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Zoho Desk review
7:06 am | October 22, 2020

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets | Comments: Off

Zoho Desk is a customer service help desk product that bills itself as the first “context-aware” solution in the industry. That means that every interaction with a customer is guided by a range of information that Zoho has about them, including their history and past issues and activities—anything that will help an agent understand the issue more quickly, which in turn brings about a quicker resolution. 

Zoho Desk pricing page

Zoho Desk offers a choice of a free plan and four paid plans (Image credit: Zoho)

Zoho Desk: Plans and pricing

Zoho has a range of plans to suit most business needs. You can test each of them out in a 15-day trial. You can change between subscriptions during this time and Zoho actually encourage you to do so, so you can try out different features.

The good news is that Zoho offer a free plan, which they describe as being suitable for "minimal support needs" This plan can encompass up to 3 agents. You also get basic e-mail ticketing and a knowledge base.

Zoho also offer an 'Express' plan costs just $7 per user per month if you pay annually or $9 per user per month if you pay annually. This supports up to 5 users and also includes a basic ticketing system, analytics and social media integration.

Both the free and 'Express' plans are nestled further down the pricing page and we had to hunt around for them. This is in contrast to our original review of Zoho Desk in 2020 when the features of the free plan were listed alongside the paid tiers at the top of the page. 

The current page lists the top 3 pricing tiers. The 'Standard' plan costs $14 per user per month if billed annually or $20 per user per month if you pay monthly. Perks include five e-mail channels, your very own help center, a feedback widget, five advanced web forms, social media support for 1 brand (Facebook and Twitter) and Instant Messaging. There's also no limit on the number of agents you can have on the 'Standard' plan provided you're able and willing to pay the subscription fees.

Zoho Desk review

Zoho Desk’s slogan is to “save the world from bad customer service" (Image credit: Zoho Desk)

The 'Professional' plan costs $23 per user per month if paid annually or $35 per user if you pay monthly. It includes all of the above along with other perks like the ability to 'follow' tickets and customers as well as add ticket resolutions to your knowledge base.

The 'Professional' plan also has safeguards to avoid ticket 'collisions'. Zoho Desk can alert you if another agent has begun responding to a ticket and you can even chat with them.

Crucially this is the tier that allows you to integrate your help desk with approved telephony providers and create custom workflows.

The 'Enterprise' tier costs $40 per user per month if billed annually or $50 per user if you're paying monthly. It includes everything in the above-mentioned plans plus some heavy-hitting extras.

These include support for up to one hundred e-mail channels, no fewer than twenty web forms for each of your departments, as well as integration for up to two brands for Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Most importantly this tier supports live chat, so you can interact with customers directly on your website and convert conversations into tickets.

We've only been able to scratch the surface of the vast number of features available with various Zoho Desk plans here, so encourage you to visit the main website for a detailed comparison.

Zoho Desk: Features

The Enterprise plan clearly boasts an impressive feature list, but even the free plan comes with features that make it worthwhile considering. These include the multilingual email ticketing and customer management system which is at the core of the software, a help center with a private knowledge base, macros for executing repetitive tasks automatically, mobile apps, and 24/5 email support.

Zoho Desk review

The Zoho Desk ticketing system is at the heart of the software (Image credit: Zoho Desk)

Zoho Desk’s ticket management system is multichannel meaning that email, phone, social media, and live chat can all be used for customer support interactions. Tickets are automatically organized, and a number of handy tools exist to increase ticketing efficiency, and by extension, agent productivity.

Zoho Desk also has an artificial intelligence feature called Zia that can speak to your customers and share relevant knowledgebase articles with them, automatically tag tickets, alert agents to unusual activity, and be trained to carry out actions specific to your business.

Zoho Desk: Interface and in use

When you first log in to your Zoho Desk dashboard, you’re presented with a list of your tickets. The other main tabs in the dashboard are for knowledge base articles and customers.

Zoho Desk review

Zoho Desk provides a lot of different editing and action options for tickets (Image credit: Zoho Desk)

Similarly to many online helpdesk apps, Zoho Desk provides you with a lot of control over what can be edited for each ticket – for example, status, owner, priority, classifications, and channel. You can also view a ticket’s activity history and apply various actions to it.

At the bottom of the window when viewing a ticket is a button for Apply Macro. However, when you click on it, it says “macros aren’t created yet,” and there’s no indication as to how to create one. Other helpdesk software apps we’ve looked at have a default set of macros included, and you can add others if you need ones specific to your business.

The lack of help with the macros is just one example of how Zoho Desk doesn’t feel as intuitive as other helpdesk solutions we’ve looked at. There are many different links and buttons scattered all over the dashboard, and it feels a bit overwhelming to find your way around. Some of the links and buttons are also tiny and thus difficult to read.

Zoho Desk support plans

Zoho Desk offers both free and paid support options (Image credit: Zoho)

Zoho Desk: Support

Zoho Desk is a bit different from other helpdesk software providers in that it provides different levels of support. There are three tiers, with the first being free and the other two costing either 20% or 25% of your license fee.

 The free option only offers live chat and toll-free phone support during business hours, while the others offer those options for 24 hours. You can also e-mail or raise a request in the self-service portal. Zoho Desk claim the maximum response time for this is 24 hours. The Enterprise plan is available seven days a week as opposed to the five days for the Premium plan.

The two paid plans introduce remote and configuration assistance and product onboarding. Meanwhile, the Enterprise plan gives you your own account manager, along with a quarterly report on your usage of features, with suggestions on how to optimize your business processes.

Zoho Desk's support plans also include 'onboarding' to 'Premium' and 'Enterprise' subscribers for 45 or 60 days from the date of purchase respectively. This involves an onboarding specialist working with you to set up Zoho Desk, learn about different features and get assistance with customization and automatization.   

Zoho Desk security page

Zoho takes the security of its platform and customers very seriously (Image credit: Zoho)

Zoho Desk: Security

Zoho, the company behind Zoho Desk, produces many different software products and takes the same high-level approach to security for all of them. One of the ways it does this is through the 'Roles' feature which allows you to manage what information is visible to which agents and/or departments. You can also create profiles to save you having to manually set permissions per worker.

For instance, you can create a profile for new agents which allows them to change the ownership of tickets but not close them.

Zoho Desk's security page also touts its 'field security' feature. This allows you to set permissions about which fields can be edited by certain workers. 'Enterprise' plan subscribers can also benefit from 'field encryption' whereby sensitive data entered into fields can be encoded. Zoho's comprehensive knowledge base informed us that this is done using industry standard AES encryption. 

Zoho Desk also claims to be GDPR compliant. One strong point in their favour is that all subscriptions (including the free plan) give users the choice where their data is stored. When reviewing other help desk platforms we've only ever seen this feature available as a paid extra or for higher tier subscribers, so were very impressed. Current data center choices are the US, EU, India, Australia and Japan.

Parent company Zoho has also published an extensive Security Whitepaper, detailing the stringent measures they take to keep their own customers' data safe.

For instance, they specify their facilities have 24/7 monitoring, video cameras and biometric access. The company is ISO 27001, ISO27017 and ISO27018 certified.

We were also very pleased to see that Zoho has a detailed page on exactly how it encrypts customer data. In brief, all connections between users and Zoho's servers are protected by the latest versions of TLS (1.2 / 1.3). 

Databases are protected using ultra-secure 256-Bit AES encryption and Zoho claim they also use full disk encryption on their hardware. 

Like the free choice of data centers, this is refreshing change from other help desk platforms who claim to use encryption and secure data but don't provide exact details on the type of encryption or password hashes used. 

