Desktop Central from ManageEngine is a client desktop management with patching, remote control, and configuration.
$795
per year per user
N-able N-sight RMM
Score 7.8 out of 10
N/A
SolarWinds Remote Monitoring & Management (RMM) is a cloud-based system monitoring offering for Managed Service Providers. It provides a full monitoring and management suite, including automation and threat detection capabilities, and can integrate with other SolarWinds products.
Compared to other endpoint management tools that I have experience with, the patch management and the system health statistics functions work much better and are easier to navigate. The endpoint control functions are nowhere near as good as what I've used with Kaseya's VSA application - with that you could remote control a machine via a remote desktop type interface, or you could connect to the command line or PowerShell and it functioned as if you were directly connected to the machine - command history, tab completion, etc.. "just worked" and if the endpoint disconnected, you didn't lose anything that was going in the window when it reconnected (Exception being if the machine rebooted), grouping systems by department or building was also easier, as was moving systems between groups
SolarWinds patch management has had issues over the years. Sometimes requiring manual intervention to get resolved. The UI [with N-able RMM (formerly Solarwinds RMM)] makes it easy to see status of systems and identify any alerts easily. Remotely monitoring the status of servers/computers. Managing the systems, patching, systems maintenance and remote support.
We set alerts when a devices gets low on disk space. That is automatic and creates a ticket in ME SDP. We are then able to Add space to a VM Desktop, and then go thru ManageEngine Endpoint Central to extend the drives so the entire process can be done without interruption to the end user.
Using the patch scans we can easily see what patches have been installed for all manufacturers not just Microsoft, without having to physically go to the device. It also allows us to choose which patches we want to push out and automate the process so we can be hands off, freeing up out time for other things.
Remote access to devices. This allows us to remotely make changes, not just via remote control but also make registry changes and clean up space without going to the device and without interruption to the end user.
Alerts. We have set up to get email alerts when new hardware is plugged into any computers. This lets us know if someone is bringing in un-authorized equipment (thumb drives, hubs, etc) to better manage what is/is not on our network.
It provides fantastic remote access capabilities. The Take Control tool gives us a robust platform that is capable of remote controlling almost any endpoint we need to and the chat, file transfer, and screen recording tools are all exceptionally useful.
SolarWinds RMM is particularly useful as a single pane of glass solution that allows us to monitor and manage thousands of endpoints across dozens of different clients. It does a solid job of allowing us to sort, organize, and filter based off of who and what we want to see at any given time.
Due to its client based nature, the platform excels at in-depth monitoring of services, event logs, and the functionality of systems with custom script checks.
When I first started using ManageEngine Endpoint Central, the UI felt very complicated and cluttered up, which means as a new user, it took a lot of time to get used to using it and knowing where certain features are. This was also because specific features aren't obvious to the user, it can take time to find them through multiple routes.
When pushing out specifc software to a large number of endpoint devices such as 1500 in my organisation, the deployment fails a lot more meaning some devices dont receive the software and this has to be done manually for them. This can take a lot of time.
When an issue is reported about ManageEngine Endpoint Central, for example it constantly crashing when being heavily used. The support was delayed and it took a lot of time for first line support to address the issue and escalate it.
ManageEngine is considered an excellent product due to its comprehensive suite of solutions for IT management, with ManageEngine Endpoint Central specifically excelling in endpoint management. The platform stands out for its user-friendly interface, robust features, and versatility in addressing diverse IT needs. It offers organizations a centralized solution for endpoint security, patch management, software deployment, and asset management
The application itself is great. However, I have little insight to what the patches are doing. Being able to see patch download progress, not just the status, would be great. The user interface could also use an overhaul. The countless menus, sometimes containing similar if not duplicate tabs can be frustrating to navigate.
The interface is easy to navigate. Setting up policies is straight forward. The antivirus and web filter are simple and exceptions are easy to make. Upgrading the agent is made simple and creating scripts is made fool proof. (Well, almost)
The immediate chat support is great and very helpful. However, if you need escalated support or have a deeper need that the chat tool can't help with, you will experience significant wait times and slow responses. The time zone difference becomes painful to the point of often just giving up.
The ease of use, full functionality, reliability and excellent support.[N-able RMM (formerly Solarwinds RMM)] gives users a full suite of tools with a single installable file. Unlike standard tools, you don't have to install several different executables to be able to have fully protected end points.
I tend to use a combination of solutions to keep the estate running efficiently. ManageEngine Endpoint Central has more control over the timing of patching for users. Juggling users being able to work and keeping systems up to date with user satisfaction in mind is a monthly goal. Pushing updates with giving users some control seems to be working.
SolarWinds definitely is the the most ready out of the box as far as getting is up and running and you can start using it where other system go from need ing a little setup like importing MIBS to completely needing to configure the system. As far a performance once things are up and working I feel they all do a good job at basic monitoring and management. The difference is that SolarWinds does a good job at having things templated but allows you to customize some attributes. If you are want to make major customization for alerts and monitoring and other things SolarWinds is not the best option. But, then again, you will not need a team just to manage the system.
It has greatly helped us with our compliances through the compliance scans, such as taking our CIS compliance from 36% up to around 90%.
It has massively reduced the number of application/patch vulnerabilities through automated patching & dynamic configurations with custom scripts. From 60 criticals and 300 highs down to just 5 criticals and 25 highs, very quickly.
It has helped us identify issues with our Bitlocker not syncing to Azure AD properly, because the recovery keys in ManageEngine were always correct but werent always correct in Azure AD.
The ROI is immediate for us. The advanced alerting alone makes this product an ace in our bag. The confidence you have in your network is wonderful.
Another big ROI we get from the advanced alerting is the peace of mind that our engineers feel. We are a 24/7 shop, so being on-call goes from being hectic to extremely manageable.
The only negative I can honestly say is when the time comes to patch the product. Micro-patches are easy enough, but jumping versions can be a bit taxing.
