Remote monitoring and control (M&C) systems are designed to control large or complex facilities such as factories, power plants, network operations centers, airports, and spacecraft, with some degree of automation.

M&C systems may receive data from sensors, telemetry streams, user inputs, and pre-programmed procedures. The software may send telecommands to actuators, computer systems, or other devices.

M&C systems may perform closed-loop control.

Once limited to SCADA in industrial settings, remote monitoring and control is now applied in numerous fields, including:

• Smart grids
• Positive train control
• Structural health monitoring
• Pipeline sensors
• Patient monitoring
• Desktop/server monitoring

While this field overlaps with machine to machine communications, the two are not completely identical.