Zoho Desk: The competition

If you like to shop around before deciding on a purchase, there are plenty of alternatives in the online helpdesk space for you to consider, including Freshdesk and Zendesk.

Freshdesk is another solution offering a large range of features. There are a selection of plans, including a free option that can be used by unlimited agents. Its paid plans range in price from $15/agent/month up to $79/agent/month, and all plans come with a 21-day free trial. 

LiveAgent is another option with a free plan that has no limit on agents, while paid plans go from $9/agent/month up to $69/agent/month. Like Zoho Desk and Freshdesk, as you move up through the plans, more features are added to those available from the previous level.

Zoho Desk: Final verdict

Zoho Desk has competitive pricing, with its high-end plans cheaper than those of many competitors. However, its free plan has a small limit on the number of agents and you have to pay to get better levels of support.

The software’s feature set is impressive but we found the app itself a bit overwhelming to use and lacking in tips or guides on how to make the most of it.

We've also highlighted the best live chat software.

Bitdefender Digital Identity Protection review
6:14 am |

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Pro Security | Comments: Off

The United States continues to experience a severe identity fraud problem, which has become increasingly expensive due to modern digital threats. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) received more than 1.1 million identity theft complaints in 2024, representing a 9.5% increase from the previous year. The total financial losses from fraud and identity theft reached an alarming $12.7 billion according to recent statistics. The statistic illustrates how our digital convenience comes with a price, as it makes us more susceptible to advanced cybercriminal activities.

The rising importance of digital identity protection services has transformed them from optional extras into fundamental necessities because of the widespread nature of identity theft. The conventional methods of protecting our data, such as using strong passwords and being careful with information sharing, no longer provide adequate protection. The growing complexity of cyber threats necessitates that individuals implement robust defensive strategies to safeguard themselves against potential security breaches. The growing awareness of identity protection has motivated people to seek dedicated solutions that safeguard their personal data and identity.

The cybersecurity company Bitdefender leads the way with its innovative solutions, among others. Bitdefender Digital Identity Protection provides a comprehensive suite of services that track and detect identity theft, while also offering recovery support to affected users. The service offers three primary features, including continuous web-based personal data monitoring, identity theft alerts, and post-incident recovery assistance.

This review examines Bitdefender to help you determine if it represents the correct solution for your needs.

Bitdefender Digital Identity Protection prices as of July 2025

(Image credit: Bitdefender)

Bitdefender Digital Identity Protection: Plans and pricing

Bitdefender Digital Identity Protection operates on an annual subscription model, making it accessible for users who prefer a straightforward payment structure. Although prices can fluctuate depending on ongoing promotions, the typical cost for the first year hovers around $39.99. Following this initial period, the subscription automatically renews at a standard rate, often around $79.99 per year. For those seeking more flexibility, a monthly subscription option is generally available for about $7.99.

It’s important to note that this service is designed for individual use, meaning it generally covers one person’s identity. For families or groups looking to monitor multiple identities, it may be necessary to explore Bitdefender's more comprehensive offerings. Options like "Identity Theft Protection Standard" or "Premium" plans provide a broader range of features, such as credit report monitoring and identity theft insurance, which can cover losses of up to $1 million or $2 million, in addition to restoration services. For users seeking the most extensive protection, Bitdefender's "Ultimate Security" bundles might be worth considering.

Understanding that users should have confidence in their purchase, Bitdefender offers a 30-day money-back guarantee for its Digital Identity Protection service. This feature allows users to try the service risk-free, reassured that if it doesn’t meet their expectations, they can receive a full refund within the specified timeframe.esn’t offer any short-term subscriptions or free trials.

Bitdefender Digital Identity Protection review

You can contact Bitdefender directly for a full refund within 30 days of starting a new subscription (Image credit: Bitdefender Digital Identity Protection)

Bitdefender Digital Identity Protection: Features

Through Bitdefender Digital Identity Protection, you receive complete online security for your personal information that extends to dark web monitoring with alerts about potential security threats. This solution enables users to understand their digital identity footprint and receive step-by-step protection instructions.

The core monitoring system uses Personalized Breach Monitoring, which generates individualized intelligence about data breach effects on your identity. Through advanced data processing, the system generates risk scores by analyzing multiple elements from data breach events. The platform performs Dark Web Threat Monitoring through continuous website scans that include black market chat rooms and blogs to identify illegal personal information sales. Bitdefender delivers immediate warnings about compromised credentials and potential account takeovers so users can act right away.

The Smart SSN Tracker system provides alerts when an unfamiliar name, alias, or address shows up with your Social Security Number, indicating possible fraud. The service also includes Social Media Identity Monitoring, tracking Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram accounts for violent content, profanity, and discriminatory or cyberbullying posts.

The system protects against financial and medical forms of fraud. The Medical ID Fraud Protection service enables users to check medical benefits statements for unauthorized usage of their medical benefits. The Fraud Alert Reminders system sends rapid warnings to users when their identity appears in applications for new credit cards, wireless devices, utility payments, check reorders, mortgages, and car loans, thus enabling users to identify fraud at its early stages.

The premium features of this service provide Bank & Credit Card Activity Alerts that notify users about charges, withdrawals, and balance transfers above their defined limits. Additionally, Investment Account Alerts detect early warning signs of deposit fraud, withdrawal fraud, duplicate transactions, and balance transfer fraud in 401(k), brokerage, and financial accounts.

The Change of Address Premium feature sends alerts to users about unauthorized USPS mail redirections, which criminals often use to steal financial documents. The Premium version of Court Records Monitoring searches millions of criminal, court, and public records to protect your identity from unauthorized use. The Sex Offender Registry Monitoring Premium feature actively monitors sex offender registries for both illegal identity misuse and when sex offenders move near your location to use your personal information fraudulently.

Bitdefender Digital Identity Protection provides Identity Threat Alerts to deliver information about significant data breaches, identity theft cases, and emerging identity theft legislation. The service includes Lost Wallet Protection, which enables quick credit card, debit card, and ATM card replacement and cancellation in case of identity theft. Moreover, it offers 24/7 U.S. Customer Support staffed by specialists who help users resolve and restore their digital identities. The service also shows your digital footprint through visualization and provides actionable education, presenting tailored identity protection advice based on detected risks.

Bitdefender Digital Identity Protection review

Bitdefender makes it easy to track and visualize your digital footprint (Image credit: Bitdefender Digital Identity Protection)

Bitdefender Digital Identity Protection: Interface and in use

The Bitdefender Digital Identity Protection interface enables users to manage their digital identity through a web-based dashboard, accessible via Bitdefender Central online. This platform allows users to monitor their online identity risks without requiring any local software installations. The platform offers users complete control over their digital privacy through its centralized management system, making it easy to protect personal information.

The dashboard shows users' essential digital identity components after they complete the login process. The "Digital Identity Protection Score" stands out as a key feature that provides a numerical value indicating your current level of privacy protection. The score functions as a fundamental tool that helps users determine their level of online exposure. The "Digital Footprint" area displays users' publicly accessible information, enabling them to assess their data vulnerability.

The interface contains specific sections for monitoring "Data Breaches" while enabling users to perform "Impersonation Check" operations. The "Data Breaches" section notifies users about potential information breaches, and the "Impersonation Check" verifies that your identity remains protected from unauthorized usage.

The dashboard navigation becomes simple because it features clickable tabs at the top, including "Dark Web Monitoring," "Data Brokers," and "Event History." Users can explore each specific part of their online presence by using the tabs on the interface. The "Dark Web Monitoring" feature of the platform performs real-time checks on illicit online marketplaces to identify any personal data that matches your information. Through the "Data Brokers" section, users learn about the personal information collection and sales operations of data broker companies, while also receiving guidance on controlling their data visibility.

