"Remote Device Management" (or "RDM") is a software category used to software tools or platforms used to connect and control computers and IT infrastructure, mobile devices, and other Internet-enabled, connected products.

Estimates suggest there are some 16 billion connected devices as of 2023 (Statista). That number is expected to double by 2030. Remote device management has become a critical business function. Remote device management is used by IT departments at global enterprise companies responsible for hybrid or remote workforce PCs. Remote device management is used to manage "Bring your own device" (or BYOD) mobile and tablet devices connected to corporate infrastructure. And remote device management is also used to manage and even automate fleets of "connected products" — like kiosks, point-of-sale systems, security and access control, camera systems, digital signage, and ever more new innovations.

As the number of remote devices under management grows, so does the complexity. Possible points of failure, security vulnerabilities, patch management and firmware updates, software standards, and countless other variables all add to the complexity, add new challenges for IT departments, technical support teams, end users, customers, and other stakeholders.

Technical support teams and IT departments use remote device management to observe, control, and automate endpoint technology. Here’s how it works:

What Are Remote Device Management Solutions?

RDM is easy to understand at a high level, but on closer inspection, the nuances can get confusing fast.

Use this blog post to gain an overview of remote device management, including:

• The 3 primary types of smart devices that require RDM
• The 3 primary categories of RDM software
• How to decide what type of remote device management is suitable for different scenarios
• The challenges and considerations in selecting a remote device management tool

Finally, open and bookmark 🔖 The Remote Device Management Guide for a comprehensive overview of everything from RDM types to benefits, implementation, and more.

Understanding Remote Device Management (RDM)

Remote device management is the ability to maintain and support internet-connected devices without being physically near the device.

RDM is crucial for businesses that require a scalable solution to maintain and support company-owned devices. "Remote devices" can either be used directly by employees — e.g. laptops or desktop computers — or be left unattended to serve customers — e.g. printers, kiosks, signage, IoT, access control, and other connected products or "smart" devices.

In terms of remote device management, there are three primary device archetypes requiring management:

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1. Mobile Devices: This category of devices not only includes the smartphones we all have in our pockets but also smart tablets or touchpads used in various applications, like check-in kiosks or point-of-sale systems. From a technical standpoint, these tablets are designed very similarly to mobile devices and therefore have the same device management needs.
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2. PCs and/or Laptops: The second most common smart device type needing remote management is the traditional laptop or personal computer (PC). These are most often company-owned computers, but organizations will sometimes need light remote management if employees are using personal devices for work.
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3. Connected Products: Connected products are unattended technology like self-checkout kiosks, security systems, smart lockers, and point-of-sale systems — to name just a few. These are distinct from consumer products (like smart appliances, smartwatches, or other mass-produced products). Also sometimes referred to as "IoT Devices," this kind of connected product is the fastest-growing segment of smart devices, and the most diverse in terms of applications.
   
   Typically, a connected product will have some kind of core server or “brain” (often a server, PC, or mobile device) that is connected to the internet and peripheral components (like sensors, touchscreens, credit card readers, etc.) that communicate back to the server and allow the device to function. Entire systems of connected products can be created through integrations.
   
   For example, a quick-service restaurant could integrate self-service kiosks, front-of-house digital signage, back-of-house kitchen displays, drive-through technology, and even drink machines, among a growing number of devices used within a modern QSR restaurant. (See, for example, Domino's Pulse POS — or Chick-fil-A's approach to edge computing.)

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3 Categories of Remote Device Management Tools

Now that we've identified the types of devices businesses must manage remotely, let's explore the software tools they most commonly use for asset management.

Broadly, there are three primary types of Remote Device Management software tools:

1. Mobile Device Management (MDM): These platforms are designed specifically to manage mobile devices (Android or Apple iOS) through features like policy management, over-the-air software updates, and fleet management.
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2. Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM): Similar to MDM but usually focused on MIcrosoft Windows- or Linux-based devices, these tools are used by IT admins and technical support teams to manage a remote device ecosystem. RMM can be used to assist with software updates, security vulnerability monitoring, device lifecycle management, onboarding and provisioning, automating workflows, and more. Two categories within RMM include: RMM for IT Infrastructure (i.e. computers, servers, etc.) and RMM for connected products (i.e. kiosks, digital signage, POS systems, security systems, etc.)
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3. Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP): 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 Remote Desktop Tools include Splashtop, LogMeIn, and TeamViewer.
   
   (Learn more about the differences between remote desktops and other types of remote device management tools.)

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What Type of Remote Device Management Tool Is Right for You?

Choosing the right RDM tool depends on the type of devices and endpoints you need to manage and what level of remote control you require.

Let’s start with the scope of support your team is looking to offer. If your goal is simply to provide remote support (i.e., troubleshooting), a Remote Desktop Protocol tool might suffice. However, for comprehensive device management, such as policy management, sending software updates, taking bulk actions across the entire fleet, and performance monitoring, you will likely need an RMM or MDM platform to support such activities.

