As we explore the nuances of RDCMan, we will also introduce how Kaseya’s VSA (remote monitoring and management) enhances these capabilities, providing a more integrated and scalable solution for IT management.

What is remote desktop connection manager?

Remote Desktop Connection Manager (RDCMan) is a software designed to help system administrators efficiently manage multiple remote desktop connections. It is ideal for use in large environments like server farms and centralized data centers, where quick and easy access to numerous remote systems is crucial.

Core functions of RDCMan

RDCMan is a vital tool for system administrators, enhancing access, security and efficiency in managing networked remote desktops. Its scalability and robust management features make it an indispensable resource for effective IT infrastructure administration. Core functions include:

• Centralized access: RDCMan consolidates multiple remote desktops into one interface, enabling quick transitions between different sessions without the need for repeated logins.
• Streamlined management: The tool organizes connections into manageable groups, simplifying navigation and operation across extensive networks.
• Efficient connection management: Administrators can quickly manage and switch between sessions, saving valuable time and reducing the potential for errors.
• Enhanced productivity: RDCMan allows for the pre-configuration of login details, which speeds up the process of connecting to various systems.
• Scalability: Suitable for both small and large-scale operations, RDCMan supports network growth without performance losses.
• Security features: It offers encrypted credential storage and session logging, important for maintaining security and compliance in corporate settings.

How does RDCMan work?

RDCMan works by allowing users to organize their remote desktop connections into a single interface. This organization is achieved through:

• Grouping and organization: Users can create groups for better management and categorization of remote connections.
• Tabbed interface: Each remote desktop is accessible via a tab within the application, making navigation between sessions seamless.
• Credential management: RDCMan stores login credentials, allowing automatic authentication to remote desktops.
• Thumbnail previews: Users can view live thumbnails of connected desktops, making it easier to monitor and switch between tasks.
• Customizable settings: Configuration options such as display properties and connection settings can be customized for each remote desktop.

By consolidating remote desktop management into a single, easy-to-navigate interface, RDCMan not only saves time but also reduces the complexity associated with managing multiple remote connections. Its comprehensive set of features — from grouping and credential management to customizable settings — makes it an essential tool for system administrators looking to enhance efficiency and security in a remote desktop environment. Whether managing a small team or a large-scale operation, RDCMan provides the necessary tools to maintain an effective and secure IT infrastructure.

What are the key features of RDCMan?

RDCMan is equipped with several pivotal features designed to optimize the management of remote desktop environments. These features not only streamline operations but also enhance security and scalability within IT infrastructures. Here’s a closer look at what makes RDCMan a preferred tool for system administrators managing multiple remote connections.

• Time efficiency: RDCMan significantly reduces the time spent managing multiple connections by consolidating them within a single window. This centralized approach allows for quick navigation and control, saving valuable administrative time.
• Improved organization: With RDCMan, remote connections can be organized into distinct groups. This structure improves clarity and manageability, making it easier for administrators to oversee numerous connections without confusion.
• Enhanced security: RDCMan secures login credentials in a centralized repository, which minimizes the risk of unauthorized access. This secure storage is essential for maintaining the integrity and safety of remote desktop access.
• Scalability: As organizations grow, so does the need to efficiently manage an increasing number of remote connections. RDCMan scales effortlessly to accommodate growth, ensuring that expanding networks are managed without loss of performance.
• Intuitive interface: The user-friendly, tabbed interface of RDCMan simplifies the management process. This intuitive design allows system administrators to efficiently switch between multiple remote desktops with ease, enhancing user experience and operational flow.

The robust features of RDCMan make it an invaluable asset for any IT department, particularly those requiring high levels of organization and security in managing remote desktops. By integrating time-saving functionality, enhanced security measures, scalable options, and an intuitive interface, RDCMan not only meets but exceeds the demands of modern remote desktop management. For IT administrators seeking a powerful tool to streamline their remote desktop operations, RDCMan presents a comprehensive solution that drives efficiency and maintains security across multiple platforms.

The role of Kaseya VSA (RMM) as a Solution

While RDCMan offers basic functionalities for managing remote desktops, Kaseya VSA integrates these features into a more comprehensive IT management solution. Kaseya VSA extends the capabilities of traditional RDCMan by providing:

• Advanced remote monitoring: Proactively monitors and manages IT infrastructure efficiently.
• Enhanced security features: Offers robust security measures including automated patch management and real-time antivirus protection.
• Automated IT management tasks: Streamlines complex IT processes through automation, significantly reducing the workload and minimizing human errors.