The Bitdefender interface presents complex information in an efficient and structured manner. The platform utilizes visual components, including risk maps and graphs, to help users easily understand complex information. The platform's user-friendly interface displays your data risk locations alongside recommended actions to mitigate those risks. The platform enables users to access simple one-click features that help them contact companies to remove data and protect compromised accounts, thus providing quick solutions.

The platform includes real-time alert systems that enable users to quickly handle digital identity threats. Through its complete set of tools, Bitdefender Digital Identity Protection enables users to track sensitive information and detect data breaches while providing active protection for their online presence. Through its user-driven digital identity protection system Bitdefender delivers a safer online experience to users.

Bitdefender Digital Identity Protection review

The Bitdefender interface enables you to quickly visualize data and view suggested actions (Image credit: Bitdefender Digital Identity Protection)

Bitdefender Digital Identity Protection: Support

Like several other identity protection companies, Bitdefender includes a rather comprehensive support page with solutions to frequent inquiries regarding the settings and functionality of the program. If you require assistance with Bitdefender Digital Identity Protection, start by visiting the Support Center.

Bitdefender offers several other options beyond the answers available in the Support Center. You can contact the company’s support team directly via a choice of phone, email, or live chat.

Although there are no specified hours for live chat assistance, English-language phone support is offered around-the-clock. The Bitdefender support system may be able to address any issues you run through, however we never received an answer to a question that was quite simple.

Bitdefender Digital Identity Protection review

The Bitdefender Support Center contains detailed articles on a number of topics (Image credit: Bitdefender Digital Identity Protection)

Bitdefender Digital Identity Protection: The competition

The identity protection services from Bitdefender Digital Identity Protection compete with various established players and emerging companies that offer comprehensive protection against identity theft, credit monitoring, and cybersecurity services. The market consists of two main groups of competitors, which include traditional antivirus companies that are extending their identity protection services alongside specialized identity theft protection services.

The market is dominated by two leading competitors: Norton LifeLock and Aura. Norton LifeLock provides established identity protection services through its Norton 360 antivirus suite, which combines real-time threat detection with VPN and identity restoration features. Aura has established itself through its comprehensive feature set, which includes dark web monitoring, public records tracking, financial transaction alerts, three-bureau credit score monitoring, AI-based spam call/text blocking, and identity theft insurance benefits. Aura provides quick fraud detection capabilities alongside family-oriented subscription plans.

Identity Guard operates as a major competitor through its comprehensive identity theft protection system, featuring AI alerts, password management, and secure browsing capabilities. IDShield stands as a powerful option because it delivers comprehensive identity theft protection through its social media monitoring and unlimited fraud resolution services, which utilize the expertise of private investigators. IdentityForce provides an extensive feature set that includes advanced fraud monitoring, together with robust child protection capabilities.

The broader security packages of cybersecurity companies, such as McAfee, Avast, and Kaspersky, include identity monitoring and protection features. The primary focus of these companies on antivirus and malware protection has led them to develop dark web monitoring, password managers, and secure VPNs that deliver comprehensive digital security solutions. The anti-malware solution provider Malwarebytes has developed identity protection features in addition to its core malware defense capabilities.

New identity protection services, such as NordProtect from NordVPN developers, provide identity protection through their cybersecurity suite, which includes data leak monitoring and cyber extortion coverage features. The market is undergoing ongoing evolution, as providers actively enhance their monitoring capabilities with rapid alert systems and comprehensive recovery services, while bundling these tools with other cybersecurity products to increase consumer value.

Bitdefender Digital Identity Protection: Final verdict

The digital world presents identity fraud as a significant security concern that users must address. The Bitdefender Digital Identity Protection system offers comprehensive services that track and warn users about identity theft, while also helping them recover their stolen personal data.

Bitdefender offers its services through annual subscriptions, which provide ongoing personal data monitoring, identity theft alerts, and post-incident recovery support. The system includes Personalized Breach Monitoring, which provides customized risk scores, and Dark Web Threat Monitoring, which detects the sale of illegal personal data. The system fights financial and medical fraud through its Smart SSN Tracker and Medical ID Fraud Protection tools.

Users can handle their digital identity through Bitdefender Central's user-friendly web dashboard, which shows their "Digital Identity Protection Score" and "Digital Footprint." Users can easily manage their data removal and account protection through the platform's simple interface.

The Digital Identity Protection service from Bitdefender comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee, but it exists mainly for individual users. The "Identity Theft Protection Standard" and "Premium" plans of Bitdefender offer credit report monitoring and identity theft insurance to families who need these features.

The competitive market featuring Norton LifeLock and Aura does not deter Bitdefender from offering its complete feature set and excellent customer support, which makes it an attractive choice for identity fraud protection.

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Chrome River Expense review
11:48 pm | October 21, 2020

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Pro Software & Services | Comments: Off

Chrome River Expense is just one of several productivity software packages available from this provider. In fact, Chrome River offers a wide range of business-focused options that cover everything from invoicing and corporate credit cards through to travel management and analytics software. Chrome River Expense is, unsurprisingly, tasked with helping your business make better use of the time spent on handling expenses.

Being a SaaS based solution means that Chrome River is easily scaled if you need to use it more as your business grows. At the same time, it offers plenty of convenience for both administrators and managers, as well as employees. Indeed, the latter will find that the mobile edition of the software will allow them to stay on top of expenses no matter where they happen to be.

Other expense trackers in this marketplace include QuickBooks, Expensify, Hurdlr and Zoho Expense all of which are worthy of investigation.



Chrome River Expense

Chrome River Expense can be used alongside other products in the portfolio (Image credit: Chrome River Expense)

Pricing

Anyone looking to move over to Chrome River Expense can get a guided tour of the package thanks to a demo option. Pricing, meanwhile, comes in three different variations currently, with something to suit any kind of business. It’s possible to base your costings on the volume of monthly expense reports that you expect to need, or the number of employees submitting expenses within your company. 

Larger businesses, however, will probably want to make use of the unlimited volume option that gives them the freedom to process as much as they want when it comes to expense admin. Whichever option appeals you’ll need to contact them and talk through the options after getting the demo as specific pricing details are not revealed until you do.

Chrome River Expense

There's a Chrome River Expense app for iOS and Android (Image credit: Chrome River Expense)

Features

There’s everything you need to get on top of expenses within the Chrome River Expense software framework. It features automated spend control, in-application feature training and assistance, plus automated approval routing too. You get embedded OCR technology, which means faster scanning of receipts, plus credit card integration for a more streamlined workflow. 

Another benefit with Chrome River Expense is that it can be integrated to work with other popular financial systems, which will be a bonus for businesses that ideally want a seamless transition if they sign up for it. The SaaS package can also work in harmony with other products in the portfolio, thanks to its modular system that enables the integration of purchase orders and so on. 

Employees can carry out the majority of expense-related tasks from their mobiles, and there’s the ability to get approvals on the go. Meanwhile, administrators can also authorise the likes of cash advances and personal expenses from anywhere while the whole system can be configured to suit individual business needs. There’s international appeal too, as the system can also support 173 different currencies.

Chrome River Expense

Chrome River Expense offers secure access from any location (Image credit: Chrome River Expense)

Performance

The Chrome River Expense experience has been designed to be as smooth and seamless as possible, with a cloud-based SaaS philosophy that also includes excellent mobile appeal. 

