ConnectWise RMM vs. KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA)

ConnectWise RMM is well suited for my small IT business to keep track of my many clients that a company like mine with less than 5 employees to monitor in one interface. It is very easy to implement, monitor and setup alerts. The monitor of patching is one of the main reasons we went with ConnectWise RMM. We use their ScreenConnect software as wells.

Incentivized

I think it has added value for any organization. It reduced our Tech Support cost by: -Supporting users anywhere -Reducing users downtime as well keep them informed with the status of their tickets -Managing software and hardware actively -Processing automation -deploy mass software installs, patching or updates - Provide approved software's to users to install without IT help

Incentivized

• Provides lightweight, easy to install software agent to deploy to client devices
• Robust reporting, including hardware & installed software reports
• Provides generally stable service for remote access to client devices

Incentivized

• Inventory: KACE provides a ton of hardware and software inventory information that is easy to search, filter, and export. This is critical when we need to find the answers to questions about how many of such and such we have in our fleet.
• Patch Management: We were using WSUS before and it was altogether too cumbersome. KACE has given us the power, flexibility, and verification we need to feel comfortable our patches are up-to-date.
• Service Queue: We made KACE our help desk system and it does everything we need it to do. Great improvement over our old system.

Incentivized

• We lost some functionality with LogMeIn after moving to Command - starting services, adding users in the background on PCs
• Setting up MAC users is not easy
• resolving existing tickets in the portal - understanding the ConnectWise notes
• Account Management - Since ConnectWise took over, we have no idea who our account management team is.
• Patch Management needs more improvement

Incentivized

• The KACE SMA needs a better way to handle different roles in the software so certain users can access or administrate certain parts of the software, but not the entire software installation.
• The KACE SMA could improve the ticketing process of projects. The aspects of the title and some information do not always flow down from the parent ticket to its child tickets.
• The KACE SMA could improve the UI of the software with the addition of different CSS color schemes.

Incentivized

Overall, the software is simple to understand and use. That said, most vendors have been slowly updating their user interfaces to HTML5 so that they have a clean updated look and feel. This is where KACE falls short in that the UI is great for a packaged software 10 years ago. This isn't a major limitation as the software is really meant primarily for technology users.

Incentivized

KACE does exactly what you need it to do, it maintains your computer environment. You can set patch schedules, inventory computers, setup software catalogs; basically everything you need to ensure the computers on your network are being actively managed. This is all with little need for constant configuration or updating the setup.

Incentivized

Automate (LabTech) would be the aforementioned "heavy-duty" kind of RMM tool. It's big, it's complex, and very capable compared to Continuum Command. That said, the impetus is very much on the service provider to configure and maintain nearly 100% of the product, whereas in Continuum Command there is a lot that is maintained by their team for you. Even without paying for the premium NOC services, the cloud-first construction and other specific features (like the Windows patch testing and delaying, etc.) are clear wins over the more traditional RMMs like Automate. Automate certainly wins in the technical prowess department. Its scripting engine and level of customization are unrivaled across basically all of the rest of the tools out there. As such, it will be very interesting to see what happens now that these two products live under the same roof. Hopefully, someday, a powerful hybrid of the tool that ConnectWise can focus all development on that harness the positives of each. Keep your eyes peeled...

Incentivized

We have selected this software because it rolls several different systems into one. We have a helpdesk system with this and an asset and inventory management system as well. We pay one price for the whole system instead of paying multiple companies different amounts that would have totaled more than we pay for the single system.

Incentivized

• The product upgrades stay up to date with our business needs.
• The product is an important part of our overall budget.
• The product helps with the planning and success of our Department.

Incentivized

• KACE has saved us from having to spend several days of employee hours in crafting DVDs and duplicating them (100+ DVDs)
• KACE has saved us on the postage required to send out those DVDs for every update (monthly) to all of our customers electronically

Incentivized