advanced RDM can programmatically manage remote devices, e.g. execute if/then programs to onboard and provision devices, troubleshoot problems, update settings, update firmware, patch software, ensure devices are always aligned to their “golden configuration,” and more.

Take this example of managing connected product devices. A team had ~20,000 Windows-based connected products plagued by a memory leak. The memory leak caused the application to freeze, rendering devices useless and causing problems for the product’s end-users. Without automations, the fix was manually restarting the system, a tedious and time-consuming process. Instead, the product team was able to create an automation (using Canopy). Alerts from the customer’s logging server would trigger the automation, which would evaluate the current memory usage and either restart the application or reboot the system. Automating this effort saved thousands of support hours and hundreds of site visits by support technicians.

Automations become possible through remote device monitoring that turns endpoint data into meaningful key performance indicators (KPIs). These KPIs can become inputs for if/then activities by the RDM software. 

Analyze and Report on Device Deployments

By tracking remote device attributes, actions, or other data historically over time, RDM software can help pinpoint potential hardware or software enhancements, making it possible to optimize the fleet of remote devices. Robust reporting can reveal opportunities for automations and other efficiencies.

Integrate Devices With Enterprise Systems

Ideally, RDM software can be integrated with existing software across an organization, making it possible to manage remote device resources as extensions of the businesses.

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‍Key Types of Remote Device Management

While RDM software is changing continuously, there are at least two major categories of remote device management software based upon the kinds of products the software is used to manage: 

1. Mobile Device Management (MDM): Used to manage mobile devices like smartphones and tablets — iPhones and iPads, Android-based phones and other Android devices, etc.
   
   
2. Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM): Also known as Unified Endpoint Management, this category can describe RDM for desktops and laptops (Windows-, Mac-, or Linux-based) as well as traditional IT or IoT devices. But RMM can also include millions of connected products.
   
   Since PCs differ dramatically from IoT devices and connected products, we’ll further subcategorize RMM into Remote Monitoring and Management for IT Infrastructure and Remote Monitoring and Management for connected products.

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1. Mobile Device Management (MDM) for Mobile Devices and/or Tablets

These platforms are designed specifically to manage mobile devices through features like policy management, over-the-air software updates, and fleet management. Importantly, MDM is enabled by the platform OS and also limited to the features provided by that Platform OS. For example, this can result in excellent functionality on what is provided by the Platform OS but complete lockout to functionality not provided by the Platform OS.

Common Operating Systems

iOS, Android, or Chrome OS running on iPhones and iPads; Android-based smartphones and tablets (Pixel, Samsung, etc.); and Chromebooks, respectively.

Remote Device Management Needs

MDM is great for policy management (e.g., controlling app downloads, data usage limits, etc.), deploying software application updates, managing large fleets of mobile devices inside a single platform, and monitoring the deployment health status for items like software app performance or battery levels.

Typical Users of Mobile Device Management

The IT department is typically responsible for managing company-owned devices as well as any BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) scenarios.

Additionally, IT teams are responsible for managing tablet-based solutions in sectors like retail, restaurants, or hospitality.

Popular Tools for Mobile Device Management

Commonly used MDMs include tools like:

• 42Gears
• Hexnode
• Esper
• Soti
• Scalefusion
• Microsoft Intune
• NinjaOne
• VMware Workspace ONE 

2. Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM) 

Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM) software is used to assist with software updates, security vulnerability monitoring, device lifecycle management, and more.

Broadly, there are two subcategories of remote monitoring and management software:

2.1 Remote monitoring and management for IT Infrastructure

2.2 Remote monitoring and management for connected products

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2.1 Remote Monitoring and Management for IT Infrastructure

If you need to manage typical IT infrastructure like laptops or desktop computers, the RDM you need is remote monitoring and management for IT infrastructure (alternatively described as Unified Endpoint Management or “UEM”):

Common Operating Systems

A recent study showed that ~77% of corporate devices are Windows PCs, but there is a small and growing portion of the market that uses MacOS (Apple) products. Most RMMs for IT Infrastructure function on both Windows and MacOS operating systems.