In fact, the designers have made sure that you get the same experience no matter what device you’re using to access the system. For anyone going down the mobile app route there’s the option of using biometric authentication to log in to accounts. 

Better still, there’s no real crossover between using the desktop edition and the mobile app, so employees get the same experience with the system when they're out in the field. Being cloud-based also means that updates are automatic and can be applied company wide, so everyone is on the same page.

Chrome River Expense

Chrome River Expense's mobile functionality means quick and easy scanning of receipts (Image credit: Chrome River Expense)

Ease of use

Employees who need to stay on top of their expenses invariably want convenience and the Chrome River Expense app takes a lot of hassle out of the equation. The software allows anyone within a company to carry out the same tasks and duties on the road in the same manner as they’d do it back in the office. 

Administrators can set everything up in advance, so the configurable business rules features allow employees to just get on with the job without having to worry about spending limits and so on. 

Chrome River Expense is certainly focused on speed and efficiency, with the Snap application for example allowing employees to get receipts digitized and into the system within seconds. In addition, much of the day-to-day work involved in filing expenses is done by the system itself, which makes it a very efficient all-rounder.

Chrome River Expense

There are also plenty of analytics options within the Chrome River Expense package (Image credit: Chrome River Expense)

Support

Subscribers to Chrome River Expense will get all of the usual levels of support, including teams who are able to respond to queries via the phone and email. The package also comes with a large collection of instructional videos and other supporting literature aimed at getting business owners, administrators and staff alike familiarized with the workings of this cloud-based package.

Final verdict

Chrome River Expense is one of numerous products that sit under the Emburse umbrella, and what that gets business owners is consistency. It’s possible to run all of their cloud-based packages in tandem, which helps join up a lot of the dots when it comes to things like expenses, travel and reporting too. 

There’s also the benefit of being able to integrate the system with Emburse Cards, which allow businesses to roll all of their outlay into one place and make sure that spending limits and other company policies are all adhered to. 

However, there’s also card reconciliation for the likes of Visa, Mastercard, Diners Club, American Express and more. Another appealing aspect is the powerful reporting capabilities of Chrome River Expense, which allows finance departs and business owners alike to really drill down into company expenditure.

SalesTrip expense tracker review
9:29 pm | October 19, 2020

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Pro Software & Services | Comments: Off

SalesTrip is a popular expense management and travel booking system that, despite the ongoing coronivirus crisis, will have a place in the workflow needs of many businesses. The big benefit, as is the case with many expense trackers, is that it can minimize the amount of manual effort needed to keep on top of claims, and process them and other administrative tasks with ease.

Better still, SalesTrip is listed on the Salesforce appexchange platform, and that brings it in line with other practical business software tools found there. Indeed, it might make sense in many cases to mate SalesTrip with the Salesforce CRM for a nicely rounded system. The bonus is that it provides a comprehensive experience for both employees, who need to file travel expenses, and administrators who have to make travel arrangements and more besides.

Variations on the expense tracking software theme include Certify, ExpensePath, ReceiptBank, Abacus, ExpensePoint, Pleo, Declaree, Spendesk, QuickBooks, Rydoo, Expensify, Hurdlr, Zoho Expense and Pocketguard



SalesTrip

SalesTrip is available for both the UK and US markets with prices to suit (Image credit: SalesTrip)

Pricing

It’s currently possible to experience SalesTrip for yourself without actually signing on the dotted line. They offer 15 days of unlimited access to the service, which gives you time to experience every facet of the software. Or you can request a demo. 

If you feel SalesTrip is a good fit for your business then its subscription-based pricing starts out at $5 (£4) per user, per month. There’s actually a handy savings calculator on the Pricing page that lets you explore just how much you could potentially save by using a system that combines travel booking, ticketing and expense management all into one. 

In fact, it’s easy to see just how much time you can save if you explore the Opportunities tab within the system, that effectively allows you to work out travel arrangements, flights and all the rest of it, and pay within the space of a few minutes. As a timesaver it provides great value as a business can bypass using a standalone travel agency.

SalesTrip

Users can interact with SalesTrip using a web dashboard and their mobile device too (Image credit: SalesTrip)

Features

There’s plenty to be impressed with as you pick through the feature set of SalesTrip, with a very well-rounded selection of options that could be useful. There is, of course, the full expense management setup, that’s native on Salesforce, which will be useful if you already use their systems. 

Employees can therefore submit and review their expense claims, while administrators can approve them. The benefit here is that the data can be analysed alongside your existing Salesforce information, although the service also integrates with the likes of Quickbooks and FinancialForce. 

In addition, you get corporate card reconciliation and import options plus automatic tax reclaim while the system is also GDPR/PCI compliant too. Employees will obviously find the unlimited receipt scanning functionality beneficial while there’s also the option of searching for travel and booking it when needed. Topping it all out is real-time reporting and lots of analytics.

SalesTrip

SalesTrip is particularly efficient at helping you book travel including flights (Image credit: SalesTrip)

Performance

Businesses that are already using the Salesforce appexchange platform should find that there’s a real benefit of running the SalesTrip system in that it can be combined with other packages in the collection. The added benefit is that the cloud-based platform that SalesTrip runs on is also native to Salesforce, so you can be confident that it comes with a good level of security and all of the other expectations that are a given for this brand. 

Adding to the appealing nature of SalesTrip is that it’s intuitive, both for administrators working back at headquarters and employees who have to dip into the mobile application when they’re out in the field.

SalesTrip

Administrators can approve expenses via the dashboard once they've been submitted by employees (Image credit: SalesTrip)

Ease of use

Using SalesTrip offers a similar experience to many other expense trackers in this burgeoning marketplace. For the desktop, browser-based edition you’ll find that the dashboard is clean, simple and has all of the obvious features and functions right to hand. The main menu within the interface carries one-click access to the likes of Accounts, Trips, Expense and Bulk Expenses, which are all areas that are commonly accessed by administrators. 

The mobile aspect, meanwhile, allows employees to file expense claims on the move, with another clean and simple environment that makes uploading scanned receipts and the associated claim a quick and easy procedure. As for the bigger picture, business owners can easily use the analytics provided by the cloud-based solution to keep firm tabs on travel expenditure, which is more critical than ever given the current economic climate.

SalesTrip

SalesTrip is well equipped to cope with high volumes of expense claims making it suited to larger companies (Image credit: SalesTrip)

Support

The SalesTrip support hub follows a similar theme to many other systems in the expense tracker arena. It comes with an exhaustive collection of information that can talk you through all of the features and functions found in the system. You can also use this area to find out what’s new. 

Being a pretty dynamic operation as part of the Salesforce appexchange portfolio you can be pretty sure that there’ll be new improvements appearing here before long. That aside, users with other queries can submit a ticket to the support team if the issue isn’t covered by any of the topics contained in the online support hub.

SalesTrip

The SalesTrip dashboard has a wealth of useful information that businesses can use for forecasting purposes (Image credit: SalesTrip)

Final verdict

SalesTrip might be finding demand for this kind of software service might have slumped during the coronavirus crisis, but this is a package that still has its place. The really useful thing is that SalesTrip can be used to combine a raft of business tasks including expense tracking, and using the data from what’s in the system can also be used to accurately forecast company spend moving forwards. 

Despite the fact that these are unpredictable times, and travel and expenses might be less of a concern for companies, this is a valuable aspect of SalesTrip. Of course, there are the day-to-day convenience trimmings too, such as OCR receipt scanning, integration with corporate and personal cards along with the ability to use the Salesforce hierarchy to maintain consistency for expense approvals and other common business tasks.

