Wireless Communications
Success Story
Monitoring Software “Hands Down”
Choice at RCS Communications
RCS Communications
Industry:
Wireless Communications
Location:
Louisville, Kentucky
RCS Communications is a Louisville,
Kentucky-based regional leader
in the sales and service of wireless
communication products.
RCS operates three facilities with
approximately 45 desktop computers,
25 mobile users, and six servers running
Windows.
For more information about RCS
Communications, please visit rcs.info.
The Challenge
Information Systems Manager Robert Elliott said that at one time in the not too distant
past, many RCS Communications employees “seemed to feel that the work computer
was an extension of the home PC.”
“Lots of folks, even managers, failed to recognize the significance of their
inappropriate activity,” said Elliott. “They treated their actions, as well as those of
others, almost apologetically, as if they were ‘just checking the weather.’”
“The biggest time-wasting was employees playing games,” said Elliott. “A disgruntled
employee revealed the game-playing during an exit interview. This individual had just
had it with others not working around her. But there was no real evidence.
“Time-wasting had migrated to an area where we were blind.”
Search for a Solution
RCS Communications
was challenged by
employees treating
their office computer
like an extension of
their home computer
… playing games and
doing lots of nonwork activities.
Implementing SurfControl was the company’s first attempt at regulating Internet
and computer activity, using the filtering product to block certain web sites and as a
“packet sniffer.” At the time, RCS monitored emails by simply copying them to a file.
“Given the knowledge of the game-playing, plus the pending rollout of Instant
Messaging — neither of which could be monitored by our two-year-old SurfControl
program —we needed some help,” said Elliott. “I did a general search on activity
monitoring feature sets. Looking at the activity going on in the organization, I felt we
were feature-driven more than dollar-driven.
“Originally, I was biased against a client-based product, but once I got past that, there
was no question: SPECTOR 360 is the choice.”
Success Story
“We could have
terminated several
people, but the problem
was so widespread ...
... we distributed
the pictures
anonymously to
demonstrate
SPECTOR 360’s
technology.
The game-playing
stopped cold.”
Robert Elliot
RCS Communications
Lousiville, Kentucky
Discoveries
Elliott said that once he installed SPECTOR 360 and began computer and Internet
activity monitoring, the program captured and recorded a rash of inappropriate
behavior.
“We really had next to no porn surfing,” said Elliott. “The problem was game-playing and
personal stuff … mostly Scrabble, crossword puzzles, recipes, church flyers … things
like that. We could have terminated several people. But the problem was so widespread,
and because some of the employees were considered quite valuable, we distributed the
pictures anonymously to demonstrate SPECTOR 360’s technology.
“The game-playing stopped cold.”
Leaking of company confidential information – whether maliciously or inadvertently
– can be one of the most costly events for any business. Implementing SPECTOR 360
activity monitoring software can help reveal the leaks as well as provide the deterrent
necessary to ensure such data always stays within friendly confines.
Using SPECTOR 360’s unrivaled monitoring capability as part of regular email
maintenance, Elliott noticed an inordinate amount of spreadsheet attachments.
“We were literally giving away data … and dollars,” said Elliott. “I found active Excel
spreadsheets were being sent to the customer as part of a maintenance agreement.
Some of the spreadsheet values were being changed and sent back. Not only did we
catch this thanks to SPECTOR 360, but we had proof.”
What Elliott calls the most significant “horror story” related to a specific employee
involved a young salesman. At time of hire, the newcomer signed the company Use of
Communications System Policy almost in passing. When Elliott checked the SPECTOR
360 logs not too long thereafter, he had quite a surprise.
“He had gone to porn sites, he had purchased porn with his personal credit card, and he
had downloaded the porn to his work computer,” said Elliott. “He also had reconfigured
his computer. I handed him a 17-page report on his activities and told him the deal. He
got it and has been a model employee ever since.”
In addition to its unsurpassed computer activity monitoring, Elliott added that RCS
Communications also has found SPECTOR 360 to be helpful in employee training,
valuable as a Human Resources tool, and a useful “help desk” utility.
“Using the software, we now keep an eye on new employees for a couple of weeks,” said
Elliott. “It helps in training … you look at the SPECTOR 360 screen snapshots and not only
can you ask why are they doing this … but why are they doing it this way?”