RMM for IT Infrastructure Needs

RMM for IT infrastructure will mostly be focused on Windows patch management, antivirus software updates, addressing security vulnerabilities, and managing bulk actions across a fleet of devices. It also includes initiating remote access for troubleshooting issues directly with the system owner/user.

Typical Users of RMM for IT Infrastructure

The primary users of RMM tools for PCs are IT Managed Service Providers (MSPs) which are businesses that provide outsourced IT services to small to medium-sized companies. The other group of RMM users for PCs are internal IT teams of medium to large-sized businesses that are large enough to have an IT staff.

Popular Tools for RMM for IT Infrastructure

Commonly used RMM for IT Infrastructure software includes:

• Kaseya
• ConnectWise
• N-Able
• NinjaOne

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2.2 Remote Monitoring and Management for Connected Products

Whereas traditional MDM and RMM for IT infrastructure is typically specialized for particular kinds of devices, remote monitoring and management software for connected products can adapt and configure complicated products that mix and match a diverse range of components.

Thus, RMM for connected products can monitor and manage combinations of mobile hardware and software (Android, iOS), computer hardware and software (Linux, Windows, Mac, Intel Compute Stick, Raspberry Pi, Beaglebone, Electrum 100, etc.), all kinds of peripherals, the most diverse set of network conditions and power sources, and so on and so forth.

Common Operating Systems

Because connected products include a wide range of hardware, there are several potential operating systems. The most common are Windows, Linux (numerous distributions), iOS, Android, and Chrome OS.

RMM for Connected Product Needs

Connected products need centralized status observability to see downtime issues in real-time, the ability to take automated resolution steps to minimize manual intervention in restoring a device, and performance reporting and analytics to measure uptime.

Typical Users of RMM for Connected Products

Key users of RMM for connected products are often in Product / Engineering, Technical Support, or Account Management functions at companies using smart hardware for their operations.

Best Tools for Remote Monitoring and Management for Connected Products

It depends! Unlike established categories like mobile device management and remote monitoring and management for desktop and laptop devices, RMM for connected products is different.

RDM for connected products necessarily supports specific product configurations that, at first blush, seem unique to the product at hand. For example, if you consider connected products like self-checkout kiosks and other self-service technologies, security systems, smart lockers, camera systems, point-of-sale systems, or even sports simulators, it may not sound like they have much in common. However, a closer look reveals these products share many common core components. They draw from similar hardware and operating systems, combine common peripherals like bill acceptors, credit card readers, printers, IP cameras, touchscreens, barcode scanners, power sources, and network controllers.

There are currently three kinds of approaches to achieve RDM for connected products:

i. DIY RMM for Connected Products

Faced with the choice to “build vs. buy,” many connected product and technical support teams decide to develop their remote device management solution in-house. This often takes the form of stitching together a mix of proprietary software and off-the-shelf tools.

Many organizations choose to build their own RMM in-house because early on, when the number of deployed products is low, manual processes and onboarding are manageable even with a small team. Problems typically arise as the fleet grows in size, increasing complexity, configuration drift, and requiring more frequent technical support.

ii. Niche RMM for Connected Products

For certain niche types of connected products, there are niche RDM solutions — e.g. SecuriThings (focused on security devices); SignageOS (focused on digital signage); ESQ (focused on ATMs).

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iii. Adaptable RMM for Connected Products

The last approach is to “buy” an RMM designed to work for connected products. For example, Canopy is a configurable remote monitoring and management platform for connected products. Canopy is designed for multi-component hardware solutions, mixed OS fleets, and complex hardware types, like connected products. Canopy was designed to adapt to whatever configuration used by the connected product deployment. Offering the ability to connect to any aspect or endpoint so that the connected product can be monitored, managed, analyzed, and even automated.

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“Buying” an RMM designed for connected products is a way to benefit from years of experience and lessons learned, resulting in fewer connected product problems and even an accelerated product roadmap.

For more regarding choosing the right RDM solution, see Navigating the RMM Software Landscape: Features, Costs, and Selection Criteria.

Remote Desktop

Because it’s often a feature in both MDM and RMM platforms, remote access or remote desktop tools allow support teams to remotely access a device as if they were in front of it, aiding in remote troubleshooting and support.