I tried SolarWinds Service Desk, and found it provides a robust ITSM solution that balances features with user-friendliness
6:30 pm |

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Pro Software & Services | Tags: , | Comments: Off

SolarWinds Service Desk is a cloud-based IT service management (ITSM) solution. It combines incident management with strong IT asset management features. Designed per ITIL best practices, SolarWinds' AI-powered platform boosts productivity, speeds up resolutions, and enhances user and agent experiences. Everything your IT team needs is in one place, including service management, asset management, CMDB, and reporting.

Service Desk helps IT teams manage many tasks in a feature-rich setting. Its incident management system handles tickets with automated routing and problem management tools. Asset management allow teams to track hardware, software, contracts, licenses, and warranties. It also includes an easy-to-use employee service portal, a unified knowledge base, chat support for quick help, and reporting tools to display KPIs. Additionally, Service Desk offers automated workflows that lessen manual workloads.

From a business viewpoint, SolarWinds Service Desk provides value by creating long-term strategies to tackle IT issues. This approach goes beyond just addressing single tickets. Organizations see improved efficiency, lower support costs through self-service options, and better resource use thanks to automation. Integration with other SolarWinds products, such as Observability Self-Hosted, creates a complete solution that boosts troubleshooting and service quality for IT.

Service Desk is a good help desk tool for companies of any size with advanced IT needs. But it's mainly meant for those looking to provide excellent service to internal customers, like employees and contractors. Whether managing a small internal help desk or overseeing a large tech operation, Service Desk delivers the flexibility and functionality needed to improve service delivery and support experiences.

SolarWinds Service Desk plans

(Image credit: SolarWinds)

SolarWinds Service Desk: Plans and pricing

SolarWinds Service Desk has a tiered pricing structure for organizations of all sizes. It offers three main plans: Essentials, Advanced, and Premier. Each plan has more features than the last.

The Essentials plan costs $39 per technician per month. It suits growing teams and lays a solid foundation for service desk operations. Key features include incident management, a knowledge base, service portal, asset management, service catalog, change management, SLA management, and custom roles. It supports unlimited end-users, making it a good choice for smaller organizations or those new to IT service management. There’s an extra charge of $0.30 per month for each device managed.

Next is the Advanced plan, priced at $79 per technician per month. This plan is for organizations with more developed IT operations that need customization and automation. It includes all Essentials features and adds advanced options like custom fields, advanced automation, virtual agent support, network discovery, enterprise service management, contract management, license compliance, scheduled reports, and API access. The per-device fee is $0.50 per month, which is higher than the Essentials plan.

The Premier plan costs $99 per technician per month. It provides the full range of SolarWinds Service Desk features, including everything in the Advanced plan and more. Key additions are visual CMDB with automatic dependency mapping, up to 1,500 API calls per user per minute, a premier virtual agent, automated runbooks, and access to SolarWinds AI (available in US and EU data centers only). The per-device fee here is $0.70 per month, the highest, but it offers the most comprehensive features for complex IT needs.

All plans include a 30-day free trial. This trial allows organizations to explore the platform fully before subscribing. Users have full access to the Premier package during the trial, helping them test features to find the best fit. This risk-free trial is great for evaluating the platform’s compatibility with existing IT systems.

In terms of value, SolarWinds Service Desk’s pricing is competitive in the IT service management market. Each plan offers many features, and the unlimited end-user support adds scalability for growing organizations. However, higher per-device fees for advanced plans may concern those managing many assets. Overall, the pricing model helps organizations choose a plan that fits their needs and budget, with options to upgrade as requirements change.

SolarWinds Service Desk features

(Image credit: SolarWinds)

SolarWinds Service Desk: Features

SolarWinds Service Desk provides a full range of ITSM tools to streamline internal support experiences for digital businesses. It combines strong incident management with IT asset management in an AI-driven cloud environment. It focuses equally on agent efficiency and end-user satisfaction. Now paired with a user-friendly interface, its design helps new users learn quickly.

The solution follows ITIL best practices, offering a structured approach to service management that grows with an organization's needs. From simple ticketing to advanced workflow automation to AI-assisted resolution, Service Desk supports IT teams as they enhance their service management skills. It integrates well with other SolarWinds products, especially Observability Self-Hosted. This creates a unified system that improves troubleshooting and gives a clear view of your IT environment.

Incident management

The incident management system is central to SolarWinds Service Desk. It helps IT teams track, manage, and resolve issues through various channels like email, phone, service portal, live chat, and in-person requests. The system uses smart routing and automated workflows to send tickets to the right technicians, cutting down resolution times and boosting service quality. AI features like virtual agents and guided resolution help speed up troubleshooting by finding solutions and monitoring ticket sentiment.

On average, SolarWinds customers report a 23% reduction in time spent resolving incidents and service requests. The multi-channel engagement features, including integrations with Microsoft Teams and Slack, ensure users can get support through their preferred communication methods.

IT asset management

IT asset management gives organizations full visibility into their tech infrastructure. It automates the management of hardware, software, contracts, licenses, and warranties in one central place. Automated discovery keeps an updated inventory of IT assets, reducing manual tracking and the risk of compliance issues or unexpected costs. This thorough asset lifecycle management helps your team make better decisions about resource allocation, maintenance, and technology investments.

Linking asset data with service management processes makes support more efficient. Technicians can quickly access relevant details when resolving incidents. This enhances resource use, cuts downtime, and improves compliance management. Ultimately, it leads to better financial results and operational stability for your company.

Employee service portal

A user-friendly employee service portal changes how users interact with IT support. It offers a central hub for submitting tickets, tracking request status, accessing knowledge resources, and seeing company announcements. This self-service model empowers your employees to solve problems independently. It reduces basic support requests and lets IT staff handle more complex issues. The portal's design is simple, requiring minimal training and encouraging widespread use.

Organizations using Service Desk have seen a 21% improvement in user experience, with some reporting gains of up to 45%. This increase comes from quicker resolutions, clearer communication, and 24/7 access to support resources. The positive effects extend beyond IT metrics, boosting overall workforce productivity and reducing frustration linked to tech issues.

Knowledge management

Service Desk's knowledge management features help organizations create and maintain a repository of troubleshooting guides, FAQs, and best practices for both users and support staff. AI-driven features analyze support interactions to spot common issues and suggest new entries for the knowledge base. This keeps the resource current and useful. Proactive knowledge sharing fosters a learning environment where solutions are documented for everyone.

The impact of good knowledge management is significant. Fewer support requests lead to cost savings and better resource distribution. It also speeds up resolution times when issues arise. And the knowledge base grows more valuable over time, preserving important information and ensuring consistent service even with staff changes.

Configuration management database (CMDB)

Service Desk’s CMDB gives organizations a complete view of their tech infrastructure. It maps the relationships between IT assets and business-critical applications. This detailed insight helps with change management, impact analysis, and problem resolution by showing how components interact in the IT environment. CMDB is key for mature ITSM practices, supporting data-driven decisions across the organization.

Keeping an accurate view of the IT landscape provides significant business value. It leads to less downtime, better troubleshooting, and improved planning. You can better understand the impact of changes, spot single points of failure, and recognize service dependencies. This creates a more resilient tech environment that supports business continuity and growth.

SolarWinds Service Desk analytics

(Image credit: SolarWinds)

SolarWinds Service Desk: Analytics

SolarWinds Service Desk has a strong set of reporting and analytics tools. These tools help IT organizations gain insights into their service desk operations.

