How AI is Transforming RMM for Australian MSPs

Australian businesses are increasingly adopting artificial intelligence (AI), and managed service providers (MSPs) need to follow suit. By integrating AI, MSPs can enhance client service, reduce costs, and simplify operations. This is particularly significant in the realm of remote monitoring and management (RMM), which has historically enabled MSPs to move from a break-fix model to providing cloud-based services.

AI is not just a buzzword; it's a game-changer. According to a recent Canva study, 81% of Australian businesses consider AI crucial to their long-term strategic plans, the highest percentage globally. The Australian Industry Group reports that 52% of businesses have already adopted AI, with service providers leading the charge.

MSPs that fail to integrate AI risk falling behind competitors and losing clients. But how can they leverage AI to improve operations, boost client services, and increase profitability?

AI-based scripting in RMM solutions, such as those offered by Acronis, can generate and edit administrative scripts in seconds for remote endpoint management. Two new AI-based features in the latest version of Acronis RMM are particularly noteworthy:

AI-based Patch Stability Scoring

This feature helps reduce patching risks and protect uptime with AI-driven insights. It flags unstable patches for testing or delay and automatically detects emerging issues through open-source intelligence.

Acronis Copilot for Software Deployment Setup

Acronis Copilot, an assistant based on generative AI, simplifies complex software rollouts with AI-powered automation. It instantly generates install and uninstall commands, return codes, and package metadata.

Despite these advancements, the combination of AI and RMM is still in its early stages. As it evolves, the integration of AI and RMM will open a wide set of new capabilities for MSPs, including:

• Automation at Scale**: AI will enable MSPs to automate complex workflows end to end, including IT operations, supply chain management, and customer support.
• Service Differentiation**: MSPs can already differentiate their services by improving client service using capabilities such as AI-based scripting. As AI continues to develop, forward-looking MSPs will offer automated services that are faster and more reliable.
• Digital Labour Transformation**: With AI-based automation, hiring expertise to run clients’ systems will become less critical, and technicians will focus on tasks other than reactive client issues.
• Risk and Governance**: AI will enhance the ability of MSPs to deliver oversight, risk management, and compliance.

The future of RMM holds the convergence of different types of AI. While ChatGPT and other generative AI platforms have grabbed headlines, other fields of AI are also emerging and converging.

Composite AI

Gartner highlights composite AI as a leading trend in AI for IT. Composite AI combines multiple AI fields, making the system more powerful, accurate, and reliable than a single form of AI working alone.

Agentic AI

Agentic AI enables MSPs to establish virtual “agents” that can recognize and resolve issues proactively and without MSP intervention. Unlike generative AI, agentic AI can autonomously make decisions and take actions to achieve complex goals with minimal or no human supervision. This will empower MSPs to get more done with fewer resources and drastically improve client protection.

While AI as a driving element of RMM is still an emerging concept, MSPs—particularly in Australia, where AI is popular—need to understand where AI can take them both today and in the future. Acronis RMM already embraces AI with automated scripting and other capabilities, ensuring that the solution will continue to lead the integration of AI and RMM.