Common Use Cases and Problems

Remote desktop tools make it possible for IT teams, employees, and support teams to access corporate resources, files, settings, and more from any location. Using remote desktop access, technical support teams can troubleshoot device issues like frozen applications, software crashing, device setting issues, and more, and do so from a remote location.

Benefits of Remote Desktop

Remote desktop administration tools enable live sessions with devices for real-time troubleshooting, monitoring, and maintenance. These tools allow managers to control access rights, set user permissions, and support secure remote access across a range of devices. By providing high-performance software access from anywhere, remote desktop tools help resolve issues quickly, reduce costs, and minimize the need for IT tickets or on-site support.

Limitations of Remote Desktop

Remote desktop software is ideal for managing devices one-at-a-time. However, remote desktop software will be difficult to use for large networks — or making changes across multiple devices simultaneously.

For managing fleets of devices needing identical updates or continuous troubleshooting, remote device management software such — e.g. RMM for PCs & laptops, RMM for connected products, or MDM — is more effective, offering a single interface to control and execute bulk updates and troubleshoot multiple devices at once.

Popular Remote Desktop Tools

So, which tools should you use? There are several popular options available on the market.

• Windows Remote Desktop
• Splashtop Remote Desktop Software – allows remote access device management solutions and support
• TeamViewer Remote Desktop Software – offers tools for both online cooperation and remote administration
• LogMeIn Central (LMICentral) – a cloud-hosted remote endpoint management software
• Kaseya Remote Control – an RMM provider
• ConnectWise Control – an RMM provider

→ Learn more about RMM for IT infrastructure vs. RMM for connected products.
→ For a more in-depth comparison of remote desktop software and remote monitoring and management software, see RMM or Remote Desktop? Picking the Right Remote Management Tool.

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Benefits of Remote Device Management

Remote device management software increases visibility into and control over remote technology whether laptops, desktops, servers, and other IT infrastructure — or self-service technology, kiosks, security cameras, POS systems, digital signs, and other types of connected products. Benefits of RDM software include:

Improved Efficiency Through Centralized Monitoring and Management

Remote device management software provides a centralized dashboard — “a single screen” — for real-time monitoring and management of all remote devices. Thus, whether for monitoring a single endpoint (i.e., a computer) by an IT department — or monitoring a connected product like a self-service kiosk by a technical support team — RDM software helps avoid having to use disparate systems to monitor the availability and health status of the remote device or product.

Using a centralized RDM platform, technical support teams can quickly identify and resolve issues. For example, they can quickly see if particular remote devices like POS systems are having power issues or running out-of-date settings or software. RDM software can measure and report back on key performance indicators (KPIs) such as CPU, memory, HDD, app status, OS version, network strength, and many other common pieces of data that together give a holistic reading on product performance. Additionally, product specific KPIs allow users to monitor the unique aspects of their solution, while taking business logic into account.

Avoiding the use of multiple monitoring portals saves time and frustration. With the increased visibility provided by a single RDM platform, teams in technical support, IT, and connected product management can significantly reduce downtime across their remote device fleet.

Lower Costs With Automations

Remote device management software is designed not just for monitoring but also to intervene when issues are observed.

For example, a product team had nearly 20,000 Windows-based connected products that were plagued by a memory leak. The memory leak caused an application to freeze, rendering the remote devices useless and causing significant problems for the product’s end-users. Customer support was stuck reacting to angry calls, and expensive technicians were having to lay hands on the devices (i.e. “rolling a truck”).

To solve this problem, the product team built an automation using their remote device management platform — in this case, Canopy, a remote monitoring and management platform for connected products. The automation restarted the application or rebooted the system, triggered by alerts from the customer’s logging server. Results were immediate: 1,000 support hours per month saved; support tickets reduced by 50%; and ~150 site visits from support technicians avoided. These site visits cost an average of $250/each, meaning proactive issue detection and automatic resolution saved this connected products company nearly $40K.

Save Time by Automating Repetitive Tasks

In general, deploying and maintaining remote devices necessarily involves repetitive tasks. Having to onboard, update, and perform other routine maintenance tasks across thousands of computers, IoT devices, printers, kiosks, digital signage, and so on is expensive.