The platform offers many ready-to-use reports. Teams can analyze key performance indicators (KPIs), overall health, and efficiency of the service desk. These reports cover various metrics like trend analysis, incident throughput, customer satisfaction (CSAT) scores, and Service Level Agreement (SLA) breaches. It allows IT managers to make data-driven decisions and spot areas for improvement quickly.

The analytics features in Service Desk are highly customizable. Organizations can create reports that fit their needs and goals. You can access templates, schedule automated reports, and change how data is displayed — switching from list views to tile layouts. This helps teams focus on the metrics that matter most. The platform also has a custom reporting feature for detailed reports on computer inventory, software inventory, risks, and contracts.

For those needing even more advanced analytics, SolarWinds Service Desk works well with Microsoft Power BI through its Power BI Connector. This integration allows for the easy import of incident data and asset records from Service Desk into Power BI. You can then use Power BI’s tools to visualize and analyze data in tables, graphs, and charts. This provides deep insights and supports complex data analysis.

Additionally, Service Desk features powerful benchmarking tools. These tools help organizations set and track performance benchmarks. IT teams can set goals, measure progress, and compare their performance against industry standards or internal targets.

SolarWinds Service Desk interface

(Image credit: SolarWinds)

SolarWinds Service Desk: Ease of use

SolarWinds Service Desk has a very clean interface that we found easy to navigate. Access to all of the main sections of the dashboard is hidden behind a hamburger menu icon in the top left corner of the window, but the menu itself is very responsive, and it’s easy to find what you’re looking for.

SolarWinds Service Desk support portal

(Image credit: SolarWinds)

SolarWinds Service Desk: Support

SolarWinds offers varying levels of support to customers based on their subscription plan. If you choose the lowest 'Essentials' tier you benefit from 'Community Support', where other SolarWinds users can offer advice and assistance via a dedicated forum.

If you don't want to trust your business to other customers' goodwill, you'll be pleased to hear that both email and chat support are available via Service Desk 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

If you've signed up for either the 'Advanced' or 'Premier' plans then you'll also benefit from phone support, which is also available round the clock, 365 days a year. Advanced and Premier users can also avail themselves of a CSM (Customer Success Manager) ℅ Service Desk, who apparently can answer any question your company has about "using the solution". It's unclear what a CSM would offer over and above a regular Service Desk query but presumably, it's safer to have a dedicated Success Manager and not need one than need one and not have one.

We were blown away by SolarWinds' free online Resource Center, which includes brochures, white papers, helpful videos, datasheets and demos to name just a few. The pages are easy to navigate as you can filter down by subject category and/or resource type.

SolarWinds Service Desk security notice

(Image credit: SolarWinds)

SolarWinds Service Desk: Security

As with most providers of helpdesk software, SolarWinds takes a rigorous approach to security, which applies to the various layers that go into developing web apps.

Employees sign confidentiality agreements and undergo specific security training. World-class data centers are used, protected by fire suppression systems and security guards. All changes are logged and regular audits are carried out. Networks are protected by firewalls and malicious code protection, and disaster recovery systems are in place.

SolarWinds confirms all of the above on its dedicated 'Information Security' page, which includes a link to the company's 'Security Statement'. In this, SolarWinds confirms that it follows the voluntary NIST Cybersecurity Framework, which is designed for companies that form part of the critical infrastructure of the USA.

Unfortunately, if you're looking for specific examples of how th company employs data encryption during transmission and in transit e.g. TLS and AES, then you'll need to contact SolarWinds directly to ask how this is being done.

On the plus side, if you're an administrator configuring the SolarWinds platform, there's an extensive 'best practices' guide on how to secure it, including:

  • A recommendation to use at least 2048 Bit RSA encryption for SSL certificates.
  • Confirmation that SolarWinds supports encrypted database connections via SSL.
  • Support for TLS cipher suites and certificate validation. 
  • Lockout of accounts after 10 failed login attempts.

SolarWinds also has an extensive policy on data protection requirements for their vendors and affiliates, which include provisions banning shared user accounts and requiring encryption of customer data in transit and at rest.

SolarWinds Service Desk: The Competition

The ITSM market is smaller than the overall helpdesk software market, but there are still some competitors worth considering, like Freshservice by Freshworks and Jira Service Desk by Atlassian.

FreshService has a very similar feature list to SolarWinds Service Desk and also has a choice of four plans that go from $19/month/agent up to $119/month/agent if you're willing to pay annually. There's even a 21-day free trial period and you can book a live demo of the service if you want to try before subscribing.

Jira Service Desk has a different (and rather more complicated) pricing structure, including a free plan, and offers both cloud and self-managed versions of its software. The Standard plan is $21 per month per agent. You can also pay $600/year for up to three agents but this then increases to $1050 per year for up to 5 agents.

SolarWinds Service Desk: Final Verdict

SolarWinds Service Desk is ideally suited to companies with large IT departments that are looking to provide high levels of service for their own employees and internal customers. It is reasonably priced and comes with a generous free trial so you have enough time to evaluate its capabilities.

While we did find the web app to be a bit slow sometimes, in general, we were impressed by how easy SolarWinds Service Desk is to use and the level of control offered over how data was presented and updated.

The Resource Center is magnificent and we were impressed to see that even customers on the lowest pricing tier can benefit from 24/7 email and chat support. The forum also contains some excellent resources on getting started and customizing the platform for your needs. For the most part, other documentation is extremely helpful and detailed. The one exception to this is the SolarWinds 'Security Statement', where we would have appreciated more specific information on the type of protections in place, such as how data in transit is secured.

There is no 'free' tier, but it's not likely an SME would need to sign up for so extensive an ITSM anyway, since the range of resources and data customization is better suited to larger organizations.

We've also highlighted the best live chat software.

Yordex expense tracker review
2:13 pm | October 16, 2020

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Pro Software & Services | Comments: Off

Yordex is a London-based business that only launched three years ago, but it has already built up a solid reputation with a portfolio of options designed to make your business more efficient. While Yordex can provide you with a service that can tackle expense management, it also offers services that cover purchase order approvals, invoicing and spend tracking. What's more, it’s particularly adept at helping you with spend forecasting. 

Add it all together and Yordex looks like a great solution. Better still, it has several different packages all with different sizes of business operations in mind. Ultimately, Yordex could help streamline your businesses workflow and cut down on that frustrating admin that can stifle many operations.

Variations on the expense tracking software theme include Certify, ExpensePath, ReceiptBank, Abacus, ExpensePoint, Pleo, Declaree, Spendesk, QuickBooks, Rydoo, Expensify, Hurdlr, Zoho Expense and Pocketguard. All are worth considering during the ongoing coronavirus crisis.



Yordex

Yordex has a range of package options for businesses of different sizes (Image credit: Yordex)

Pricing

There are currently four different plans in the Yordex product portfolio to choose from. The cheapest and perhaps most basic is the Starter option, which does at least allow you to explore what Yordex has to offer and starts at $4 (£3). 

Next up is the Plus edition, which is aimed primarily at small businesses and that costs from $3 (£2.30). Larger businesses in the mid-sized bracket are encouraged to head for the Growth bundle from $2.60 (£1.99), which is able to cope with more transactional volume. 

Rounding it out is the Premium edition for $2.25 (£1.75), which is focused on larger businesses with more suppliers to contend with. According to the company, the pricing above works out as the effective per card/per month cost and monthly plan fees are therefore $45 (£35) for the Starter edition, $89 (£69) for Plus, $192 (£149) for Growth and $450 (£349) for Premium. 

All these are based on annual 12-month plans. Yordex does offer monthly pricing, though you’ll need to add on 20% for the as-you-go nature of this option.

