Guide to choosing PC monitoring software: Features and tips
The demand for sustainable PC monitoring software has grown dramatically since companies began adopting remote work models. Companies need solutions that enable managers to monitor employees’ activities, track productivity, ensure security with legal compliance, and manage remote employees on the go.
PC monitoring software is designed to keep an eye on and log numerous activities on a computer system. This typically involves tracking application usage, network traffic, monitoring user interactions, and overall system performance metrics. In this post, we shall walk through some of the key considerations to look into when selecting the best monitoring software for PC for your business needs.
Table of Contents
Common types of PC monitoring software
Yes, monitoring software for PCs serves a variety of purposes.
- Employee activity monitoring: This type of software focuses explicitly on tracking workforce productivity by monitoring their browsing history, application access, and computer usage.
- Network monitoring: This type guarantees that your IT system’s health stays in top condition by tracking device availability, application performance, and bandwidth usage.
- Security monitoring: This particular type of monitoring software aims to proactively detect security threats and constantly observe the system and networks for suspicious activities.
- Parental control software: This type of PC monitoring software is designed for personal use. It helps parents and adults monitor their children or young ones’ online activities.
Now that you know what type of PC monitoring software you require, you can go ahead and learn how to select a suitable one for your workflow.
Evaluate your business needs
Before getting into the specifics of monitoring software for PC, it would be useful to assess your company’s varied requirements firsthand. This may involve the following steps:
Identify your objectives
Research and figure out what you wish to gain with the implementation of monitoring software into your business workflow. Some of the common objectives include:
- Tracking employee productivity: It means acquiring accurate data on how employees spend their work hours.
- Data security: To protect confidential and sensitive company data against unauthorized access and other possible security breaches.
- Compliance: To ensure full compliance with company policies and applicable legal laws.
Assess your business environment
Even if you manage almost every aspect of your company, you may not fully understand your IT landscape. So, evaluate your business’s IT systems to know the scope of monitoring activities. This typically consists of:
- Operating systems: What operating system do your business’s devices use? Windows, Linux, or macOS? Knowing this ensures that you pick the most compatible monitoring software for PCs.
- Number of devices: Determine the totality of workstations or PCs that will be monitored. These numbers help ascertain that the chosen monitoring software has the capacity to handle that many systems.
- Remote work: If your business also manages remote workspaces, go with solutions with effective remote monitoring attributes and focus on monitoring of remote workforce.
Define your budget
Not every monitoring solution is exactly cheap. You should set a budget when looking for a monitoring software for your business. Consider both the initial purchase costs and other ongoing expenses like maintenance or subscription fees.
When you are clear of what is your business’s demands, the selection process of the perfect monitoring software for PC will be more focused.
Notable features to look for in PC monitoring software
Every monitoring software for PCs offers certain features that stand out as essentials. Here’s a breakdown of those notable functionalities that you should focus on:
- Real-time monitoring: It is the software’s core attribute for tracking user activity in real time. It is pretty helpful for instant insights into employee productivity and security.
- Comprehensive reporting: Pick a software that provides detailed reports on users’ activities like application access, website usage, and time spent on tasks.
- Stealth mode: If you are to use PC monitoring software for covert tracking, ensure that your chosen software runs undetected in the background.
- Screen recording and screenshots: This feature of PC monitoring software can be quite helpful in providing visual proof of activities in case of addressing disputes and verifying productivity.
- User behaviour analytics: A few of the advanced monitoring software offers behavioral analytics to help determine risky or suspicious user patterns.
- Data security features: Strong data encryption tools and tracking file transfers are critical for businesses dealing with the management of sensitive data.
- Compliance features: Every monitoring solution must comply with laws and policies. It is ensure that the software fits the applicable industry-specific guidelines and standards like the HIPAA or GDPR, preventing any legal repurcussions for the company in any form of monitoring activities.
These listed features not only improve the software’s effectivenes, but also guarantee that it aligns with your business’s objectives and legal demands.
Step-by-step guide to choosing PC monitoring software
Now that you are pretty much aware of what to look for, here’s a further break down of the overall selection process of the perfectly suitable software into actionable steps:
- Determine your must-have features: Critically analyze the non-negotiable features your PC monitoring software must have. This could be comprehensive reporting, real-time monitoring, etc.
- Research and shortlist potential solutions: Do in-depth research of your potential software options, using expert opinions, user reviews, and case studies, if available. You can even refer to websites like Trustpilot or Capterra to get further information about user experiences.
- Compare pricing models: Compare the pricing models of your shortlisted software options. Some may be priced per user, while others may offer flat rates for a limited number of tools that are licensed. While at that, look for any additional costs for features like premium support or cloud storage.
- Test with free trials: If available, take advantage of the software’s demos and free trials to further assess its performance, usability, and compatibility with your existing systems.
- Check support options and updates: The effectiveness of software is often greatly influenced by the frequency of updates and customer support quality. Go with the one that offers reliable support and a proven record of regular software updates.
After following up with all the above steps, the final task is to make your choice.
Ultimately, picking the right PC monitoring software is a critical decision that has a pivotal impact on business security, productivity, and compliance efforts. By carefully evaluating your options, you can pick software that aligns with your business needs and also helps scale with growth.