Remote device management software offers the possibility of automating many of these tasks so that IT administrators, connected product teams, and technical support can manage their time and resources efficiently while also ensuring the performance of monotonous tasks is done consistently at scale.

Whether it’s RMM for connected products, RMM for IT Infrastructure — or another type of RDM software — once proactive capabilities are available, potential issues can be identified early enough to trigger alert notifications and resolve the issue before a device goes down or a user calls in to report a problem, reducing remote device downtime, saving time and money, and preserving brand reputation.

Scalability

A central premise of RDM software is that it enables IT administrators, technical support, and connected product teams to manage remote devices efficiently as deployments grow by thousands, if not tens of thousands, of devices. Being able to monitor and manage computers, IoT devices, and connected products centrally, automating manual processes, and proactively resolving issues allows for the possibility of increasing fleet sizes without 1:1 increases in employee headcount.

For example, access control system provider ButterflyMX was able to increase their product deployment by 50% with only a 15% increase in team headcount. For more, see Canopy case study Access Control Provider ButterflyMX Streamlines Support and Optimizes Performance.

Integration With Existing Enterprise Systems

Finally, RDM software offers the potential of integration with existing business processes and systems. By being able to connect and collect data from every remote device, RDM platforms can make that data available through integrations with other software, making remote device and connected product data actionable. 

For example, data from Canopy can be used to inform ticketing or dispatch systems, customer relationship management (CRM) platforms, and AI Operations and tooling. With the right remote device management software, remote technology becomes a manageable extension of the organization.

For more on benefits of remote device management as it pertains to connected products, see:

• What are the Top Five Benefits of RMM Software for Product or Engineering Teams?
• Remote Monitoring and Management's (RMM) Impact on Field Services

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Implementing Remote Device Management

Best Practices for RDM Implementation

Once a remote device management approach is determined, your team will want a structured implementation process. Organization size and capabilities will need to be considered when planning to implement your remote device management solution. From selecting the software to realizing its value, the implementation process can take anywhere from three to six months or — though in some cases (as with Canopy), implementation can be achieved in as little as four weeks.

Consider the following steps in starting your RDM implementation plan, knowing that implementation will pivot around what kind of RDM platform is being deployed, whether remote desktop, MDM, RMM for IT Infrastructure, or RMM for Connected Product.

Step 1: Define Clear Implementation Success Criteria (2–3 weeks)

Start by identifying how to measure success for your RMM implementation.

For example, when implementing RMM for a connected product fleet, measures of success could include uptime improvements, the number of automated self-healing actions, and overall fleet performance. Setting the right benchmarks, aligned with cross-functional team goals, is critical to measuring progress and ensuring successful implementation.

Step 2: Determine Your Deployment Strategy (1–5 days)

Decide how the RMM tool will be deployed, whether remotely or through field dispatches. This decision will affect your timeline, especially if field dispatches are needed. Early discussions with key stakeholders are crucial to align on the deployment strategy and address potential delays.

Step 3: Evaluate Existing Tools/Scripts (1–2 weeks)

Review and align existing tools and scripts with the new RMM platform. This step involves migrating and optimizing scripts to avoid redundancy, reducing costs and complexity.

Step 4: Gap Analysis in Monitoring Data (1–3 weeks)

Conduct a gap analysis to identify areas where additional monitoring data is needed. This may require custom software development to expose critical hardware or software statuses for RMM integration, ensuring comprehensive device monitoring.

Step 5: Lab and Pilot Testing (2–4 weeks)

Test the RMM tool in a controlled environment or on pilot devices. This phase involves iterative testing, adjustments to configurations, and collaboration with the RMM vendor to ensure proper setup and data flow. It’s a key stage for refining the deployment strategy and ensuring that the system functions as expected.

Step 6: Data Analysis and KPI Development (2–3 weeks)

During pilot testing, focus on developing KPIs that accurately measure device health and availability. This phase helps solidify the metrics that will be used to evaluate the success of the RMM implementation.

Step 7: Train Your Support Team (4–8 weeks, in parallel)

Training is critical, especially in large organizations with multiple support levels and departments. A "train the trainer" model is often effective, ensuring that key users become proficient with the tool and can guide others.