Yordex

Employees can make use of the Yordex app to carry out a lot of everyday tasks (Image credit: Yordex)

Features

Alongside the flexible range of packages Yordex comes with a dazzling array of features. One of the big benefits of this service it that it’s possible to have either physical or virtual cards. For physical cards company employees can be issued with prepaid Mastercards. Virtual cards, meanwhile, can be used for things like online purchases and administrators can put limits on their spending capabilities. 

You get different allowances depending on which package you plump for, so Starter comes with 5 physical and 10 virtual cards. Premium, at the other end of the spectrum, offers 100 of each. You can therefore see the big difference between package options and costs actually seem to come down based on the volume of usage as outlined in the pricing section. 

Elsewhere, expenses are unlimited in all of the packages, plus there’s an iOS and Android app that can be used by staff for recording scans of receipts and tackling day-to-day expenditure. 

Extra convenience is provided by the ability of Yordex to produce OCR copies of invoices and receipts, which is free of charge and unlimited. Meanwhile, businesses that need it can also make use the automated payment run option. Not available for Starter, it can be added on for a fee to the other editions.

Yordex

The Yordex app for Android works to similar standards as the iOS edition (Image credit: Yordex)

Performance

No matter where you happen to be within the Yordex framework the structure of this software service appears to be very robust. Considering that some of the beefier packages will doubtless have to deal with high volumes of data the Yordex engineers seem to have done a great job with making it resilient enough to cope with the demands of lots of users. All in all the Yordex system seems to do everything that’s expected of it and, perhaps, a little more besides.

Yordex

It's easy to get to grips with the Yordex system thanks to a wealth of instructional videos (Image credit: Yordex)

Ease of use

Full marks has to go to Yordex and the UX designers for developing a system that’s definitely easy to master. The layout is fresh, functional and should make light work of all the tasks outlined in our opening paragraph. In the case of expenses, by way of an example, the layout is fuss free and lets you get the job done without any headaches. 

As for the day-to-day use factor, Yordex works so well because of its smart approval rules. These have been design to let you manage all those frequent tasks such as handling company cards, managing expenses, sending invoices and administering budgets with specific rules that help automate regular chores. Add on the modular construction of Yordex and you’ve got a system that is simple to learn and even more straightforward to operate.

Yordex

Yordex support starts off with a help hub on the web but there are staff on hand for queries too (Image credit: Yordex)

Support

As you’d expect, Yordex comes with a solid support hub, which can be accessed from within the main site itself. This features a wealth of great do-it-yourself training, with a whole host of instructional videos, which can also be found on YouTube. Frankly, there’s not much left to learn about Yordex once you’ve picked your way through this exhaustive selection. 

Credit should go to Yordex for producing such a bumper crop of helpful guidance. Nevertheless, it is still possible you’ll want to contact support so there’s an option to submit a request to support team members via the site too. Lookout for the Community option in the website menu, which is another great way to get the inside deal on how Yordex works.

Final verdict

Yordex is in a very active marketplace with expense management tools sitting alongside billing and invoicing software, which is also alongside payroll and accounting packages. Yordex is therefore great as it does a little bit of everything from the above selection and certainly helps to streamline workflow, no matter if you’re a small concern or a larger business venture with multiple employees. 

Like many others in this arena, it’s easy to book a demo and see just how Yordex ticks. From there you have a good cross-section of packages too, with one to suit any kind of budget. All in all, Yordex is another one to add to your business wishlist.

Webexpenses expense tracker review
11:11 pm | October 15, 2020

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Pro Software & Services | Comments: Off

Webexpenses is another expense tracker package that aims to do away with much of the drudgery involved in managing company costs. It’s been designed and built to help automate many of the expense management tasks involved with employees ongoing overheads. 

However, it's also a practical solution for tackling invoices too, and covers a lot of bases not normally associated with straightforward expense trackers. Headquartered in the UK, Webexpenses has expanded its Software as a Service (SaaS) operation so that it now has a global reach. With a growing team, the objective of Webexpenses is to help improve business efficiency and remove many of the tired manual processes involved in handling company expenses.

Variations on the expense tracking software theme include QuickBooks, Rydoo, Expensify, Hurdlr, Zoho Expense and Pocketguard. All are worth considering during the ongoing coronavirus crisis.



Webexpenses

Webexpenses advises you to contact them for a custom quote (Image credit: Webexpenses)

Pricing

To ensure that your business can enjoy best value from its products and services, Webexpenses advises using its website to work out the value specific options can deliver. If you head to the pricing page there’s the option for requesting a custom quote, along with tools for calculating what Webexpenses can do for your business. There’s a return on investment calculator for example, which lets you work out potential benefits. 

Meanwhile, the value calculator is another option for working out what the SaaS can do for your business, with simple tools for getting a better idea of just how much use Webexpenses will be. There aren't any off-the-shelf packages on offer, although this custom route does seem to be a way of better tailoring the service to suit individual requirements.

Webexpenses

The Webexpenses app is workmanlike but able to handle a multitude of tasks (Image credit: Webexpenses)

Features

As you’d expect from a package like Webexpenses, it’s been designed to cover many different bases, not just expenses management. In terms of what employees get to experience then the app delivers everything needed to manage overheads when they’re out and about. This includes the ability to import receipt data as well as manage credit card transactions and all of the other day-to-day admin stuff. 

Employees also have the option of submitting their expense claims through any web browser while office administrators can process them with a high degree of automation. Indeed, Webexpenses uses its cloud-based system to handle everything such as mileage expenses, credit card expenditure, petty cash and mobile expenses. 

On top of that the Webexpenses system can also deliver sophisticated reporting and tracking options as and when they’re needed.

Webexpenses

The system lets you scan and digitise conventional paper receipts (Image credit: Webexpenses)

Performance

Webexpenses offers solid performance due to the software as a service package being accessible via any web browser on Windows or Mac. With the app also being available for either iOS or Android Webexpenses performs as you’d expect, just as long as you have a connection to the internet of course.

Webexpenses

The Webexpenses dashboard makes it easy to manage multiple employee accounts (Image credit: Webexpenses)

Ease of use

With Webexpenses being aimed at larger businesses there is a solid level of help available to get staff trained up to use this expense tracking system. However, the Webexpenses design team have also done a great job on the nuts and bolts of the interface, with a dashboard that is relatively easy to find your way around plus a supporting app for both iOS and Android that really impresses. 

However, like every other app out there, it’s something of a work in progress and some of the useability could perhaps be tweaked over time. While the Webexpenses app clearly works, there are some minor UX issues that could do with being improved to simplify its use. 

On the plus side, for employees who need to get lots of receipts digitized the Automatic Character Recognition feature means it’s both quick and easy to process higher volumes of paperwork.

Webexpenses

Webexpenses is to be commended for its level of training including a wealth of videos (Image credit: Webexpenses)

Support

Webexpenses has a full suite of support options available to customers of all sizes. There’s a very good support hub online that packs a real punch thanks to a stack of tutorials on video, along with documentation and other training resources to boot. 

You can naturally contact them directly to talk to a member of support staff, with chat tools, email and phone access all being available to subscribers. The support hub is also useful in that it gives you all the latest news on any relevant software updates that occur during the year, with a calendar that outlines them all in one place.

Webexpenses

There's a comprehensive selection of support options available from Webexpenses (Image credit: Webexpenses)

Final verdict

Webexpenses ideally needs to be trialled in order to see if it’s a good match for your business as it might be more than a small or even mid-sized operation needs. The tools on the pricing page prove to be a great starting place to get an idea if the outlay for Webexpenses is going to be worth it. 

