Showing posts with label monitoring programs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label monitoring programs. Show all posts

Monday, February 7, 2011

The Advantage Of Software Monitoring And Why You Should Have It

Software monitoring is a program that allows the owner or user of a personal computer to scrutinize the activities being undertaken by other individuals who share the computer network. It is one of the most sophisticated inventions that allow a computer owner to control online activity among other uses. This program has proven helpful to many individuals as it prevents users sharing a computer network from accessing in questionable online material.

One of the primary importance of the program is monitoring online content. This has particularly been helpful to bosses and parents as it has allowed them to access emails, chat rooms, websites, blog spots among other web material. The bosses have been able to control the web activity at the work place hence, restrain workers from engaging in idle and unproductive online activity during working hours. Some bosses have taken this to another level by blocking social networks and websites which promote idleness at work. Parents and employers among other people have been able to successfully curb any abuse of their PC and shared networks through the monitoring programs. For parents it has been about protecting their children from negatively impacting content and sites while employees have been keen to reduce the wastage of time and resources on unproductive online activities during working hours.

Since there are many programs in the market to help one gain control over the internet, there are factors to consider when purchasing the monitoring programs. Top on the list is the eligibility of the buyer. In order for one to buy the programs they must fulfill one of three criteria used. The emergence of social networks, has brought social risks and vulnerabilities upon every user especially children. Apart from predators who prey on minors, there are other aspects such as internet bullies and addiction which put your child at risk. This calls for monitoring and controlling such sites to ensure that your child's developmental process is not interfered with. Another consideration is the features included in the programs. The program that one purchases must be able to maximize on control in order for it to be effective. Online observation is one key feature. The program being purchased must be able to record all sites visited and searches made via the internet. It must also record copies of instant messages, chat messages as well email attachments and all correspondences via email. The best programs can give you access to user names and passwords of different accounts accessed.

For one to acquire the licensed and legal monitoring program, they must fulfill either of three conditions. They must prove that they own a computer and they must prove that other users of the computer network are aware and consent to the installation of the program or alternatively they must prove that they are parents of a minor. For parents with young children, this might not be a problem.

The filtering and blocking feature should enable the computer owner to block any site that he deems questionable. This should also include chat messages and downloads of illegal games, music and software. The filter can be done by either using key words or categories. The reporting feature should enable the computer owner to get feedback as it stores all information necessary for monitoring and blocking. With all these features the software monitoring should be effective.

Friday, October 15, 2010

Keep Tabs On Your Employee Activities With A Desktop Remote Monitoring Service

Countless studies have revealed that a majority of employees who have access to the internet during their workday spend a lot of time conducting non-work related web browsing at the expense of their employer. The result is hours upon hours of lost production and potential profits. But there is a way to effectively increase production and it comes in the form of a desktop remote monitoring service.

If your employees require access to the internet, you probably have already tried some different tools and methods to decrease the personal usage of the internet by employees. Unfortunately, many filtering programs are ineffective or are just a waste of money. Even if a filtering program works, oftentimes it not only blocks bad websites, but blocks websites that your employees need access to as well. And cutting internet services altogether is probably not an option either.

Your next choice may be a desktop remote monitoring service. With this type of service, professionals are able to monitor how much time your employees are devoting to being productive and how much time they are spending doing non-work related activities on the internet. Additionally, these services also monitor when your employees access websites that can be harmful to your network or if they are potentially leaking confidential data.

There are many different types of remote monitoring tools on the market. You will have to take some time to figure out how much you will spend on the software, what you need to monitor, and the method of monitoring. Additionally, monitoring requires computer specialists and quite a bit of time, you may also need to consider hiring employers or outsourcing to online monitoring services.

Remote monitoring software prices have dropped considerable over the years as technology has become more affordable. Some basic software can be found online for free, while other advanced programs can be quite expensive. Outsourcing to an online service gives you freedom from worrying about purchasing the programs, software licenses, or upgrades.

You will also have to consider how in depth you want the monitoring to be. Basic monitoring programs keep lists of what websites your employees viewed without much additional data. More advanced programs can capture detailed information about their internet activities, such as how much time was spent on each website or what was downloaded or uploaded to and from the website. Other programs even log employee keystrokes, capture emails, and can even record voice.

There are two primary ways that data is remotely monitored. The most secure method is to have computer personnel monitor the information directly from the network. This prevents the data they monitor from being leaked to the internet. However, this would require that you hire employees who are skilled and may be too costly. On the other hand, outsourcing to an online monitoring service is much more economical, but all of the data is at risk to being intercepted by potential adversaries to your company.

If you choose to utilize a remote monitoring service, you have a legal obligation to ensure that your employees are aware that their activities are being monitored. One of the easiest methods for this is to have them sign a document giving you their consent. Failing to inform your employees may be illegal and can result in lawsuits, fines, and even imprisonment.

A great way to increase productivity and profitability in a workplace that has internet access is through desktop monitoring services. They give business owners the ability to monitor internet usage without truly restricting access. And for some businesses, the increase in profits may even outweigh the costs of these services.