IT Asset Management and Mobile Device Management Capabilities of Spiceworks
Spiceworks Managed Device Management
Spiceworks recently released its new version of the network management software with a centralized help desk and improved inventory scanning capabilities. It also includes mobile device management capabilities built on a subset of Fiberlink’s commercial MaaS360 management product at no additional cost.
In addition to these new features, the revamped help desk should make administrators look like heroes with a streamlined ticketing workflow. Improved inventory scanning and detailed software reports are welcome additions as well.
Help Desk
With Spiceworks, IT staff can help desk users troubleshoot hardware and software issues, create and manage a self-service portal and track ticket resolution times. It also lets them perform security commands, like wiping a device or resetting a passcode.
With a simple UI, it’s easy to use, and there’s no complicated setup or special hardware requirements. It supports all major proxies and firewalls, and it’s compatible with Windows, Linux and Mac OS.
The free cloud version of the software includes basic IT ticketing, IT contacts, an IT knowledge base and hardware and software inventory management. It also offers monitoring for IT assets, including Exchange and SQL Servers, disk space, and printer toner levels. An integrated extension center offers hundreds of additional user-created reports, too. It doesn’t offer real-time device monitoring, though, such as CPU or memory usage. And it’s ad-supported. But for most organizations, this is an acceptable tradeoff.
Asset Management
Known as IT asset management, this functionality provides teams with the ability to track IT assets like software and license contracts, hardware, and more. This information can then be used to assess IT expenditures and make more informed decisions. It’s important to note that there are other more advanced IT asset management solutions available, such as Paessler’s PRTG network monitor and Lansweeper, which offer a more robust set of features.
Spiceworks also has a mobile device management solution that allows users to remotely monitor and manage Android and iOS devices. Users can enroll their devices and receive a wealth of inventory data including purchase price and date, warranty information, MAC address, serial number, and more.
The software is free to use, but it comes with ads that can slow down the program and annoy users. There are more sophisticated, ad-free solutions on the market, such as SolarWinds and ManageEngine’s IT Service Desk and ITAM Suite.
Network Management
A free tool, Spiceworks relies on embedded advertising for revenue, but it is a great way to get a handle on network inventory and monitoring. A recent upgrade vastly improves device and activity scanning functions, allowing administrators to customize the scans they want to run.
This program also offers a central help desk module that brings organization to the service-related activities of an IT department. The system also offers reports on everything from helpdesk tickets to warranty information, and an integrated extension center that contains a volume of user-created plugins and scripts.
The latest version of Spiceworks includes mobile device management (MDM) capabilities based on Fiberlink’s MaaS360 commercial solution. This is a response to the ever-increasing trend of BYOD, which can present challenges in terms of maintaining control of corporate data on personal devices. This integration enables IT departments to manage the deployment of business applications and data, as well as security commands such as password reset and remote overtake for Android and iOS devices.
Reporting
Spiceworks is a free network management and help desk solution that helps businesses manage tickets, track IT incidents and support users. It also provides an IT knowledge base and team management dashboards to improve efficiency and performance. It also allows business owners to set up a self-service portal to assist customers with their queries.
The tool comes with an extensive list of built-in reports that can be accessed via the navigation menu. Administrators can also create custom SQL-based reports if they are proficient in using the query language.
The platform is easy to use and offers a number of handy tools to help IT pros get a better picture of their networks. For example, the platform includes cloud detection that can help IT pros understand what applications are being used by employees. It also lets IT pros set up and monitor device policies and remotely reset passcodes, install apps and manage storage and data thresholds.
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