By automating routine tasks and bolstering security protocols, Kaseya VSA ensures that IT environments are not only easier to manage but also more robust against potential threats. For organizations looking to optimize their IT operations, Kaseya VSA offers a powerful solution that extends beyond traditional remote desktop management, making it an essential tool in the modern IT toolkit.

Why should businesses consider Kaseya VSA (RMM)?

As businesses continue to navigate the complexities of modern IT demands, the importance of a reliable tool like Kaseya VSA becomes undeniable. It provides not just operational efficiency but a strategic advantage in managing and securing IT resources effectively. Kaseya VSA goes beyond mere remote desktop management by integrating advanced monitoring tools, automated management tasks and enhanced security features that together foster a secure, efficient and highly responsive IT environment. These capabilities make it an essential asset for any IT department, especially those facing the challenges of rapidly evolving and increasingly complex network infrastructures.

To discover the full potential of Kaseya VSA and how it can transform your IT management strategy, we invite you to download our whitepaper on fast and reliable remote desktop management. Take the first step towards redefining your IT operations by starting a free trial of Kaseya VSA today and experience firsthand the transformative impact it can have on your business.

The post What is Remote Desktop Connection Manager (RDCMan)? appeared first on Kaseya.

Whether you are an MSP providing a host of IT services to clients or a small and midsize business (SMB) with big ambitions, having a smart and reliable help desk plays a significant role in ensuring business continuity. It’s a service that your clients and users turn to when flustered by something as simple as a forgotten password or as critical as server issues before an important project delivery.

Through quality technical support and speedy resolution to problems, help desks play a pivotal role in helping businesses maintain uptime, provide seamless service delivery and win the trust of their clients and users. Whether you are looking to start a help desk from scratch or improve an existing one, our blog offers great pointers while also serving as a refresher. Give it a go, you’ll be wiser for it.

What is a help desk?

An IT help desk is a platform or tool that enables businesses to organize customer communication and respond to IT-related queries quickly and effectively. The IT help desk tool helps your IT team track and resolve IT issues generated from different channels from a single console. The tool saves time and promotes faster and more effective resolution of issues, thus enhancing the overall user experience and driving business growth.

What is the difference between a help desk and a service desk?

Although often used interchangeably, help desk and service desk are different from one another. Let’s take a look at what differentiates the two.

Help desk

A help desk provides technical support to end users, troubleshoots customer and user issues, and/or guides them through specific tasks and actions. Help desks can be incorporated with larger service desks or exist as a separate operation. The definitive goal of a help desk is to provide resolutions for user requests as efficiently as possible. Help desks are designed to be reactive in nature and are often considered a subset of the service desk.

Service desk

An IT service desk encompasses a broader set of functions as compared to a help desk. It is essentially a single point of contact between the service provider and the end users. As opposed to a help desk that is focused on problem resolution, a service desk is designed to take care of the overall business needs.

In addition to managing service requests and resolving incidents, a typical service desk also facilitates user communication. It focuses on improving the efficiency and performance of IT technicians, meeting service level agreements (SLAs) and shaping the way IT professionals deliver their services to both internal employees and customers.

What is the function of a help desk?

Most organizations deploy help desk management software to create, manage, process and resolve tickets. Here’s how a typical help desk management software resolves customer queries:

1. A user registers an issue by raising a ticket in the help desk management software.
2. The help desk team is then notified of the ticket via email, push notifications or SMS.
3. Next, based on the rules set by the team, the ticket is either automatically assigned to a technician or manually picked by one based on the skill set and availability.
4. Next is the ticket processing stage, where the technician assigned to the ticket will try to fix the issue. The technician may:
   • Interact with the user by posting replies and updates to the ticket
   • Attach files to the query for more information
   • Escalate the ticket to another team
5. Once the issue is fixed, the technician notifies the end user of the same and marks the ticket as resolved or closed.
6. Depending on the type of the ticket, the issue and its resolution may be posted to the knowledge base to help other technicians troubleshoot the same issues in the future.

Why is a help desk important?

An efficient IT help desk is a quintessential part of any successful organization. The fundamental aim of an IT help desk is to provide swift and effective resolutions for user queries. It is a critical business resource that helps in reducing downtime associated with customer support services, increasing efficiency and enhancing customer satisfaction.

