The Myth of The Single Pane of Glass

Centaurs, unicorns, winged horses and the “single pane of glass” are all myths -- but only the latter enjoys widespread belief among MSPs.

Many MSP business owners have been sold on the fanciful notion that remote monitoring and management (RMM) tools will let them control all of their service delivery operations from a single console. RMM vendors say they can make that happen through third-party software integrations. But a different story emerges when RMM products confront the fiery test of reality.

MSP technicians say they rarely get by with a single pane of glass, noting that some tasks simply can’t be performed from the RMM console. In those cases, technicians pop into additional management consoles -- from a security or backup vendor, for example -- to access the functions they need.

An enormous gap exists between what MSP owners think they are buying and the value they are actually receiving. This conflict between perception and reality is the product of compromise. RMM vendors frequently integrate a low-cost version of a particular piece of third-party software rather than an industry-leading product, as noted in a previous blog post. As a result, the integration will lack some of the features and functions of a fully fledged product. Engineering and design considerations may also compel an RMM vendor to limit the number of third-party software features that can be exposed in its console.

Security Lapse

This feature compromise surfaces in RMM security bolt-ons. Once an MSP gets outside the core functions of its RMM tool, the number of things technicians can configure and manipulate from the RMM console quickly declines. For example, an RMM vendor may limit what an MSP can accomplish with its integrated security solution. Technicians may be able to trigger a scan, update a few settings and view security event logs. But they are out of luck if they want to do more in-depth configuration or perform a more complex task.

Security functionality may be even more restricted, depending on the particular RMM and security product combination. Technicians might be confined to a read-only view, for instance. They can look at a security status screen, but can’t trigger a scan or do an update. To perform those functions, a technician would have to open up the security vendor’s management console.

One could argue that launching an additional console isn’t a big deal; it’s as simple as opening a new tab on a browser. But when a service provider purchases an RMM product specifically to obtain single-pane-of-glass simplicity, shouldn’t it be able to fully use that feature?

Another issue: some integrated security shortfalls can’t be addressed by opening a separate management console. MSPs must purchase additional products when an RMM’s security integration is missing key pieces of functionality. For example, some integrated security solutions lack URL filtering, behavior monitoring, mail scanning, USB device control, and a firewall. The MSP ends up spending hundreds or thousands of dollars to obtain features that a comprehensive security offering would have given them in the first place. Ironically, MSPs often buy into an RMM vendor’s technology integration gambit because it seems more cost effective than selecting separate products for each application category -- RMM, backup and disaster recovery, and security, for instance.

But the latter approach gives services providers the opportunity to select what they believe to be the top product in each application area. This “best-of-breed” method provides full-strength products as opposed to RMM add-ons with watered-down functionality.

Another argument in favor of the best-of-breed method: it makes switching from one RMM vendor to another much easier. When security is tied to an RMM tool, MSPs face the expense and dislocation of a rip-and-replace transition. An MSP with a separate security infrastructure, however, can avoid the cost of adopting a new security product when it replaces its RMM platform.

An integrated solution will typically have a lower price tag than a best-of-breed solution. But a service provider needs to consider the long-term costs of an RMM vendor’s third-party linkups and whether the single pane of glass will truly live up to its billing.

Ryan Delany has more than 15 years of experience planning, designing and implementing security products in a variety of enterprises. Ryan has been with Trend Micro since 2002 and is currently a Global Solutions Marketing Manager responsible for planning and carrying out global marketing strategy for Trend Micro's managed service provider partners. He was awarded Sales Engineer of the Year in 2008, has published multiple white papers highlighting deployment and configuration best practices, was listed in the MSP Mentor 250, and has represented the company at industry events and trade shows to educate and inform customers about Trend Micro solutions.