Step 8: Smart Alerting and Automated Resolution (4–8 weeks, in parallel)

Implement smart alerts and automation to address issues identified through RMM monitoring. Start with basic alerts and gradually expand automation as the system evolves. This ongoing process is crucial for maximizing the benefits of RMM tools.

Step 9: Monitoring Analytics and Reporting (1–2 days, recurring)

As the RMM tool is used, reporting on device performance and uptime becomes essential. Custom reports and dashboards may be needed to reflect specific business needs. Regular monitoring and refinement of these analytics help maintain alignment with business goals.

In summary, implementing RMM software is a multi-step process that requires careful planning, collaboration, and ongoing refinement. By following these steps, organizations can effectively deploy RMM tools and realize significant improvements in device uptime, issue resolution, and overall operational efficiency.

For more details on this process specific to RMM for connected products, read RMM Implementation: A Step-by-Step Guide

Case Studies and Success Stories

Remote device management software is already being used extensively, whether for mobile devices, IT infrastructure, computers, or kiosks, access control systems, or other connected products.

What are some real-world examples and results?

Remote Monitoring and Management for Connected Products

Reducing Support Costs for POS System Management at Revel Systems

Revel Systems needed remote device management to oversee 50,000 POS systems across 20,000 restaurants. They adopted Canopy’s remote monitoring and management software for connected products to manage their complex point-of-sale infrastructure.

Canopy's platform enabled Revel to make thousands of remote software patches on iPads and payment terminals, doubling the speed of software upgrades. Canopy also improved Revel’s ability to resolve customer support issues, often automatically. Managing their remote devices with Canopy significantly enhanced operational efficiency and customer satisfaction. Read more.

Scaling Access Control System Management for ButterflyMX

ButterflyMX, a leading provider of access control solutions for over 10,000 properties, turned to remote device management, again using Canopy, to manage their complex, multi-component access control systems.

By automating tasks like software restarts and system reboots, Canopy significantly reduced the support team’s workload, saving 1,000 hours per month. This efficiency allowed ButterflyMX to scale their deployment by 50% with only a 15% increase in headcount, while also enhancing product performance through data-driven insights, ultimately improving the customer experience. Read more.

Lowering Healthcare Operations Costs With Remote Management

IPA, a global linen distribution solution provider with over 9,000 automated kiosks in healthcare facilities, adopted Canopy’s RMM for connected products. Managing their fleet of connected products significantly reduced the need for costly onsite tech support while increasing visibility into the status of their entire kiosk fleet.

Using Canopy to automate remote device management made proactive issue resolution and remote software updates possible, drastically improving operational efficiency, reducing downtime, and enhancing customer satisfaction across more than 1,000 healthcare facilities. Read more. Read more.

Find more case studies on RMM for connected products.

Mobile Device Management

Reduce Support Costs for Nokia Mobile Devices for RollCall

RollCall, a safety-focused student transportation solution, used SOTI to manage and support their NFC-enabled Nokia Android devices across over 1,000 buses for 200 schools. Using mobile device management to configure and monitor devices while also training drivers reduced RollCall's travel and support costs by $55,000 annually. Mobile device management streamlined operations, improved user adoption, and ensured continuous visibility and security for students, parents, and school staff, even during challenging circumstances like the pandemic. (Soti.net)

Remote Monitoring and Management for IT Infrastructure

Streamline IT Management of Macs and PCs for Hope Church

Las Vegas-based Hope Church turned to Kaseya's RMM product for IT infrastructure to manage the non-profit organization’s IT infrastructure, specifically their PCs. With a sole IT manager, Robert Rozanski of Hope Church was able to save time and enhance productivity across the church's Mac and PC environments. Rozanski successfully optimized IT operations while adhering to his organization’s budget constraints, ultimately recommending the platform for its comprehensive capabilities and smooth onboarding experience. (Kaseya.com)

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Challenges and Solutions in Remote Device Management

Common Challenges

Remote devices face many common challenges — e.g. inconsistent power, misconfigured settings, outdated software or firmware, and network instability all result in remote devices malfunctioning or becoming unavailable.