The help desk software prioritizes issues based on category, nature, level of criticality and more, enabling the technicians to multitask. Ticket management, which is the core function of a help desk platform, helps sort customer interactions based on demographics, date and urgency. By automating ticket management, you can easily speed up the process of case resolution.

Having a full-service help desk is critical for businesses to be more holistic in terms of services offered. While a service desk is more strategic in nature, a help desk is more tactical. As such, you need to get the tactical aspect right to build a strong foundation for your business.

What are the benefits of a help desk?

Now that you understand that a help desk is a vital part of any business, let’s discuss some of its benefits:

• Streamlined operations: A help desk solution acts as a one-stop shop to manage all your customer queries, complaints, needs, requests and support. It is essentially a single point of communication between you and your end users and helps resolve any IT issues swiftly and effectively.
• Increased customer satisfaction: Customer experience is at the crux of any business operation. To that end, an IT help desk facilitates a seamless experience for your customers when they interact with your business by providing them a uniform business response and predictable business response times as committed in the SLA. In addition to this, most help desk management solutions today provide similar experiences across various platforms, including smartphones, tablets, desktops and the like.
• Knowledge repository: A library or knowledge base that stores comprehensive information on IT issues and ways to troubleshoot them is an invaluable resource for businesses. An IT help desk management software helps curate this knowledge repository, helping IT teams resolve similar issues quickly in the future. Additionally, your end users can directly troubleshoot their common IT issues with help from the knowledge base. This will lead to lower ticket volumes in the long run.
• Improved ROI: Although deploying a help desk solution involves additional investment, these costs are offset by the high return on investment through higher team efficiency, greater productivity, enhanced product quality and greater customer satisfaction. An IT help desk also helps get real-time feedback on service and product issues, thus eliminating the costs associated with conducting post-release surveys.
• Strong reputation and brand image: As mentioned earlier, an IT help desk provides a seamless customer experience that leads to greater customer satisfaction. Happy customers are loyal to your business and more inclined to recommend your brand to others. As such, deploying an IT help desk can be very helpful in establishing a strong brand image and building a good reputation in the market.

What are some goals and objectives for a successful help desk?

Now that you understand how beneficial a help desk can be for your business, let’s discuss some common KPIs that you must track in order to evaluate how effective your customer support efforts are.

• Average resolution time: The average resolution time is an effective measure of how long it takes to resolve a user query. Evaluating the average resolution time helps you analyze whether you are providing your customers with the level of service promised and identify any potential opportunities to ensure faster and more effective service delivery.
• First response time: The first response time is the average amount of time a technician takes to provide an initial first response to a support ticket or query raised by a customer. It is important to minimize your first response time as much as you can to ensure customer delight.
• First contact resolution rate (FCRR): The FCRR is the percentage of help desk queries that are resolved during the first interaction with the customer. As such, the greater the FCRR, the better the customer experience. As such, it is imperative to continually track and improve your FCRR in order to enhance customer satisfaction and build a stronger brand image.
• Cost per ticket: Another important help desk metric, cost per ticket is a measure of the average costs involved in resolving a request. Tracking this metric will allow you to evaluate the efficiency of your help desk technicians and the resources you most commonly use to fix issues.
• SLA compliance rate: The SLA compliance rate is the percentage of IT incidents that are resolved within the agreed-upon SLA parameters. This metric is an effective measure of how compliant you are with your SLAs and when you must make an effort in order to improve it.
• Customer satisfaction: One of the most important help desk KPIs you must track, customer satisfaction can be measured by providing your customers with a way to rate your services and provide feedback on their overall help desk experience. Tracking this metric will help you ensure that you are delivering help desk services to the best of your capabilities.

What are help desk best practices?

Implementing an effective and efficient help desk is a major challenge that most growing businesses face today. Here’s a list of best practices that you must keep in mind to ensure your team makes the most of your help desk to minimize business disruptions, drive efficiency and enhance customer experience.

• Deploy a robust help desk solution: One of the major prerequisites of building a strong help desk is deploying the right help desk management solution that works for you. The right help desk solution will not only enable you to seamlessly handle large ticket volumes but also help control your overall IT costs.
• Automate common processes: A robust help desk software will allow you to automate common, low-value help desk workflows and processes and free up time for your technicians so they can focus on more critical issues at hand. For instance, by automating ticket distribution, you can ensure that any incoming tickets are automatically routed to the relevant technicians. This leads to faster ticket resolution and greater customer satisfaction.
• Establish your SLAs: Setting your SLAs is imperative to establishing standards for your help desk team and helping your technicians prioritize their work. These SLAs help set timeline expectations for customers and ensure that your support team is consistent with the support offered.
• Measure help desk KPIs and metrics: As mentioned earlier, measuring your help desk metrics and KPIs helps you analyze whether you are providing the best possible help desk support to your users or not. It also helps in identifying key areas for improvement to ensure the most effective and efficient help desk support for your users and enhance overall customer experience.

