Skip to main content
010 447 2445Contact
Arke Technologies home
Request a hardware quoteTalk to us
Arke Technologies home
Three support agents in headsets work at their desks in a quiet office.

Hesper monitoring, automation and ticketing: RMM software tied to your SLA

RMM software (remote monitoring and management) watches the computers an IT team supports and acts when something fails. Hesper, from Arke Technologies in Johannesburg, does this for MSPs and in-house IT teams: it checks each computer every 15 minutes, opens SLA-tied tickets and runs standard repairs. Early access is open until launch in November 2026.

Join the Hesper early-access listSee how a fault becomes a ticket

What RMM software does

Remote monitoring and management (RMM) software lets an IT team look after computers it cannot see. Most RMM tools install small agent software on each endpoint to check its health and raise an alert when something fails; common examples are a full disk, a stopped service or a failed backup.

RMM is the core of managed service provider (MSP) software and of the IT infrastructure software in-house teams run. It watches computers and servers; a network remote monitoring system watches switches and firewalls (see our network monitoring service).

Hesper, the IT operations platform from Arke Technologies (Pty) Ltd, puts monitoring, automation and ticketing beside Hesper remote access, built first for our own managed IT service.

A service-desk analyst in a headset works through a ticket on a laptop while a colleague looks on.

RMM, PSA, helpdesk and patch management compared

MSP software is sold in pieces with overlapping names, and top 10 lists of PSA software tend to rank features. This table sets out the jobs instead, and which fall inside Hesper's published scope.

ToolWhat it doesIn Hesper's published scope
RMM softwareWatches devices, raises alerts and runs fixesYes: each computer checked every 15 minutes; a library of standard repairs, the riskier ones held for recorded human approval
IT ticketing system or helpdesk softwareRecords every incident and request, assigns it and tracks it to closureYes: faults raised as tickets automatically, each ticket tied to its SLA clock
Remote accessLets a technician work on a device from elsewhereYes: built on open-source RustDesk, with device groups, approvals and session logs
PSA software (professional services automation; hosted versions were once called ASP software)Runs the business of a managed service: contracts, time, quotes and invoicingNot in the published scope: keep your PSA or finance system
All-in-one MSP softwareBundles RMM, PSA, remote access and more under one licenceIn part: Hesper covers the operational core; billing is outside the published scope
A row of support agents in headsets at a long desk beside tall office windows.

How a fault becomes a ticket in Hesper

A basic IT ticketing system waits for someone to report a fault; a smart IT ticketing system opens the ticket itself. Hesper is designed as the second kind:

  1. Check

    Each computer is checked every 15 minutes.

  2. Raise

    A fault becomes a ticket automatically, and its SLA clock starts.

  3. Prioritise

    In our own service, incidents run from P1 (critical outage) to P4 (low-impact request), with response and resolution targets agreed in each client's SLA.

  4. Repair

    A standard repair fixes a common fault; a riskier one runs only after a person approves it, and the approval is recorded.

  5. Close and report

    The ticket closes with its full history, including any approved and logged remote session, and feeds SLA reporting and, in our managed service, the monthly service review.

What an IT ticketing system is, and how it works

An IT ticketing system turns every IT incident and request into a numbered record with an owner, a priority and a deadline, so no request is lost in an inbox. Helpdesk ticketing software is the same category.

How it works: a ticket is opened (by a user, by email or by monitoring), prioritised, assigned, measured against its SLA and closed. Helpdesk software features worth insisting on:

  • Tickets opened by monitoring, not only by users.
  • An SLA clock on every ticket.
  • An audit trail of who changed what, and when.
  • Asset management, so each ticket links to its device.
  • Reports on SLA performance and repeat faults.

Hesper's published scope covers the first two, plus a record of repair approvals and remote sessions.

HR and facilities management helpdesk software follow the same pattern; Hesper is built for IT. Our IT service desk works this way, to ITIL-aligned incident, request, problem and change practice (see ITIL and IT service management).

Patch management: the job RMM is judged on

Patch management is finding, testing, deploying and verifying software updates on every device. Endpoint patch management covers laptops and desktops; server patch management covers systems that cannot restart casually; Microsoft patch management covers Windows, Windows Server and Microsoft 365 apps, usually through Intune, Windows Server Update Services or Configuration Manager. macOS and third-party applications need their own route. Vulnerability and patch management belong together: a cybersecurity assessment shows what is exposed, and patching closes it.

  1. Inventory every device and application.

  2. Assess each release by severity and exposure.

  3. Test on a pilot group.

  4. Deploy in agreed maintenance windows, with a rollback plan.

  5. Verify that each update installed and the device is healthy.

  6. Report compliance, and document every exception.

An untested update can break a business application; a skipped one leaves a known vulnerability open. In our managed IT service, updates run in agreed maintenance windows, server changes go through change control, and the monthly service review reports patch status and exceptions.

Free and open-source RMM, helpdesk and MSP software

Free RMM software, open-source remote monitoring and management projects, freeware helpdesk software, free IT ticketing systems, open-source MSP software and patch management tools all exist. The software may be free; running it is not. A self-hosted helpdesk or RMM server must be patched, backed up and secured, because it holds administrator access to every device it manages. Online, web-based helpdesk software moves that work to the vendor; an on-premises install keeps it with you. Check that the licence permits commercial use.

Our guide to RustDesk for business, the open-source base of Hesper's remote access, sets out what self-hosting costs to run.

A team lead leans in to go through a printed report with an analyst at her desk in an open-plan office.

Who Hesper is for

  • MSPs and in-house teams in mid-sized and large organisations

    Device groups keep each client's devices separate, and every ticket runs on its SLA clock, so an internal team produces the evidence an outside provider is held to.

