Watch dog is a software for surveillance in off- ice. You can use it to find
out what people are doing on their PCs–playing games, surfing the Net, or
doing office work.
The software comes in a client module and a server module. The client module
is loaded on each PC that you want to monitor. This is like a camera inside
every PC, which will keep track of what users are doing on their computers. The
module maintains an encrypted log file, which records details like which
application was used, and when it was started and terminated. This file is
generated whether or not the server module is working, and is maintained on the
client machine itself. It’s sent to the server module when asked for. The
server can be any machine connected to the network and needn’t be a high-end
or dedicated one. On the server machine, you can specify applications that are
banned or permitted for each user. For example, you may want to ban games and
permit applications like accounting software, Word, and Excel. Watch Dog doesn’t
stop users from using banned applications, but only records the usage of
applications, both permitted and banned.
From the server module, you can send alert messages which will stay on the
user’s screen till he clicks on the OK button, or a warning messages which
will disappear on its own after five seconds. You can also shut down a user’s
computer from the server module. The server module lets you demand screenshots
of any computer on the network. You can take a screenshot of the active
application, the entire desktop, or a list of application running on the
computer. This feature also lets you use Watch dog as a productivity tool, as
you can review work being done by others, and give suggestions using chat,
alert, or warning. You can use the software to chat with one or multiple people
in your organization. The software can be useful in places like schools and
cyber cafés, where it’s essential to monitor PC usage. Watchdog costs Rs
5,000 for 10 nodes,
Rs 10,000 for 25 nodes, and Rs 20,000 for unlimited number of nodes.
Source: Rhombus Technologies, Mumbai; Tel: 22-8506749 Fax: 8502961 E-mail: contact@rhombustechno-logies.com
Website: www.rhombustechnologies.com
Sandeep Saxena in Mumbai