Help desk services with Kaseya

We understand that building a help desk is easier said than done, especially when skilled technicians are hard to find. Moreover, the constant influx of mundane tickets is an energy drainer, one of the main causes of technician churn.

In today’s environment, outsourcing your IT support services is a smart approach. Outsourcing your daily IT tickets to Kaseya Help Desk Services is a surefire way to provide quality IT services to your end users, accelerate growth and increase profits. Whether trouble comes in the form of economic headwinds, IT staff churn or increasing workload, we will ease the burden on your team by tackling all your L1 and L2 tickets. Our white-labeled service provides 24/7 ticket management, and our industry-leading service level objectives (SLOs) will guarantee satisfaction for all your clients and users.

We deliver a best-in-class user experience at a price that will knock your socks off. We look forward to working with you on your growth journey. Learn more about our services and join the waitlist today.

The post What Is a Help Desk? Understanding Its Function, Benefits, Goals and Best Practices appeared first on Kaseya.

You could have easily circumvented this situation with access to virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI). As the name goes, VDI makes it easy for employees to access applications and data from any device, anywhere. Moreover, the infrastructure is hosted on a centralized server, ensuring better security and easy management of user permissions.

Our must-read blog explores the working of this transformative technology and how it’s helping users achieve high productivity even in remote and hybrid work environments.

What are virtual desktops?

VDI is a desktop virtualization technology that helps companies build and manage robust virtual desktop environments for their employees or clients.

A virtual desktop is a mirror image of your physical desktop setup, including the operating system, applications and all your important files. You can access it on any device, from anywhere, as long as you have access to a reliable internet connection. Each virtual desktop environment needs to be paired with a virtual machine (VM) that is hosted on a centralized server located on-premises or in the cloud. VMs, in turn, are created and managed by virtualization software called hypervisors, also hosted on the centralized server.

Companies can build several VMs and virtual desktop environments on a single server that users can access through a browser, thin clients, laptop and even their smartphones while in the office, at home or on the move.

What sets VDI apart from other desktop virtualization methods? Unlike session-based or application virtualization, where multiple users share a single virtual instance, VDI empowers each user with a personal and highly customizable virtual environment. Its USP is a one-to-one relationship between users and VMs, which is missing in other desktop virtualization technologies.

A surge in demand for employee efficiency and enhanced data security is expected to drive growth in the VDI industry, which is projected to reach 19.8 billion in 2031. In today’s remote and hybrid work landscape, VDI helps businesses provide employees more flexibility to access resources anytime and anywhere. In turn, companies can enjoy centralized management for enhanced security and infrastructure control while reaping the cost-effective benefits of bypassing hefty hardware investments.

History of virtual desktops

The concept of virtualization originated in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Then in the early 2000s, under a new wave of virtualization, users started looking to virtualize everything from servers to storage and network capabilities.

As people started exploring the idea of applying virtualization to desktop environments, some VMware customers began hosting virtualized desktop processes with VMware servers. Enter VDI. Seeing this development and its potential, VMware launched a VDI product and ended up coining the term. Soon, other industry giants like Citrix and Microsoft followed suit, joining the VDI movement.

Fast forward to today, VDI has become a game changer in the world of computing. It has opened doors to unparalleled flexibility, scalability and efficiency, empowering organizations to embrace the cloud and revolutionize their desktop environments.

What are the benefits of using virtual desktops?

Virtual desktops offer benefits to both employees and employers. This technology makes accessing company resources easy for employees and managing IT a breeze for employers. Here are the core advantages of using VDI:

Provides centralized management: The core concept of VDI is to store all desktop instances on a single server, which makes it easy for IT teams to deploy, patch and maintain software, monitor data and enforce security policies. They don’t have to waste precious hours overseeing each endpoint individually, which is a drain on resources, but instead benefit from a streamlined and efficient IT management process.

Top-notch security: Since all the virtual desktop data and processes are stored on a central server, IT teams can easily control access to applications and sensitive data based on user permission. Moreover, IT technicians don’t have to juggle between managing security for various endpoints or chasing scattered data, making the implementation of robust security measures effortless.

