We have worked on this for years. From our perspective only, our clients, mostly businesses not residential, absolutely and positively will not allow vendors onto their networks; and they do not want their employees data to be shared under any circumstances (credit a strict interpretation of Sarbanes-Oxley). We have a few who we have arrangements with, but for the most part, it is a no-go. When you see what is happening to businesses of all types, shapes and sizes with regards to hacking, you really cannot blame them. As IT and Information Security Managers become more and more involved in the decision process, they have a much larger voice than ever before, and that will only continue to grow. I don't even remember the last designed job we worked on that IT did not have a seat at the table.
Another factor is still the cost. Smaller business owners weigh the cost of hosting along with privacy issues and just decide it is not worth it. For them, they prefer a pay-as-you-go plan. Mid-sized decision makers see the cost of RMI over 20, 30 or 50 sites and decide it is cheaper to do it in house. They are looking for something simple to operate but powerful enough to manage multiple sites easily.
But by and large, access to networks in any form is our largest stumbling block.
Interestingly enough, for the mid to large customer base we are finding a nice substitute for traditional RMI sources is on-going training and licensing. There is not nearly as much work for us day to day, and if the customers want to continue to operate their own equipment they have to maintain their certifications and pay for seat licenses and software updates annually. Some even pay for direct access to manufacturers help desk. I was skeptical about it until I saw the inner-workings and numbers.
There is more than one way to skin that cat.