For many businesses, network monitoring software is an essential part of their overall operations. With so many companies reliant on employees who use computers and, more importantly, the Internet, maintaining a secure network is of paramount importance.
Knowingly or otherwise, staff can occasionally open infected files or stray onto sites that contravene company guidelines. In either instance it is important that any such infractions are discovered quickly and dealt with. Failure to spot such issues could lead to wasted time and money for your business, which is why so many are keen to invest in a quality piece of network monitoring software.
In the most part free software struggles to compete with premium alternatives. The reason for this is simple: investment.
If a developer is going to develop a quality piece of software it takes an investment of time and money. In order to cover these costs, most choose to charge a fee. Whether this is a few pounds or a few thousand will often depend on the standard of the product.
Support is another key issue. If you've paid for a professional piece of network monitoring software, you're likely to be provided with expert assistance should any issues arise. This means that you won't get left high and dry should your system fail and there is always a point of contact if you require it. With most free versions, this simply isn't the case.
Premium software will generally be under near constant development. This means that new versions often become available, usually with free upgrades for existing users. As such you can counteract the latest threats and ensure that you're always maintaining the highest level of network security at all times.
This kind of constant development and awareness of customer needs simply isn't going to happen with a free product. There would be little or no benefit for any developer if they aren't going to charge for the work carried out. As such a network could easily become more susceptible to issues, which could compromise large swathes of your business and render the software completely ineffective.
The reason why many individuals and companies are still willing to pay for software, even if free alternatives are available, is simply that there is a certain quality and peace of mind that comes with it. You don't have to worry about susceptibility and most come with a huge range of additional features, many of which prove essential.
For instance you could enjoy real-time monitoring and alerts, rather than intermittent updates. This way you can quickly spot issues within the system and address them as they happen, rather than waiting for information. These reports are likely to be far more in-depth than other alternatives too, simply because of the amount of development that has gone into the software itself.
If there are serious issues with regards to employees accessing dangerous or restricted sites you will also be able to achieve a clear record of any such activity. This way you can present them with any such evidence and discuss the issue with them to avoid problems moving forwards. This can reduce the likelihood of contracting malware and also ensure that time is not being wasted within the workplace.
Whilst there are some benefits to having free network monitoring software, notably it is affordable and is usually better than having nothing at all, there are significant drawbacks too. If you value the integrity of your network, particularly if there are a large number of users accessing it at any one time, then you need to make sure that you have the necessary protection. Taking the cheap option may save you money now, but it could be extremely costly in the long run.
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