Better flexibility and work-life balance: VDI allows employees to work from any location, effortlessly tapping into company resources, as long as they have an internet connection. Let’s say an employee has spent hours working on a critical application on their office system and, due to an emergency, has to work from home for an extended period of time. By accessing the VDI on their home computer, the employee can access the desktop environment as it was left and resume work seamlessly. Transferring files or lugging heavy storage devices is no longer necessary. This approach grants better flexibility and fosters a better work-life balance.

Consistent desktop environment boosts productivity: Users can not only access their virtual desktop environments from any device, but they can also take comfort in knowing that their personalized desktop settings remain consistent. It’s all too common for users to work on a specific software version on one system only to encounter compatibility issues when logging into another system with an older version lacking essential updates. VDI effectively resolves this problem by ensuring users have access to the same operating system, applications and tools with identical configurations across devices, which otherwise can take hours to sort through.

Scalability: VDI is a game changer for small and midsize businesses (SMBs) and MSPs that experience rapid fluctuations in their desktop environment requirements. With just a few simple steps, a virtual desktop environment can be effortlessly created on a VDI-enabled server and swiftly made available to a new employee. Whether it’s accommodating a growing team or streamlining operations during quieter periods, VDI provides an agile solution that keeps pace with the ever-changing demands of a business on its growth trajectory.

Lower costs: The cost of investing in and maintaining hardware desktops is high, especially considering the lack of flexibility they provide to remote workers. By implementing VDI, businesses can not only reduce upfront hardware expenses but also reduce depreciation and maintenance costs. The beauty of VDI lies in its ability to streamline operations by minimizing the number of physical devices required, leading to significant reductions in server usage and energy consumption. These cost savings show up in the top and bottom lines resulting in a healthier financial outlook for the business.

How are virtual desktops managed today?

In simple terms, a virtual desktop environment relies on three key elements for smooth operation. Firstly, it requires storage to store virtual desktop images and data. Secondly, it needs computing power to enable users to run the desktop environment, complete with operating systems and applications. Lastly, a reliable network is essential to ensure uninterrupted access for users and prevent downtime.

Traditionally, businesses would invest in separate servers, storage and networking equipment, which often required complex integration efforts, especially when sourced from different vendors. Also, managing multiple vendors, license agreements and billing makes the process tedious and drains resources.

This is where hyperconverged infrastructures (HCIs) come into play. HCI combines storage, processing power and networking into a single unit, eliminating the need for individual components. The components within HCI are designed to seamlessly and efficiently work together, resulting in a more streamlined and faster infrastructure. This makes HCI the ideal environment for hosting a VDI, reducing complexity and simplifying the configuration and monitoring of virtual desktops. Moreover, HCI is highly scalable, allowing for easy expansion by adding more nodes as the VDI infrastructure grows.

In a nutshell, HCI is an efficient solution for managing VDI environments, allowing businesses to reap its benefits without breaking the bank.

How VSA manages virtual desktop infrastructure

We can’t stress enough that Kaseya VSA 10 is the one and only unified remote monitoring and management (RMM) solution that lets you manage your whole universe of devices in a way where each device is treated as first class, including your VMs.

VSA connects directly to the hypervisor and offers a single, consolidated view of your entire virtual infrastructure across multiple platforms. You can create a new Connector for each Hyper-V and VMware hypervisor you wish to manage and view and manage all your virtual devices on a convenient topography map.

VMWare and Microsoft Hyper-V are two leading server virtualization vendors. Hyper-V is a type-1 native hypervisor provided by Microsoft. It allows you to run multiple operating systems (OSs) and VMs on a single physical server. Similarly, VMware is a virtualization technology that allows you to run multiple OSs and VMs on the same physical machines.

Concluding thoughts

When it comes to managing virtual systems, VSA 10 offers unmatched speed and efficiency. Ahead of its time, it’s designed to help you easily discover, map and monitor virtual environments while providing increased security and scalability. Once you experience its capabilities, you will never consider returning to your old RMM. To experience the transformative and revolutionary power of VSA 10, schedule a demo today

The post VDI: Your Gateway to Anytime, Anywhere Virtual Desktops appeared first on Kaseya.

This blog explains how remote access works, the different ways to carry it out, the benefits, importance and more.

What is remote access?

