Action1 RMM Updates Target Automation, Patch Management

‘For us, we’re seeing RMM become a very commoditized space. You just need a couple hundred features to call something an RMM. We’re looking for ways to develop a better technology. The benefit of having a platform with a strong vulnerability management system is important for clients, and that is a focus of Action1,’ says Action1 President Mike Walters.

Remote monitoring and management technology developer Action1 Thursday unveiled the latest version of its Action1 RMM, promising increased automation and improved patch management.

Action1 provides an alternative to larger RMM providers such as Kaseya, which just acquired rival Datto, and ConnectWise, said Mike Walters, president of the Houston, Texas-based company.

“For us, we’re seeing RMM become a very commoditized space,” Walters (pictured above) told CRN. “You just need a couple hundred features to call something an RMM. We’re looking for ways to develop a better technology. The benefit of having a platform with a strong vulnerability management system is important for clients, and that is a focus of Action1.”

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Action1 RMM was built by Action1 with an emphasis on security and patch management, Walters said.

The latest version of Action1 RMM has two new capabilities, he said.

The first is an increase in automation with automated user policies. “It now features policy-based automation, including endpoint configuration to match baselines and auto repair to bring the configuration back to the baseline if there’s any drift,” he said.

The second is improved patch capabilities to better remediate security issues, Walters said.

“We’ve made our patch management solution more polished in terms of both workflow and testing,” he said. “The more you cut the mean time to remediate, the better.”

Action1 RMM is in use by a few hundred MSPs already, Walters said. The company sells the technology to both MSPs and to enterprise clients. Action1 also has a “freemium” which provides the first 100 seats at no charge and with no strings attached, he said.

Action1 has proven to be a surprisingly helpful RMM provider, said Ian Holub, CEO and co-founder of Essential Tech Support, a Baltimore-based MSP and Action1 channel partner.

Action1RMM provides the best patch management system that Holub has seen, and the updates with the new version are very important, Holub told CRN.

The RMM business is a tough one which may seem like a crowded space but which is really dominated by a handful of vendors like Kaseya, which just acquired rival Datto, Holub said.

“Action1 RMM has been the best tool we’ve used, which is pretty surprising,” he said. “It may not be the right tool for larger MSPs. But for a company like ours, where we have five technicians and about 500 endpoints, it’s the right tool. Most of our customers are non-profits, and it can be difficult to provide them with enterprise-grade services.”