Second, the type of device is a key factor. If you are managing a uniform (meaning all devices are the same type and operating system) deployment of mobile devices or PCs, then the answer for you is likely an MDM or RMM platform, respectively. Uniform deployments of mobile devices or workstation PCs are the most straightforward examples of Remote Device Management. For connected products, the decision is more complex and will depend on the components and use case of your solution.

Assuming you are looking for something beyond basic remote access for troubleshooting, let’s dive into which Remote Device Management tool might make sense for your business.

Here's an overview of the remote device management software landscape — we'll dive into each category below.
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Mobile Device Management (MDM) for Mobile Devices and/or Tablets

• Common Operating Systems: Apple iOS, Android devices, or Chrome OS.
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• Remote Management Needs: MDM is great for policy management (e.g., controlling app downloads, data usage limits, etc.), deploying software 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. MDM will also be used for security features, such as enforcing security policies and supporting other compliance requirements.
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• Typical Users: IT administrators managing corporate-owned devices or BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) scenarios as well as IT teams managing tablet-based solutions in sectors like retail, restaurants, or hospitality.
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• Popular Tools: Commonly used MDMs include tools like Hexnode, Esper, Soti, and Scalefusion.

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Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM) for IT Infrastructure

RMM has been used for years by IT administrators for endpoint management of computers, servers, and other traditional IT infrastructure.

• Common Operating Systems: A recent study showed that ~77% of corporate devices are Microsoft Windows PCs, but there is a small and growing portion of the market that uses MacOS (Apple) products. Most RMMs today function on both Microsoft Windows and Apple MacOS operating systems.
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• Remote Management Needs: RMM for IT Infrastructure will mostly be focused on onboarding and provisioning, Microsoft Windows patch management, antivirus software updates, addressing security vulnerabilities, and managing bulk actions across a fleet of devices (like laptops). It also includes initiating remote access for troubleshooting issues directly with the laptop owner/user. IT admins will also use these management systems to protect against malware and enforce other security protocols.
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• Typical Users: The primary users of RMM tools for PCs are IT Managed Service Providers (MSPs), which are businesses that provide outsourced IT management 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.
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• Popular Tools: Popular management platforms for RMM for IT Infrastructure include Kaseya, ConnectWise, N-Able, and NinjaOne, which are well-suited for IT MSPs or internal IT teams trying to support corporate computers. RMM solutions can be cloud-based or on-premises.
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👋 Want more information on RMM? Bookmark The Beginner's Guide to Remote Monitoring & Management.
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Remote Monitoring and Management for Connected Products

There is a growing number of "connected products" — remote device technologies such as kiosks, self-service technologies, point-of-sale systems, smart lockers, security and camera systems and more (See The Guide to Connected Products for an overview). Connected products, while diverse, often are comprised of common components and face similar remote management needs. However, managing these kinds of connected products is anything but clearcut, as seen below.

Let's start with an overview:

• 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.
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• Remote Management 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.
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• Typical Users: 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: It depends! See below.

Unlike established categories like mobile device management and remote monitoring and management for IT infrastructure, RMM for connected products is different.

Remote monitoring and management 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 — or security systems, smart lockers, camera systems, point-of-sale systems, or even sports simulators — it may not sound like they have much in common. Only when you "zoom out" do you see they often share componentry and face similar challenges, albeit in unique settings and under particular requirements.

Regardless and as a result of these nuances and differences, there are three approaches to tackling remote monitoring and management for connected products:

1. Built in-house RMM — Here, connected product and technical support teams build their solution, in-house, often stitching together a mix of proprietary software and off-the-shelve approaches. This approach often means manual updates and reactive support.
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2. RMM software for niche 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).
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3. RMM that adapts to any connected product — the last approach is the one used by Canopy — a configurable RMM platform 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. Using RMM technical support teams can be both reactive and proactive. They can streamline configuration management and optimize the entire device fleet.

Similar to RMM for IT Infrastructure, RMM for connected products can be cloud-based software solutions or on-premises.
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👋 Want more information on RMM? Bookmark The Beginner's Guide to Remote Monitoring & Management.

Challenges and Considerations for Remote Device Management Tools

When considering which RDM tool is right for your business, you’ll also need to consider the integration work required, the pricing or your chosen management solution, and the training your technical support team will need to properly maximize the utility of the platform.

Remote device management tools are complex, and the initial configuration and setup can take several weeks for an organization to get fully integrated into the platform, and sometimes longer if you have custom hardware and software solutions (e.g., IoT Devices).

Another key consideration when evaluating any kind of remote device management software (MDM, RMM, or RDP) is the security and privacy implications of monitoring software. Any kind of remote monitoring platform has very high levels of permissions on a device and network, and therefore evaluating each vendor's security setup is crucial to ensure compliance and the safety of your organization's data.

Remote Control Your Fleet From a Central Place

Remote device management is a broad term that can vary in implementation based on the type of device and remote management needs of an organization. As we’ve discussed, different RDM tools are suited for different devices and scenarios, with the most traditional applications being MDM for mobile devices and RMM for workstation PCs. However, more complex use cases as with connected products and other unattended technology can call for special RDM tools that are more appropriately suited for a company’s specific needs.

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Originally published on November 17, 2023. Last updated November 2024.