If you are an MSP one of the most important aspects of your job will be the monitoring of your clients’ systems. You will need the ability to undertake this monitoring from any location and you will also require the ability to receive alerts whenever a problem is detected.
There are many different tools available to you in this respect and all have their pros and cons according to your usage requirements.
is a network monitoring tool which allows you to monitor machines from any location using a web browser in conjunction with a personalized dashboard.
Who Is LogicMonitor Designed For?
LogicMonitor is ideally suited to MSP’s that are medium to large in size who wish to keep their clients’ network hardware under constant surveillance whilst receiving alerts as soon as any issues are detected.
LogicMonitor works with a wide range of platforms including Windows, Mac and Linux systems and its ease of setup will appeal to IT managed service providers who lack either the time or knowledge required to create a custom solution.
The end user merely needs to install the agent(s) and then create their dashboard and, if even this seems daunting, then the LogicMonitor team are always there to offer quick and comprehensive assistance.
Why Use LogicMonitor?
One of the main benefits of using LogicMonitor is the fact that it simplifies, to a degree, the process of setting up a complex network monitoring system, thereby freeing up the MSP’s time by allowing them to focus on the dashboard and actually getting on with the important task of keeping the customers’ network up and running.
There are, of course, many other benefits to using LogicMonitor as can be seen from the following non-exhaustive list of features –
- Automated configuration and network discovery
- Configurable dashboard
- Customizable alerts
- Fast setup – being up and running in 15 minutes is not unheard of
- Firewall monitoring
- Load balancer monitoring
- Monitoring of Windows/Linux machines, Netapps, Switches, Routers, VOIP and more
- Quick and knowledgeable support
- Wide range of reporting via interactive/overview type graphs.
Pricing
LogicMonitor is available on a monthly subscription basis and the cost is determined according to the number of devices that will be monitored. For 1-5 devices the cost is $99 per month, 25 devices comes in at $299 per month and volume discounts are available if monitoring is required for 26 or more devices.
The following services are all included within the cost –
- Performance Monitoring
- Alert Routing & Escalation
- Historical Trending up to 1 year
- Application Hosting
- Automatic Data Backup & D.R.
- Bank-Grade Security
- Training
- Ongoing Support
- Ongoing Upgrades
- Unlimited Users
- Unlimited Data Storage
- Access from Anywhere
If you are comparing several remote monitoring software from different vendors then it’s worth noting that some will levy extra charges for some of those services that are listed above.
Learning Curve
I have one main issue with LogicMonitor and that is the fact that the learning curve in terms of adding hosts, hardware alerts and reports is quite steep. Also, the LogicMonitor dashboard may not be the most intuitive that you will ever come across.
That said, LogicMonitor do seem to be aware of this and they have implemented wizards to simplify the process. Should you run into any difficulties at all, their support team is always on hand to guide you through any issues you may have. Based upon my experience (with Chuck Massanari, tel: 888-415-6442 ext 503) it would appear that LogicMonitor will go well above and beyond the call of duty in order to ensure that you get the best from their service.
Is LogicMonitor The Solution For Your Business?
Obviously this question can only be answered by you and depends very much upon the type of business you have, your needs, the skill set of your employees and the budget you have available.
If you have a large number of customers devices and hosts that need monitoring, and have neither the time nor desire to install complex or custom solutions, then LogicMonitor may well be a good choice. As I mentioned earlier, there is a steep learning curve involved but once you get past that (with the aid of the excellent service available, if required) then you will enjoy all the benefits associated with one of the best monitoring and reporting solutions available out there.
