It is very important that businesses ensure their workforce is productive and efficient. One way to do this is through user activity monitoring, which gives them the chance to see exactly what is done on their computer at all times. These monitors are also frequently used by parents, who want to make sure their children are safe online. Either way, these programs offer a number of key features and benefit that you need to review before choosing the right program for you. So what are some of the things you have to look for?
System Requirements
First of all, you have to make sure that you have a system that is capable of running the program in the first place. For instance, a lot of programs are now developed for Windows 8, or even Windows 10, when a lot of businesses still run on Windows XP (yes, really!). This means that they may not have the right requirements to run the program in the first place.
Required Features
Next, you need to think about the features that are important to you. The more features a program has, the heavier it is in terms of memory usage, meaning that it may start to slow down your system. It is very important, therefore, that you choose a program that only has the features that you actually need. Some of the things you may want include:
- Real time views of what is happening on a computer.
- The ability to take over control of the computer.
- Reports of overall activities.
The reality is that a user activity monitor is a type of spying tool. This means they start running as soon as the machine on which they are installed does. This is done in the background, however, which means that the user is not aware of the fact that they are being watched.
Different license packs also usually have different types of features to be aware of. For instance, you may only be able to monitor a single computer, when your household or your business may have many. This is an important feature, because you have to make sure that you can monitor as many devices as you actually need to.
The Agent and Viewer
Generally speaking, when you purchase user activity monitors, they will come with two types of setup files:
- The viewer file. This should be installed on the computer you want to monitor, which is the auditor system.
- The user file. This should be installed on the device that you use in order to monitor what someone else is doing, which is the target system.
You need to make sure that you understand the difference between these two so that you use them properly. You also have to make sure that the system requirements on both the auditor and the target system are correct, so that it will actually work. Once you have done that, you will be ready to go.