Programs to Monitor Internet Connections
Internet monitoring software has become vital to many businesses. These programs allow employers to track how much time employees spend on the Internet and what they are doing online. Employers can block specific websites or discipline employees who spend too much time on online activities unrelated to work. Parents may also want to use Internet monitoring software to keep track of what their kids are doing online or block websites they do not want their children to access.
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RescueTime
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RescueTime may be used by employers or self-employed individuals to keep workers on track. This program monitors users' Internet usage and provides feedback in the form of graphs and charts. It also keeps track of when an individual is away from the computer by tracking when the computer is idle. When the user returns to the computer, RescueTime asks the user to input the reason for her absence.
Employers can also use RescueTime to block users from viewing undesirable websites. The Internet administrator marks sites as unproductive and tells RescueTime not to allow access to these sites for a specific period of time. When the user attempts to access the site, RescueTime blocks access; the user is instead redirected to a page stating that RescueTime has blocked the site.
Work Examiner
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Work Examiner is a software package that allows employers to monitor and control employees' Internet usage. Two packages are available: Work Examiner Standard and Work Examiner Professional. A separate package, Work Examiner Academic, allows educators to monitor students' Internet usage and block them from accessing undesirable websites.
Work Examiner Standard is meant for smaller companies (those with fewer than 20 employees) while Work Examiner Professional is meant for larger companies. Both packages allow employers to monitor what each employee is doing online and block all employees from visiting certain websites. Work Examiner Professional allows more than one administrator to view usage data. Access can be customized so that supervisors only see data related to the employees under their supervision. Work Examiner Academic has similar features to Work Examiner Professional, but is customized to meet educators' needs. For example, educators can see screenshots of students' computers while they are using them, a feature that is not available in either workplace edition of the software.
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Track4Win
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Track4Win allows employers to track Internet usage. Track4Win Enterprise, the business edition of this software, keeps track of websites and applications employees access during the workday. It can also keep track of when files are moved, deleted or renamed. This helps employers monitor Internet security. Track4Win also offers a home monitoring software package.
Track4Win allows administrators to view a list of websites accessed by each computer on a network. It does not allow administrators to block employees from visiting sites; however, it informs them of how long each employee spends on each site, so employers can determine whether employees are wasting time on unproductive sites.
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References
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