How to choose the employee monitoring software product which will fit your needs best

Tip 1. Cloud-based vs. Server-based product

As you noticed, the software products listed here fall into two groups: cloud based and server-based. So, to save time, it’s pretty reasonable to decide what type of software will suit you better before you start to look through the list of products. In a nutshell, cloud-based product stores data received from monitoring in the cloud, and server based one needs a separate computer (i.e. server) to store data. If you are very concerned about the data, which will be collected during monitoring of the employees’ workplaces, a server solution may suit you better. But if you are ready to entrust storing of these data to the cloud, a cloud solution most likely will suit you. It is also worth noting that a cloud solution will also save you money, because you won’t need to purchase a server and pay for its maintenance.

Tip 2. What operation systems are installed at your employees’ PCs?

Before looking through the numerous monitoring products’ functions, please remember what operation system is installed on the PC(s) you want to monitor. It will help you avoid mistakes and save you time and money.

Tip 3. Take time to clearly formulate what exactly you need

Being an owner of all PCs in your company, you have every right to monitor their use and perform staff work time logging (at least laws of the majority of countries say you do). Think what actually you want to achieve. Is it so important to catch rule-breakers red-handed – or you just want your personnel to spend more time working?

How many employees do you have?

What kind of information about PC use do you want to get? Think over this question and write down your answer.

What activities do you want to prevent?

Use of what applications do you want to have full control over?

Do you want to prevent such activities totally or allow them for a certain time (during lunch breaks)?

When choosing a web filter, think once again about the resources you want to totally prohibit on the workplace. What about, say, news sites? If you prevent your personnel from accessing them, they won’t be able to read any news there, including those they might need for their work. Some of the clients prefer communication in social networks to email and phone.

So, think twice about prohibiting some activity altogether – just limiting such an activity may be the better option. All in all, everything is up to you.