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Web Watcher
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There is just something high-tech and cool about being able to see what is being recorded from a remote location. On top of that, for anyone with limited access to the computer they are trying to record, this feature is a must-have. Couple this ability with WebWatcher's exceptional arsenal of monitoring tools, and it's easy to see why they are our Editor's Choice.
WebWatcher out performed everything else in our testing and it also generates the highest level of positive feedback from users that contact us.
WebWatcher monitors almost everything including:
Emails (Both sent and received)
Instant Messages/Chats
Tracks all websites that are visited
Offers controls to limit which and when software programs can be used
Tracks all keystrokes typed on the computer
Takes screenshot pictures of the monitored computer so you can see graphics, etc.
Additionally, Web Watcher offers some things you can't get anywhere else:
The ability to monitor a computer remotely so that you don't need to access it to view what has been recorded.
24/7 Technical Support
Performing an Anti-Virus / Anti-Virus scan before the software installs to ensure that the software continues to record faithfully.
The ability to monitor laptops no matter where they go.
SmartCamera - a way to take intelligent "surveillance video" of everything done whenever a specific program is used
WebWatcher is a well-rounded application that is capable of monitoring, Internet blocking and it offers time limit controls on what software programs can be used and when. In addition to that, WebWatcher also offers industrial-grade invisibility. We dug in pretty deeply, and there was no visible trace of the software anywhere.
Perhaps most importantly, WebWatcher is the only computer monitoring software available that offers web-based remote access to the recorded data. After installing WebWatcher, you'll never need to physically access the computer you're monitoring to see everything that has been recorded. You can simply log into your password-protected account from anywhere in the world to see everything that has been recorded.
That means you can log in from work and see everything that's happened on your home computer, for example.
Without this feature, you'll need to wait until the computer you're monitoring is completely free so you can check up on what's happened. We consider this to be a major Achille's heel in most other monitoring programs. A few of them offer to email you reports of computer activity but they are VERY hard to use. You essentially end up spamming yourself and it is really hard to understand what the person you're monitoring is doing. We found that we missed a lot of information and didn't really get the full picture from email reports. Additionally, since email is not a secure means of transmitting data, it's not something we recommend.
WebWatcher's interface is simple and easy to use, and even a computer novice should find that it only takes a few minutes to figure out how everything works. Web Watcher has a few advanced features that border on unnecessary, but for those that take the time to figure them out they're a nice addition. And since WebWatcher's interface is actually a website, searching through the recorded information for the juicy items is very easy. In fact, if you use their alert word system, you'll find that you can save a lot of time by reading just the emails and things that contain words that you are interested in. So, for instance, Web Watcher can display for you just emails that contain specific words, or just the Instant Message conversations with a certain person. It makes finding what you are looking for really easy.
There's another thing that WebWatcher can do that we haven't seen before. Believe it or not, WebWatcher allows you to monitor as many computers as you want regardless of whether or not they're on a network. This means that once you install the WebWatcher software, you can forget all about it and it will continue to monitor the computer regardless of where it goes. We tested this by putting the software on four laptops and a couple of desktop machines and taking the computers to a variety of different locations around town. We crusied to the couple of local coffee shops, a local library, and even brought them home, and to friends' houses to see this in action.
Amazingly, the software continued to record everything we did no matter where we took the computers. We could then monitor the activities of all four computers simply by logging into one website. You can see why this feature would be important to any employer that needed to monitor employees with laptops or who worked from several locations not connected to a network. This is one of the reasons that Web Watcher is used in schools and companies that need to monitor many computers while having a single reporting point that allows them to see every user's activity.
One really nifty feature that we got a lot of use out of was something they call "SmartCamera". It allows you to take continuous screen snapshots of all computer activity whenever the person you're monitoring uses any software program you specify. For example, you could set it to take snapshots every time Windows Media Player or MSN Messenger is used. You can then play back the snapshots and watch a mini-movie which allows you to see everything they saw including video and graphics. What's really neat is that if the person steps away from their computer for a few minutes or hours, SmartCamera will pause until they return, preventing you from having to wade through pointless screenshots of a stationary computer screen. No one else offers this and we found ourselves relying on this feature heavily whenever we wanted to get a real understanding of what the person we were monitoring was up to.
They also significantly improved the blocking function to the point that it has now gone from a weakness to top notch. While blocking is one of the features we most often have complaints with because most programs either over or under block, WebWatcher's blocking features did not disappoint. It allows you to block by category of website, specific website address or filter words if they are encountered on a webpage. Another thing WebWatcher allows you to do is what they call "whitelisting" - which is when you disallow access to all websites except for those you add to a list. WebWatcher is one of the few programs available that actually allows you to block Internet access without spending hours and hours in configuration hell.
This WebWatcher review wouldn't be complete without discussing some of the negatives about Web Watcher. We looked long and hard to find some points of complaint with the product so that it wouldn't sound like we were too enamored with the software but the only quibbles we had were rather minor. The two major issues we had the last time we tested the product (blocking software applications and blocking websites) have been so significantly improved that we now count them as strengths.
We found the documentation on the product a bit sparse (especially the section on setting user groups when monitoring multiple computers). The company says that this is because they've worked very hard to make the user interface very intuitive, negating the need for a bulky manual. We still like to have something we can use to refer to whenever we have a question about the product and in this department WebWatcher comes up a bit short.
Overall, WebWatcher really delivers and has clearly earned its position as our Reviewers' Choice. With remote access to recorded information, fantastic monitoring tools, plus the ability to block websites, no matter what you're trying to do or who you're trying to monitor, you'll be glad to have this product on your side.
If you have any questions about our WebWatcher reviews, please feel free to contact us through the form to the right.
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