The specific challenges will, of course, depend on the kind of device being managed. Mobile device challenges will not be the same as those for computers, kiosks, servers, etc. 

For example, connected products face an array of problems. For example, based on research from Canopy of 200K customer support tickets, the top causes of downtime for connected products like kiosks, POS systems, digital signage, include:

• 25% Network or Power Issue
• 18% ‍Configuration Issue
• 12% Software Application Issue
• 11% OS Issue

The remaining one-third of downtime causes for connected products include 7% bill reader/dispenser problem; 6% touchscreen problem; 5% printer problem; 4% part replacement; 3% camera problem, 2% PC issue; 2% credit card (CC) reader; 1% sound/speaker; 1% false positive; 1% keyboard; and <1% false installation.

RDM software must have enough visibility to see when problems are occurring and do this before end users or customers encounter the problems. Relying on end users (or customers) to report or solve complicated device problems can be expensive and frustrating, harming trust, delaying work, costing revenue, or requiring expensive technical support.

Effective Solutions

Once a problem is identified, resolution is possible. For example, many remote device misconfigurations are easily resolved using RDM software. RDM can monitor the current state of the remote device — e.g. a self-checkout kiosk or POS system — and then compare that state to a desired configuration. When there is a mismatch, a patch can be deployed remotely. In the report Overcoming Downtime, we found there is an 80-90% chance of success for resolving misconfiguration issues remotely by using this approach.

By comparison, power problems are innately harder to fix. If a remote device is unplugged, to cite an extreme situation, someone will have to plug the device back in. However, there are some cases where even power problems can be resolved remotely.

Manuals could be written about how to use remote device management software to resolve problems with remote devices. The solution will depend both on the capabilities of the RDM software as well as the extent that the software can connect and control the remote device.

Additionally, remote resolution will depend on the sophistication of the technical support teams responsible for the remote device fleet. Organizations with IT departments, Network Operation Centers (NOCs), and technical support teams can all leverage RDM software for real-time remote monitoring of device performance and status.

Whether in IT departments, NOCs, or smaller technical support teams, training around RDM capabilities will ensure remote device management is used to its greatest potential. 

Additionally, organizations should consider regularly reviewing, or even auditing, their remote device fleets to ensure assets are properly accounted for, maintained, and used properly.

Future Trends in Remote Device Management

Emerging Technologies

The capabilities of remote device management technology continue to grow alongside the growing number of remote devices. As more remote devices are deployed and as those devices carry with them new capabilities, RDM software innovations will be required.

One exciting area for RDM is with artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning. RDM software providers are already working to incorporate AI capabilities into their products. One significant opportunity with AI and RDM will emerge from the data collected from remote devices.

For example, connected product RMM software can share data regarding monitored devices that can be analyzed using AI, potentially revealing heretofore hidden opportunities.

Much will change for RDM platforms as advancements are made in technology.

The Future of Work

“The future of work” continues to be a focal point for organizations globally. Though remote device management has been important for IT departments for years, the 2020 pandemic rapidly made it possible for knowledge workers to work from any location, whether at home, the office, a coffee shop, or on vacation.

As variations in remote work setups continue, remote device management capabilities will become more important, and IT leaders must be thoughtful about how to best manage risk while eliminating unnecessary friction for employees.

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Conclusion

In this guide, you’ve learned about Remote Device Management software, which is an umbrella category that includes everything from Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM, sometimes referred to as “Unified endpoint management”/UEM) to Remote Desktop and Mobile Device Management (MDM). 

We covered the different types of remote devices, from IT infrastructure like computers, PCs and laptops; to mobile devices, like smartphones and tablets; to IoT devices as well as the growing body of connected products, which includes everything from digital signage to POS systems to kiosks and even sports simulators.

As remote devices, endpoints, and edge computing become more pervasive in the world, the need to manage these fleets of devices grows ever more important. These devices must maintain uptime or else fail end users — or customers — resulting in lost revenue, costly maintenance and repairs, broken customer experiences, and worse.

If you’d like to learn more about Canopy remote device management, reach out to us. If you’d like to learn more about our software, learn about Canopy’s remote device monitoring, management, and automation capabilities.