In its most basic form, remote access is the ability to connect to a computer or network in one location from another place. This can be done in several ways, including via the internet, through a virtual private network (VPN) or by using specialized software, such as a remote monitoring and management (RMM) tool that allows one computer to control another.

IT technicians or employees no longer need to be present on-site to provide or receive IT support. A technician can remotely connect and support a device using remote access tools and technologies. In our post-pandemic world, where hybrid work is taking center stage, remote access makes it easy for employees to work from home or anywhere in the world. You can be out of town and still be able to manage your business without a hitch.

What is an example of remote access?

An example of remote access is when you use a computer, smartphone or tablet to connect to another computer or network from a different location.

There are several everyday scenarios in which remote access comes into play. For example, if you need to access files on your work computer from home, you will use remote access to do so. Similarly, if technicians need to troubleshoot an issue on an employee’s computer, who is working remotely, they would also use remote access.

In both these cases and many others, remote access provides a convenient way to get the information, software or help to do your job without being physically present in the office.

What is the difference between remote access and remote control?

Remote access allows you to access files and applications on another person’s computer without taking control of it. This is useful for people who need to work remotely, such as remote workers or people who travel frequently.

Remote control, on the other hand, allows you to take control of another person’s computer from your own computer. This is often used by IT support professionals to troubleshoot problems on someone else’s computer.

How does remote access work?

As already stated, remote access is the ability to access a computer or network remotely. There are many different ways to do this, but they all involve using some kind of protocols, tools, software and connections.

The most common way to get remote access is by using a virtual private network (VPN). VPNs are commonly used in businesses so that employees can access company resources from their homes or while on the road.

Another common way to provide remote access is via remote desktop protocol (RDP), a proprietary protocol developed by Microsoft that works with Mac operating systems as well. IT professionals use RDP to share data between connected computers or troubleshoot problems on other computers. Furthermore, RDP encrypts the data before transmitting it, making it a secure way to share information over public networks.

You can also use SSH (Secure Shell) to securely connect to another computer and transfer files back and forth.

Many tools and services also enable users to access files remotely on other computers. These include solutions like Dropbox, Google Drive and Microsoft OneDrive.

What are the different types of remote access methods?

There are broadly three types of remote access methods: direct, indirect and VPN.

Direct remote access is the most common and simplest type of remote access. It involves using a computer or other device to connect directly to another computer or device over the internet.

Indirect remote access usually requires some intermediary server, such as a web-based email service, to relay messages between two computers or devices.

VPNs create a secure, private connection between two computers or devices over the internet.

The following are some common methods of remote access:

• Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP): PPP is a TCP/IP protocol used to connect two computer systems over a telephone network or the internet. It is a data link layer communication protocol that connects two routers directly without using a host or any other networking protocol. It can authenticate loop connections, encrypt transmissions and compress data.
• Point-to-Point Protocol over Ethernet (PPPoE): PPPoE is a combination of PPP and the Ethernet link-layer protocol that connects users to a network of hosts via a bridge or access concentrator. It encapsulates and transports IP packets over an Ethernet link using PPP.
• Serial Line Internet Protocol (SLIP): SLIP is a simple protocol that communicates over serial ports and routers using TCP/IP, enabling communication between machines that were previously configured to communicate directly with one another.
• Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol (PPTP): PPTP is a networking protocol used to connect to VPNs. People who want to connect to a network in a different location than they are in use this protocol.
• Layer Two Tunneling Protocol (L2TP): Also known as virtual lines, L2TP connections enable corporate networks to manage IP addresses assigned to remote users. As a result, remote users can access corporate networks at a low cost. L2TP has two tunnel modes. The voluntary tunnel terminates at the remote client, whereas the mandatory tunnel terminates at the internet service provider (ISP).
• Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP): RDP is used to access a desktop computer remotely. Remote desktop users can operate their work system remotely (e.g., to edit or create files) and run applications just like they would if they were in front of their computer.
• Remote Access Services (RAS): RAS acts as a gateway or a server to let users connect to a company’s internal local area network (LAN) remotely.
• Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service (RADIUS): RADIUS provides centralized authentication, authorization and accounting AAA management services for remote access users in a distributed dial-up network.
• Terminal Access Controller Access Control System (TACACS): TACACS is an authentication protocol that allows remote communication with UNIX server.
• Internet Protocol Security (IPsec): IPsec creates encrypted connections between devices and ensures the security of data transmitted over public networks.

What is the most common form of remote access?

