Free vs. Paid Remote IT Management Software: Which is Right for Your Business?
In this era of digitization, most businesses operate hybrid working models and have their working areas scattered across the globe. In such a scenario, it could be a difficult task to efficiently manage all the devices across the ecosystem and to ensure that they stay updated and secure. However, this task can be effectively handled using a remote IT management software solution.
These software systems enable organizations to manage, control, and secure all the devices from a centralized dashboard. This article explores what remote IT management software is and three of the popular solutions.
Part 1: What is Remote IT Management Software?
Remote IT Management software systems equip the IT teams with the required functionalities to control, manage, secure, and update the connected devices across the organization. They stand as an effective solution to ensure scalable and efficient IT operations across the network.
1How does the Remote IT Management Software Work?
These systems are a combination of:
- RMM (Remote Monitoring and Management) agents that run on end systems to establish the connections
- Network protocols to ensure communication
- Additional tools to perform the required functionalities and updates across the connected devices.
All these tools are combined to manage and control the client nodes from a centralized dashboard.
2Main Features
The following are some of the significant features that a remote IT management solution should possess to function effectively:
- RMM agent installation across the end nodes.
- Setup of repetitive workflows using automation and scripting capabilities.
- Monitoring and alerts to detect any abnormalities across the system.
- Monitoring and alerts to detect any abnormalities across the system.
- Patch management capabilities.
- Ability to remotely access and control the devices.
- Centralized dashboard to access and manage the devices from one point.
- Managed antivirus to add a security layer across the system.
3Benefits of Using Remote IT Management Software
Using remote IT management software comes with the following benefits:
- Ability to remotely manage and control all the connected devices from a single point.
- Execute repetitive workflows across the devices without manual work.
- Deploy and update software across all the end nodes with ease.
- Detect unpatched endpoints and update them accordingly.
- Scale the business without having difficulty managing an increased number of devices.
Part 2: 3 Top Remote IT Management Software Solutions
This section covers the details of three popular remote IT management solutions along with their distinctive features, pricing, G2 score, and more.
1TeamViewer
Specification | Description |
|---|---|
| Key Features | ● Allows easy remote access to the desktop devices to help resolve the user issues. ● Comes with web monitoring and web conferencing capabilities. |
| Advantages | ● Video conferencing feature. ● Offers surveys and feedback capabilities. ● Comes with the troubleshooting functionalities. |
| Use Case(s) | Suitable for companies wanting to control the manned desktop devices and having budget restrictions. |
| Pricing | The TeamViewer Premium plan that supports 15 licensed users, and 300 unattended devices, and comes with the support of mobile devices costs US$ 73.80/month when billed annually. |
| G2 Score | 4.4/5.0 based on 3252 reviews. |
2AnyDesk
Specification | Description |
|---|---|
| Key Features | ● Allows connection with the device and resolution of issues remotely, without requiring the participation of the device’s user. ● Comes with the screen sharing capabilities. |
| Advantages | ● Self-service portal. ● Support ticket management. ● Offers unattended access. |
| Use Case(s) | Suitable for medium-sized enterprises having budget restrictions and wanting to control the manned devices. |
| Pricing | The Standard pricing plan that supports 20 licensed users and up to 500 managed devices costs US$ 21.90/month when billed annually. |
| G2 Score | 4.5/5.0 based on 1009 reviews. |
3AirDroid Business
Specification | Description |
|---|---|
| Key Features | ● Offers remote access and control capabilities for unattended Android devices. ● Comes with the capability of kiosk mode. |
| Advantages | ● Activity dashboard. ● Patented black screen mode feature. ● Compliance management. ● Diagnostic tools. ● Real-time updates. |
| Use Case(s) | Suitable for large enterprises requiring the remote control and management of unattended Android devices on a large scale. |
| Pricing | The Basic pricing plan of the AirDroid business costs US$ 12/device/year. The tool also offers a 14-day free trial. |
| G2 Score | 4.8/5.0 based on 182 reviews. |
3Key Features of Remote IT Management Software
The following are some of the significant features of remote IT management software:
Key Features
- Remote Monitoring and Control – With remote IT management software, it is easier to control and provide support across a wide range of devices, without having the on-site availability of IT support. It makes the monitoring and control flexible and maintains the visibility of the connected devices.
- Software Deployment and Updates – Using remote IT management software, the IT personnel can easily deploy and update the software across all the devices of an organization in a matter of few clicks.
- Security Management – With the ability of patch management, remote IT management software can detect the unpatched endpoints and update them accordingly. This adds a layer of security to the system, reducing the chances of faulty configurations.
- Centralized Management Console – These solutions allow the IT personnel to access, manage, control, and secure all the connected endpoints from a centralized dashboard. It removes all the manual and repeated work tasks from the process.
4Free vs. Paid Remote IT Management Software
This section compares the features offered by free and paid remote IT management solutions.
Free IT Remote Management Software
Free IT remote management software can provide you with the basic functionalities of remotely controlling and managing devices. In addition to that, it stands as a great choice for smaller companies because they have budget restrictions, and the number of managed devices stands less.
However, these solutions don’t offer extensive functionalities and are not suitable for mid to large-sized enterprises because of an increased number of devices and security reasons.
Paid IT Remote Management Software
Paid IT remote management solutions provide all the extensive functionalities required to manage and control the connected devices. Additionally, they provide consistent security and IT support for your queries.
These can stand as an unsuitable choice for small businesses that have budget restrictions and cannot invest in expensive solutions.
Comparison Table of Free and Paid IT Remote Management Software
The following table depicts the comparative analysis of features offered by free and paid remote IT management software solutions:
| Features | Free IT Remote Management Software | Paid IT Remote Management Software |
|---|---|---|
| Basic remote access and control | ✅ | ✅ |
| Extensive Functionalities | ✅ | |
| Frequent updates | ✅ | |
| Maintenance | ✅ | |
| User Support | ✅ | |
| Compliance | ✅ | |
| Budget-friendly | ✅ |
AirDroid Business - Android Device Management
AirDroid Business is an Android device management solution that can be used to enroll, manage, and monitor large fleet devices. With the centralized platform, organizations are able to deploy smartphones, tablets, rugged devices and others dedicated devices like kiosks and digital signage.
It's available for Cloud Deployment & On-Premises Deployment.
Key features include: remote access & control, Google Play apps & enterprise's apps management, policy, single & multi-apps kiosk mode, alerts & automated workflows, geofencing & location tracking, file transfer, notification, user management, reports, etc.
Bringing it all together, remote IT management software solutions are a great way to manage a large number of devices across an ecosystem. These solutions bring the elements of security, scalability, and efficiency into the architecture. Therefore, an organization must opt for remote IT management software to ease and align the IT support tasks across all the connected devices.
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