SONAR 2011 Review
SONAR 2011 Review
SONAR 2011 Review
SONAR receives the first place ranking in the employee monitoring software review. The app's content filtering, blocking and scheduling features thrust it past the competition. Spector CNE Investigator and Spytech NetVizor both come equipped with some of the same monitoring software components SONAR contains. However, their features are not as robust and wide-ranging.
Privately held, Awareness Technologies formed in 2002. The Los Angeles-based company specializes in the development of monitoring software for businesses and consumers. The company has a reputation for developing high-quality applications that are robust and contain comprehensive features.
SONAR is one of the company's main products. Designed for businesses of all sizes, the app is a common tool for law enforcement officials because of its extensive documentation, tracking and other digital forensics capabilities. Additional security solutions developed by Awareness Technologies are WebWatcher, InterGuard and Laptop Cop.
The employee monitoring software is a powerful network monitoring system. The app can track and control all computers on a company's network. Moreover, its remote and roving user capabilities can monitor employees who travel such as salespeople, telecommuters and others who work away from the office. This advanced software may help a business increase their workforce's productivity.
Unique to SONAR is the ability to host the employee monitoring software on an internal dedicated server or on an external website provided by Awareness Technologies. The external option may appeal to business owners with limited IT resources. In both methods, the collection of data and the reviewing of reports are a similar and a straightforward process.
The network deployment of SONAR is quick and uncomplicated. Even beginning computer users will find it easy to perform. The employee monitoring software uses a stealth installation method. The app deploys and updates with no end user interaction. Once installed, the software secretly starts to monitor employees.
SONAR has low memory requirements and does not drain or slow the monitored computer. End users cannot detect the app or its functions on the monitored machine. No icons appear on the system tray or desktop.
Supervisors may appreciate the employee monitoring software's centralized management console. This interface simplifies the app's deployment and provides detection, blocking, logging, auditing, alerting and reporting services.
Online Monitoring:
SONAR comes equipped with an exceptional web filtering solution. The employee monitoring software can preemptively avert undesirable employee behaviors. These blocking and filtering capabilities act as an internet usage monitor and can stop employees from accessing pornography, social networks or job search websites during work hours or from company-owned computers.
The employee monitoring software blocks websites by category, keyword or URL. Managers can choose to limit online access to only a small list of websites that a worker must access to complete assigned tasks.
The application logs all website visits. SONAR records the date, time, duration and frequency of visit. Further, the software captures online searches and their results.
SONAR can assist a business with the protection of their intellectual property, client resources, marketing strategies and other confidential information. Email can be a company's largest information leak. The app secures email transactions by recording the contents of all email as well as attached documents.
The email monitoring and control features of SONAR can also assist network administrators in protecting the company's network from spyware contaminations and spam by controlling unauthorized use. Supported email clients and software include Microsoft Exchange Server, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Outlook Express, Eudora and other popular applications.
Web tracking capabilities combine with the app's screenshot and keylogger components to provide a robust capturing of webmail and social networking email messages. Some, but not all, of the app's supported webmail service providers and social networking sites include Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo, MSN, Facebook and MySpace.
The software can record the transcripts of both sides of chat and instant message conversations. Equipped with keyword alerts, if an employee types a threatening or harassing word to a coworker or another individual, the application sends the employee's supervisor an email that notifies them of a potentially problematic situation.
In addition to chat/IM keyword alert notifications, the software proactively scans word processing documents, a worker's online activities and email for keywords.
Other online monitoring capabilities of SONAR include file downloads and uploads, HTTP and FTP file transfers, as well as peer-to-peer (P2P) applications such as LimeWire and BitTorrent. Cleary SONAR is an effective internet usage monitor.
PC Tracking & Management:
SONAR assists businesses in keeping their employees productive through its comprehensive computer management and tracking capabilities.
The app's keylogger records every keyboard stroke a worker makes. It captures a complete record of an employee's computer activities that includes deletions made in email, word processing documents and spreadsheets. SONAR formats the logged information in an easy-to-read format.
Filtering & Blocking:
SONAR's application scheduling and blocking components allow managers to set allowed times for when an employee can and cannot access specified applications. If the app is configured, supervisors can block all internet browsers but grant employee browser access during the lunch hour and breaks.
The employee monitoring software can permanently block user-launched games, media players, instant messaging and other time wasting applications.
SONAR comes equipped with a rigorous document-tracking component. Managers can know what files their employees are printing, opening, editing and deleting. Regrettably, omitted from this otherwise exceptional employee monitoring software is the ability to block file transfers to USB attached drives, memory sticks or other external media and devices. Perhaps Awareness Technologies will include this missing element in future releases of the application.
Reporting Methods:
SONAR's reports are viewable from a centralized management console that the manufacturer labels the Dashboard. The app has two options for data storage and review. Administrators can elect to house the information and management console internally on a dedicated server. Alternately, the manufacturer can externally host all information on the product's secure website. The external method may pose some concerns for businesses that deal with highly confidential customer information such as medical reports, financial records and other sensitive data. Both methods are viable options and include identical features.
The app's reporting features are easy to use and have an intuitive navigation. The software generates comprehensive reports about a workforce's computer activities. Managers can also obtain information about an individual employee's computer and online activities.
The app divides built-in reports into logical categories. Heading labels are Email, IM/Chat, Keystrokes, Websites, Searches Performed, Screenshots, Programs and Social Networking.
The Screenshots reports consist of a highly developed video-like playback of all collected images. The app displays a thumbnail of the collected data that the manager clicks on to obtain more information.
Well-organized reports make reviewing the collected data a straightforward task. Pie charts, bar graphs and other visual displays assist with data interpretation. Report details can include username, executed applications, start time, window title, application name and other attributes.
Licensing & Support
Each purchase of SONAR licenses the software for installation on one computer. Customers are eligible for free live-chat tech support on a first-come-first-serve basis. VIP support is available for an additional yearly fee.
Standard live-chat tech support requests received fast responses. The website hosts a searchable knowledge base and a FAQs area.
Summary:
SONAR is an outstanding and reliable application. Cleary, Awareness Technologies has raised the standard for employee monitoring software. The app has numerous features that can help keep a company's workforce productive.
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