I confess that Spiceworks isn't wholly Webware: It's software that must be installed on a PC and which runs in the background ( download link). You can set up alerts for devices across your network. The system then lets you assign and track tickets until they are done. Spiceworks also has a full help-desk system through which users can submit service requests.

It can also kick off Windows remote control sessions for hands-on tech support. For example, administrators with this tool will easily be able to see which applications are installed at the company and which users are running old versions. I found the level of information both deep and clearly presented. I don't have that access, but I was able to peer into the data the system returned on my own PC, as well as on printers and a few open-access computers here in the office.

To monitor PCs, you need to be a systems administrator with a network administrator login for the computers in your office. You can tell which printers are running out of ink, which PCs have out-of-date virus scanners, and so on. Spiceworks scans a PC's local network and reports on the health of various items. I'm sure I'm going to get in trouble with the CNET IT team for this, but I just set up my computer to run Spiceworks, a business network scanning and monitoring application. Monitor your network devices for problems (in this case, low ink levels) with Spiceworks.

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