A VPN is the most common way to securely connect to a private network over the internet. VPN allows you to access resources on the private network as if you were physically connected to it. Businesses commonly use VPNs to allow employees to access corporate resources remotely. Individuals also use them to securely connect to public Wi-Fi networks and protect their privacy while online.

Using an endpoint management tool, you can create scripts to set up VPNs that provide secure access to your office environment for remote workers. Not only that, but it also makes VPN access easy for end users. Once VPN clients are installed on all of your remote endpoints, you can monitor those clients in your endpoint management tool to ensure they are up and running. If the client goes down, you can also auto-remediate the issue by restarting the VPN client via policy-guided scripts.

Why is remote access important?

In an increasingly mobile and connected world, remote access is more important than ever. It allows employees to work from anywhere, at any time, using any device. It also provides a way for businesses to connect with customers and partners in real time, regardless of location.

There are many benefits of remote access, but the following are the most noteworthy:

• Increased productivity: Employees can work from anywhere, anytime, using any device. This flexibility can lead to higher productivity since employees can better manage their time and work around personal commitments.
• Improved collaboration: Remote access allows team members to collaborate in real time, regardless of location. It helps enhance communication and teamwork.
• Lower costs: Businesses can reduce office space and equipment costs when employees can work remotely. Additionally, businesses can reduce travel costs by conducting meetings and conferences online. In addition, remote access supports bring your own device (BYOD) practice, so employers don’t need to invest heavily in buying computers for new employees.
• Enhanced security: When properly implemented, remote access improves security since it allows for better early detection and remediation of potential cybersecurity breaches. Additionally, data can be stored remotely off-site, reducing disaster-related data loss risks.

What are some benefits of remote access?

With remote access, you can keep your business running smoothly no matter the economic environment. It also keeps you up and running when a natural disaster like a hurricane or a pandemic strikes and threatens business continuity.

Most MSPs understand how hard it is to keep up with their clients’ ever-changing requirements. With seamless remote access, MSPs can check in on their clients’ endpoints from anywhere at any time. Additionally, remotely providing services to clients reduces costs and ensures continuity of service, improving client satisfaction. Clients are more likely to recommend MSPs with a faster response time than their peers.

For internal IT teams, uninterrupted IT service enhances employee satisfaction, contributing to higher productivity and lower employee turnover. Additionally, remote access helps companies reduce operational costs associated with the on-site management of employees and helps IT teams decrease ticket response times, thus minimizing downtime. Employees can easily share knowledge to complete projects and access cutting-edge technologies for improved productivity.

A common concern among MSPs and internal IT teams is ensuring security when employees and clients work remotely. The ability to monitor and patch vulnerabilities remotely allows technicians to ensure the security of networks and devices, basically the IT infrastructure in general.

What is remote access software?

Remote access software lets you access your device remotely without physically being able to see it. When you remote into a device, you can see the screen, access the files and use the software on the machine just like you would if you were there in person.

Remote monitoring and management (RMM) software is a must-have tool for any enterprise with a fleet of managed devices. These solutions let companies keep tabs on their own and their clients’ network, check uptime and performance and generally stay on top of things constantly.

An RMM tool is also helpful for managing remote access to your network from the outside through an extended VPN or Remote Access Management system. These tools can help you filter which users have remote access privileges and track device usage so that you know who has access to which data and when.

Users can gain remote access to your company’s network through several different channels — an on-premises VPN, an internet-based VPN (also called a cloud VPN), a SaaS app, etc. Whatever kind of external remote access you set up requires management and tracking to ensure optimal security and performance levels.

Utilize remote access with Kaseya VSA

VSA is the only tool you need to manage your endpoints remotely. Through LiveConnect, you can monitor, control and troubleshoot your endpoints from anywhere, at any time, without disturbing the user. You can remote control any device, including PC, Mac, Linux, switches, servers, network devices, printers and more. You can also execute automated agent procedures directly through remote control.

It is impossible to discuss all the benefits of VSA’s remote access functionality in this article. Experience is the best way to understand it. Schedule a demo of VSA today and discover how easy it is to control your dispersed workforce and IT environment.

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Although this development isn’t a complete surprise, its pace was accelerated during the pandemic when technology adoption by small and midsize businesses (SMBs) got fast-tracked by five years. This left IT professionals in the lurch as the portfolio of devices to be managed increased exponentially. Markets acted quickly and developed bespoke solutions for each device type; for example, you could get a Mac tool for Mac management and a cloud tool for cloud management.

