Spiceworks Free Network Tool
I am sure I am not the only IT Manager that is struggling to find robust tools that can help with asset management, networking stats and help desk functionality. Budgets get tight and it is nearly impossible to find something that is well suited for your needs without the Accountant Gods coming down and shutting down the cash flow to purchase a decent product.
Last summer, I was reading a trade mag, (Network World) and I was reading this great story about a start up company that believed they could set up a very cool web-based product that could give you help desk functionality, asset management, and basic network statistics. The company is called Spiceworks.
I was cautious when I first saw the site. Who is going to give out a tool that does so much for free??? Well they do have a catch, but it is very minimal. You can install the software and then run the web console in under 3 minutes. When you start the configuration you will notice on the right hand side, there are ads for technology products and services. I was nervous. Will I get pop ups? Will there be any downloading of unknown content? NONE OF THESE! In the privacy terms for Spiceworks, you can see they download stats that are basic and not specific to your network. It is just for statistical purposes.
After installing this on a network monitor server, I ran the console and set up the network configuration. I am now on my way. I run the scan and it starts to discover your network assets.
I have to say I am blown away. The web console has so many different tools on it. You can see a summary panel that tells you how many network devices you have on the network. If you mouse over the items, it pops up some cool stats in flash. We use Landesk at our company and I am not very pleased with it. When you run this Spiceworks tool, it does about 60 percent of what Landesk does, only better and for no cost at all!!
Some of the features are;
* Inventory and report on your company’s hardware and software assets automatically.
* Monitor and troubleshoot the hardware and software on your network.
* Run an IT Help Desk for your company that’s easy to use.
Check out the site and download it for your company network. It is not an enterprise tool, but for those companies that need a product that is robust and does not break the bank. This is a winner!
Technorati Tags: Spiceworks, Networking, network tools, help desk software, asset management
