Feature Set:  

SpectorSoft continues to improve Spector Pro’s excellent combination of monitoring features: Screen Snapshots, Chat/IM Activity, Web Sites Visited, Email Activity, Program Activity and Keywords Detected. You can also monitor MySpace or Facebook activity, and even specific online searches. The Top 10 Summary Reports allow you to guage what sites and activities are taking up the most time.

“Screen Snapshots” record what appears on the computer screen at specific times. You can instruct Spector Pro to take snapshots every few seconds, every few minutes or when a particular website is accessed or keyword search is detected; then at your convenience, you can view the Screen Snapshots as a slideshow. With simple VCR-type functionability, you can visually watch what others are doing online.

“Chat/IM Activity”, “Email Activity” and “MySpace Activity” lets you know who is communicating with who by displaying lists of incoming and outgoing messages. You can see what type of messages are being sent, and even the full content.

“Web Sites Visited” lists each website accessed during a specific time and “Online Searches” provides a list of recently used search words and phrases. With “Keywords Detected”, you can instruct Spector Pro to look for and record specific keywords or phrases typed during email and chat/IM conversations.

Spector Pro can even monitor and track files downloaded over the internet (music, pictures, video, software, etc.). Furthermore, the software can keep track of what files and documents are being accessed, removed, editted, renamed, and even printed. More than just monitoring online activity, Spector Pro can monitor ever program or application run on the computer, including games. You can see what programs were launched, and how long they were actually used.

“Program Activity” records the actions or inactions of programs on your computer. For example, you can find out if your kids played computer games instead of doing their homework or you can find out if an employee opened a program and left it idle to make it look like they were working all day.

“Top 10 Summary Reports” compiles a report of the most frequent keywords used in online searches, the most frequently visited websites and the addresses of the most frequent email and chat conversations. Use the Top 10 summary to see what the monitored user is spending the most time on.

Spector Pro allows you to be proactive and set immediate notifications. You can create a list of words or phrases, and if they are detected, Spector Pro will send you a notification email alert. For additional monitoring, you can purchase eBlaster. This program provides remote monitoring and other capabilities.

Ease of Use:  

Spector Pro is amazingly easy to use. The interface is simple to navigate, and the controls are intuitive. The VCR-type functions are certainly easy to follow, and the whole program is just easy to use. Visual design and effective tools make Spector Pro simple to use, and effective.

The ability to view the entire text of both incoming and outgoing email plus both sides of chat/IM conversations is great. The keystroke recorder allows you to review the most innocuous activity for all the programs on your computer. The program has a host of features, but the layout makes the tools easy to find and even easier to use.

Ease of Installation:  

You can download Spector Pro directly from the SpectorSoft website or you can have the program sent to you in the mail. Privacy laws only allow you to install Spector Pro on computers that you own and you must inform other users that monitoring software is installed.

Immediate download over the internet is fast. SpectorSoft guarantees that you can download, install, and begin using Spector Pro in under 5 minutes, even if you're using a dial-up connection. The download and setup of Spector Pro is simple, straightforward, and quick.

Monitoring Effectiveness:  

Though you technically have to let any user know that they are being monitored Spector Pro has “Stealth Mode”, which hides the program. The program will not appear on the desktop or task manager. It won't even show up after a program search and it is not listed on the hard drive, so others can not tamper or delete it. You can access the program with a combination of hot keys and a password.

Spector Pro has excellent reporting capabilities for website visits. While other monitoring programs display an intimidating list of accessed websites, Spector Pro organizes their lists for easy scanning. You can view the top–level domain for websites visited by date and if you want to look deeper, then you can drill down to each individual page.

Instead of just a list of email and chat contacts, viewing the content of these messages greatly increases Spector Pro’s monitoring effectiveness. The ability to visually record and replay the captured activity can't be overstated. You can see every web site, every email, and every keystroke if you want.

Spector Pro is certainly effective at what it does, recording all sorts of internet activity. But more importantly, Spector Pro makes this information easy to overview and monitor efficiently.

Help/Documentation:  

Spectorsoft provides excellent embedded help as well as online support through a large list of FAQs and a searchable knowledgebase. You can contact a SpectorSoft representative through email or contact them by phone 24 hours a day. Spectorsoft even has live chat available. We were able to connect with a representative immediately and have our questions answered effectively and quickly. 

Spector Pro monitors and records all the activity on the computer(s) that you own, such as the addresses and content of email, chat room and IM messages. In addition, you can discover what websites have been accessed as well as a list of keyword searches. Spector Pro can help you effectively and efficiently monitor all online activity. With the best lineup of features and great tools, Spector Pro is a complete monitoring software solution.