This became a boon and a curse at the same time. On the one hand, IT professionals had a way to manage various devices, but on the other hand, they had to juggle multiple device management tools, work with 10 different vendors and keep a tab on all of these contracts. Thus began the search for a unified tool that could do it all without a hassle.

This blog will briefly explain how IT professionals can effectively manage and control various network devices using a single cutting-edge solution. Dive in.

How To Remotely Control Network Devices

Multifunctional IT professionals require an integrated and unified IT management and security platform that is purpose-built to address their complex needs. VSA is that solution and offers complete IT management via a single-user interface. With a single click, VSA creates a secure communication channel to initiate a remote-control session for managing devices like routers, firewalls, switches and printers, on any network.

Networking devices are well-designed to be managed remotely, as even the old school routers could be configured and managed through a command-line interface (CLI). VSA’s remote control feature allows you to fully control/manage agentless devices without needing to install a VSA agent on them. So long as the vendor offers the option, you can remotely change anything about the current device configuration.

Use Cases for Network Device Remote Control

Network device management via remote access is not just quicker but more efficient, and you can manage security more effectively.

Rebooting

Besides your desktops, laptops and mobile devices, your network devices also need timely rebooting. It could be a bug fix, a performance improvement or a firmware update. VSA allows you to remotely reboot a network device, whereas, in the past, you had to have the device in front of you. The most compelling use case of the remote rebooting feature is the ability to shut down an interface to stop a broadcast storm, which can occur due to misconfigured networking switches.

Firmware or Software Updates

Firmware is a software that comes preinstalled on networking devices like routers and printers. It ensures networking devices follow instructions correctly and perform their functions as expected. Firmware also protects devices from malware and gives administrators a convenient way to manage device settings.

Just as you must update your operating systems (OS) and other software application regularly, firmware must be updated, too. Keep firmware patching up to date and remediate critical vulnerabilities remotely with VSA to maintain security of your IT infrastructure. It is a crucial security practice to keep your networking device from being used as a backdoor for a cyberattack. The firmware update can also introduce new features and fix performance-draining bugs. You can efficiently address the difficulties associated with patching firmware by automating the entire process using Kaseya VSA.

Configuration Updates

Networking devices may require configuration updates from time to time to either fix performance issues or troubleshoot a potentially dangerous problem. Consider the verbose logging feature. Whether you need to turn it on to troubleshoot an issue or activate it for additional logging, you can enable the function remotely using VSA to access information quickly.

Manage Your Network Devices With VSA

If you’re using bespoke software for network device remote control or your endpoint management solution (RMM) can’t manage networking devices remotely, it’s time to upgrade. With VSA, you can access state-of-the-art remote network management features and more from the get-go. Request your free demo today to see how you can manage all your device from one platform.

The post The How and Why of Networking Device Remote Control appeared first on Kaseya.

In the latter case, the technician has to wait if the user is away or otherwise unavailable. In the former case, the IT manager needs to change passwords for all machines that the technician has access to, if that tech leaves the company. Both of these situations decrease IT productivity. And, if a password change isn’t made when someone leaves with the knowledge of login credentials, that poses a serious security risk.

All of this applies whether you work for a Managed Service Provider (MSP) or for a small to medium-sized business (SMB). IT efficiency is critical to both MSPs and internal IT departments. Furthermore, MSPs can’t afford to take any undue security risks when it comes to their customers and neither can internal IT teams.

What if there was a solution which could eliminate the need to know user or admin credentials altogether?

VSA 1-Click Secure Access

Kaseya’s VSA endpoint and network management (aka RMM) solution now has 1-Click Access. This allows secure access to end-user devices for privileged users/admins at the click of a button, without having to know user or admin credentials. 

1-Click Access Provides:

• One click access to an admin-level remote console session
• Automatic and secure management of a local admin account and password– so you don’t have to manage this yourself
• The ability to enable/disable technicians based on user and machine roles
• Access via VSA QuickView and Live Connect
• Activity logging and reporting (very helpful for audits)

It allows technicians to remotely log in to endpoint workstations even when the user is not available. And, internal IT managers and MSP executives don’t need to change passwords when a technician leaves the company. With 1-Click Access, the technicians won’t know the password that is being created to access the device.

VSA 1-Click Access enhances security, saves time and increases the productivity of both MSP and internal IT teams.

See 1-Click Access in action — request a VSA demo today.

The post Introducing Kaseya VSA’s 1-Click Access appeared first on Kaseya.