  • Public-sector IT units

    Departments, municipalities and state-owned entities answer to auditors under PFMA or MFMA disciplines; approvals and ticket histories give them a trail.

  • Schools and colleges

    Helpdesk software for schools must let a small team cover many learner and staff devices, with learner data protected under POPIA.

Governance, reporting, POPIA and exit

  • Recorded approvals and logged access. Riskier repairs wait for a person's approval, and every remote session is approved and logged: evidence for King IV Principle 12 (technology and information governance).
  • Reporting and escalation. In our managed service, ticket histories feed SLA reporting and a monthly service review and report, with agreed escalation paths and change control.
  • POPIA. Devices and tickets hold personal information; controlled, logged access supports POPIA's security safeguards. In our managed service, the remote-access platform runs on our own Johannesburg servers, with controls aligned with ISO/IEC 27001 and the CIS Controls.
  • Continuity and exit. Your data, credentials and documentation are yours: leave our managed service and we hand over everything, credentials included, then close our access.

How to choose RMM software: 8 questions

Use these questions in any RMM software comparison:

  1. Who owns the software, and where are records hosted?
  2. How often is each device checked, and does a fault raise a ticket on its own?
  3. Can risky fixes wait for a recorded approval?
  4. Is every ticket measured against its SLA, and every remote session approved and logged?
  5. Which operating systems are supported?
  6. How are patches tested, deployed and reported?
  7. Is pricing per device, technician or client, and what does growth cost?
  8. Can you export tickets, device records and documentation on exit?

Hesper answers questions two to four on this page, and the first in part: Arke Technologies owns it outright.

RMM software pricing, early access and how to buy

  • Every 15 minutes

    how often each computer is checked

  • P1 to P4

    incident priorities in our own service

  • November 2026

    launch

RMM software pricing is usually counted per device, per technician or per managed client, and PSA and helpdesk software packages often charge separately. Hesper's pricing will be published at launch in November 2026.

To buy the outcome rather than the tools, our managed IT services run on this approach under one contract and one SLA, priced per user per month after an assessment (managed IT pricing); co-managed IT keeps an internal team in control.

Managed IT is bought through a proposal, an SLA and your purchase order, or through our tender response, with standard bidding documents (SBD forms) completed where required. Arke Technologies (Pty) Ltd is a Level 1 B-BBEE contributor (135% procurement recognition; sworn affidavit available on request); company documents, our CSD supplier number and SARS tax compliance status are available on request.

Join the Hesper early-access list

Hesper launches in November 2026. It is the IT operations platform for managed service providers and in-house IT teams, built first for our own managed service: remote access with approvals and session logs, monitoring every 15 minutes with faults raised as tickets, standard automated repairs with recorded human approval for the riskier ones, and ticketing tied to SLA clocks. Pricing will be published at launch.

We send early-access news to this address.

Computers and servers your team supports.

What matters most to you? (optional)

For example, what you use today and what you would change.

1,000 characters remaining

Arke Technologies (Pty) Ltd, 8 Greenstone Place, Stoneridge Office Park, Block A North, First Floor, Greenstone Hill, Johannesburg, 1609, South Africa, processes the details in this form under the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) to respond to you and to keep a record of our correspondence. Fields marked optional are optional; without the others we cannot respond. You may ask to see, correct or delete your details, object to their use, or complain to the Information Regulator. Contact our Information Officer at info@arketechnologies.com, and read our privacy notice.

Frequently asked questions

What is RMM software, and what does it do? Show answer

RMM (remote monitoring and management) software is the tool an IT team or MSP uses to watch computers it cannot see and fix them from a distance. It checks each device's health, raises alerts or tickets when something fails and runs scripted repairs. Hesper, launching in November 2026, checks each computer every 15 minutes and raises faults as tickets automatically.

What are the top RMM tools, and how should I compare them? Show answer

The top RMM tools share five things: frequent health checks, automatic tickets, automation with approval controls, secure remote access and useful reporting. We do not rank other vendors' products. Compare a shortlist on those five, then on hosting, operating-system support, patching and exit terms, using the eight questions on this page.

Is Intune an RMM tool? Show answer

Not in the classic sense: Microsoft Intune is endpoint management, which enrols devices, enforces configuration and compliance policy, deploys apps and manages Windows updates. It overlaps with RMM on patching and scripted fixes, but it does not run a ticket queue against SLA clocks. Our device management service runs Intune beside monitoring and ticketing.

What is the best free RMM software? Show answer

The best free RMM software is one your team can host, patch and secure properly: free software still needs a server, backups and people. Open-source projects and free tiers of commercial tools can suit a small, technical team, but an RMM server holds administrator access to every device, so check the licence permits commercial use and secure the server.

How much does RMM software cost? Show answer

RMM software is usually priced per device, per technician or per managed client each month; Hesper's pricing will be published at launch in November 2026. To buy the service instead, published South African managed IT rates run from about R180 to R400 per user per month (matnet.co.za, September 2026), people included; we quote per user after an assessment.

What is PSA software, and does Hesper include it? Show answer

PSA (professional services automation) software runs the business side of a managed service: contracts, time tracking, quoting and invoicing. It is not in Hesper's published scope, which covers operations: monitoring every 15 minutes, SLA-tied tickets, standard repairs and approved remote access. Keep your existing PSA or finance system for billing.

How can I monitor my PC screen remotely? Show answer

You see a PC's screen remotely with remote access software and track its health with RMM software, both with the user's knowledge and your organisation's authority. Covert screen monitoring raises POPIA and employment-law questions, which is why Hesper's remote sessions are approved and logged. See Hesper remote access for how sessions are controlled.

Join the Hesper early-access list

Tell us how your team monitors, patches and tickets its devices today, and we will show you where Hesper fits before it launches in November 2026.

Join the Hesper early-access list