Overview
Browsecontrol is an internet monitoring software that lets you restrict internet access across your entire network. As a result, you can create lists of allowed and blocked URLs. This helps your employees stay on task and keeps your family away from harmful content.
Pros
The best thing about Browesecontrol from Currentware is how is it is to use. The application is simple to install, and offers a range of features. Moreover, Browsecontrol recognizes that different users on your network have different needs. Therefore, you can set up different levels of access across your network so you can make sure everyone has access to the tools they need, without giving people so much freedom that they take advantage of the situation to spend time on websites that aren’t job-related. This allows you to avoid the headaches that come with some internet monitoring software. After all, you certainly want to make sure your marketing department has access to Facebook, but your accounting department doesn’t need to share that same access.
In addition to filtering out websites, Browsecontrol can also filter different applications. Therefore, you won’t have to worry about your employees playing solitare or installing other distracting applications on their computers. You can also limit what applications can be installed altogether, which is an important feature as more workers get laptops for work, which they take home and have unmonitored access to.
Cons
The disadvantages of Browesecontrol have to deal with the nature of the internet itself. If you aren’t aware of a site or a category of site that your employees are using, then you can’t add it to the blocked list. While Browsecontrol does allow you to block categories of websites, this is a very imprecise way to manage website access.
Some customers have found that the initial setup took awhile to work properly because sometimes websites fit into multiple categories. As a result, there were several instances of people having to go through and make exceptions and exclusions to different lists so that employees could get access to the sites they need without getting access to distracting or dangerous sites. However, once this setup and list of exclusions and permissions was established, most customers were happy with Browesecontrol’s performance.
Verdict
Browsecontrol is a good application for small to medium-sized companies looking to block access to the most common recreational websites. However, it’s not a good option for enterprise companies or families that want to monitor and control internet use. The ability to block different kinds of applications in addition to websites makes it a valuable tool if you’re concerened about employee laptop use.