“I have noticed that individuals who continue to bump into the acceptable use policy are
folks you don’t want to have around anyway,” said Elliott. “In that way, it’s an HR thing. It
straightened out some folks we really wanted to keep.”
® Communications
2 | SPECTOR 360: RCS
Success Story
“The return on
investment was only
a few months. I think
you have to ask yourself
‘what is the price of
security? How much is
a customer database
worth?
When I saw
SPECTOR 360 I said
‘this is it.’ SPECTOR 360
had it hands down.”
Robert Elliot
RCS Communications
Lousiville, Kentucky
“We have also used the snapshots tool to help us recreate events leading to a
computer crash,” said Elliott.
Awareness
Elliott said he and RCS management “had to play the heavy with employees for a while.”
“We felt people needed to ask themselves a pretty simple but tough question: ‘Is this
work-related?’ Our stance regarding access to the Internet is ONLY when work-related.”
“We knew we needed an acceptable use policy in place,” said Elliott. “The paperwork was
given to employees with their checks. Once they were signed and returned, we started to
monitor. We also verbally informed key individuals in the organization so the word would
get out through the grapevine. The message for some was ‘don’t worry’ but for others it
was ‘watch out.’ It set up a real buzz.”
SPECTOR 360: The Software of Choice
Elliott was pleased to learn, with the assistance of what he considers a knowledgeable
and helpful SpectorSoft sales team, that SPECTOR 360’s multiple-license pricing makes
comprehensive, effective computer and Internet activity monitoring an affordable
proposition for companies of any size.
“The sales and development team really took care of us,” said Elliott. “When we decided
to implement company-wide monitoring as opposed to a focused investigation, I felt we
took advantage of a big price break.”
“The return on investment in our situation was only a few months,” said Elliott. “Considering
dollars spent, I think you have to ask yourself ‘what is the price of security? How much is a
customer database worth?’”
Part of Elliott’s initial concern about client-based software was the need to use what
some Information Technology types call “sneakernet”: walking up to each computer
to install software and then repeatedly returning to perform monitoring tasks.
SPECTOR 360 eliminated the objection because it allowed him to install all the software
from one computer.
“When I saw SPECTOR 360 I said ‘this is it.’ SPECTOR 360 had it hands down. I really
appreciate the central management, and the ability to push out the installs from my desk.
That’s probably the biggest selling point. I literally did the installs from my desk.
“SPECTOR 360 just kind of runs after that. It just keeps going.”
“What I like best about SPECTOR 360 can be explained by viewing the Dashboard with its Quick
View selections,” said Elliott. “I especially like the ability to drill down to the screen snapshots …
the frequency, the quality of the pictures, the alert mode … they’re the best.”
“The install was easy and straightforward,” said Elliott. “It’s real intuitive. I had expectations
with SPECTOR 360 and they were met.”
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3 | SPECTOR 360: RCS
Success Story
About SPECTOR 360®
SPECTOR 360 enables
you to monitor employee
computers and Internet
use, analyze trends and
patterns, search for specific
details, investigate when
something seems amiss,
and report your findings all
from the convenience of
your desktop. SPECTOR 360
is a highly scalable, centrallymanaged, employee
monitoring solution that is
easy to deploy and manage,
even company-wide.
“In addition to increasing productivity, SPECTOR 360 also gives us proof of lack of
productivity,” said Elliott. “If we have to go to court with an individual fired for cause, we
have the information to blow the case out of the water.”
Elliott summed up his opinion of SPECTOR 360 simply:
“Because of SPECTOR 360, I know our people are not fooling around on the
computer. They are working at the computer. If they are fooling around on the
computer, it’s someplace else, like at home.”
For more information about SPECTOR 360, please visit www.spector360.com … or for
more information about SpectorSoft and its other dependable, full-featured User Activity
Monitoring software products, please visit www.spectorsoft.com.
Features at a Glance
•Monitor all employee
computers and Internet activity
with high-level charts, graphs
and tables
•View detailed activity of
individual employees with
point-and-click drill down
•Automated reporting
•Includes context-based web
filtering
•Multiple levels of security
prevent tampering or disabling
•Configure, install and manage
over existing network
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4 | SPECTOR 360: RCS