However, if your business needs a muscular expense tracking system that does a lot of other things as well, such as covering corporate travel, processing invoices, auditing and carrying out complex reporting, then it might be the perfect solution. 

Being able to integrate Webexpenses with other software tools and systems within your business is also a bonus. Ultimately though, you’ll need to get a custom quote from them to check if it’ll deliver a sufficient return on investment.

EaseUS RecExperts screen recorder review
6:30 pm |

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Pro Software & Services | Comments: Off

If you’re creating webinars or need to record videos on your computer, EaseUS RecExperts is one of the best screen recorders we've tested. This capable software enables you to capture a specific subset of your screen, easily overlay video from a webcam, and record audio on top of it all. RecExperts supports 4K recording and comes with a variety of handy features to make your videos more impactful.

EaseUS RecExperts: Pricing and plans

EaseUS RecExperts during our review

There are numerous parameters you can explore and alter (Image credit: EaseUS)
  • EaseUS offer both subscription and perpetual licence options, satisfying people who like to rent their software, and those who prefer to own it

EaseUS offers various ways to pay for the software, whether you wish to subscribe or own it. You have two different subscriptions available: $20 a month or $50 for the year. This is a licence for a single computer and grants you upgrades for a month or a year respectively.

Alternatively, if you’re already struggling with the mountain of subscriptions you already have to deal with, you also have the option of purchasing the software outright for $80 for a single computer, and best of all, this includes a lifetime of free upgrades.

Businesses have a separate deal: an outright purchase of two licences for $120, which also includes free upgrades for life.

If you’re curious about the software, you can download a trial version for free, which lets you explore most features, but restricts your recordings to a single minute.

For alternatives without the price-tag, we've rounded up the best free screen recorders.

  • Pricing & plans: 4.5/5

EaseUS RecExperts: Interface

EaseUS RecExperts during our review

The main window is small, but very well designed and easy to navigate (Image credit: EaseUS)
  • Very well designed interface, which is simple to navigate, and makes turning on the settings it needs to operate a breeze. You also have access to many parameters, if you like to control every aspect of your software

Every software designed to record your screen, webcam, capture your audio, etc, needs you to authorise these functions through your computer’s settings. You can either be shown how to do it, or the software can take you to the right preference’s location, leaving you to toggle the feature on yourself. RecExperts was able to do most of this automatically for you; all you have to do for most requests was to simply click on ‘grant access’ within the RecExperts software. Couldn’t be simpler. Only once did we have to toggle the feature in the computer’s settings, but when that happened, RecExperts had taken us to the right place, making this almost an effortless process.

The interface itself is very simple and well designed: a small rectangular window offers you all the information you need, with a sidebar for the video, audio, webcam, and ‘enhanced’ mode. The latter is a feature that enables you to capture encrypted footage from websites which frustratingly don’t usually allow you to do so, namely Netflix, Disney, Amazon Prime and others. RecExperts will make this possible, as long as you’re using Google Chrome.

Top right is a hexagonal button which leads you to the app’s settings. You have access to many parameters, such as the output format and quality for the video and audio, setting up hotkeys, and having the ability to see when the mouse is clicked, among others.

EaseUS RecExperts during our review

RecExperts has a few options for your webcam, including an AI feature to remove your background, which could do with some improvement (Image credit: EaseUS)

You’ll also find options in the webcam setting to use AI to blur or replace your background. Sadly the results proved very subpar for us. If cutting out your background is your preference, we’d recommend making use of a green screen (which this software supports). On a more positive note, you have full control over where to place the webcam video (even in the middle of the screen if you so wish), as well as its size.

You will undoubtedly bump into some features reserved for those who have paid for the software. For instance the microphone has a couple of options which you can’t evaluate during your trial: 'microphone noise reduction’ and ‘microphone boost’.

Once you’ve explored the various settings, it’s good to know the main features are prominently displayed: turning your webcam, system sound, and microphone on or off is done with three large, impossible to miss, buttons. When it comes to the screen, the default option is to record all of it but clicking on the ‘Region’ button lets you create a rectangular area which RecExperts will focus on, ignoring the rest (this area is easily resizable until you’re happy with it, prior to recording).

Once you’re ready, click on that big ‘Rec’ button on the right.

  • Interface: 4.5/5

EaseUS RecExperts: Performance

EaseUS RecExperts during our review

Recording is extremely simple. Whatever is on screen is preserved (Image credit: EaseUS)
  • Set up what you wish to record (audio, video, webcam, mic) and away you go. Everything you do on screen will then be recorded. You have few editing options, but also have a series of interesting ‘pro’ tools

Recording full screen, you lose all visible control buttons, and have to pause or stop the recording through keyboard shortcuts. When you set a specific area, a control bar can be found just below that area, although the keyboard shortcuts still work. As you’d expect, everything you do will be recorded, including the system audio, your microphone, and your webcam if you’ve selected them.

Once you’re done, you’re taken to another window which contains a list of all your previous recordings. If you’re in the trial version, you’ll only be able to see the first minute of any recording. However the whole recording is actually saved should you decide to upgrade. It’s jus not accessible to you until you pay.

There is also an editing section, but this too is not available for trial users. What you can do for free, is alter the footage’s speed, take a screenshot, and change its volume. If you wish to do more advanced editing, the recordings are saved straight to your computer (by default as mp4), so it’s a simple matter of dragging those to a proper video editor and continue your work from there.

EaseUS RecExperts during our review

Impressively enough, RecExperts can record encrypted videos - via Google Chrome (Image credit: EaseUS)

We found the screen capture works very well, and were impressed that we could indeed record videos from Netflix and others, although we did experience the image freezing at times, and the odd rendering artefact appearing every now and then - for those websites. Videos that aren’t encrypted had no such issues.

Be aware that unlike some other screen recorders like ScreenFlow or ScreenPal, you cannot remove your webcam footage from the recording. It was there when you were recording, and it remains there in the final video.

Some tools that looked interesting are Auto Split, Auto Stop, and Task Scheduler. Their titles are pretty self explanatory: if a recording goes on for too long or its file size becomes too big, RecExperts will automatically stop it and seamlessly start a new one; you’re able to stop recording after a set length of time, file size, or at a specific date and time; and you can automate your recording process so the software will start and stop on its own without you even needing to be at your computer. Those are pro features.

All in all, RecExperts is very well designed with a good number of very useful features which makes using it easy for newcomers, while also feeling full featured for more advanced users. It’s only let down by a poor selection of editing tools, and the inability to manipulate the webcam footage after the fact, as it’s burned into the recording.

  • Performance: 4/5

Should I buy EaseUS RecExperts?

EaseUS RecExperts during our review

Granting RecExperts access to your computer’s settings is remarkably pain-free (Image credit: EaseUS)

Buy it if...

You’re looking for an easy to use screen recording program that is well designed, allows you to record encrypted videos, and has a practically effortless setup.View Deal

Don't buy it if...

You’d rather have more full featured editing options, and would prefer having the ability to remove the webcam footage should you choose to in post.View Deal

PrivateMail review
6:30 pm | October 12, 2020

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets | Comments: Off

Most popular email services that we use are free. But, you’ll be right to discern that nothing is really free. “If you’re not paying, then you’re the product” is a quote that applies to most digital services. In exchange for using these free email platforms, you give the owners access to your data, which they can sell or use to enhance advertising algorithms.

Many people don’t want to give up their data to third parties and, thus, seek alternative, secure email services. PrivateMail is one of the best secure email providers you can choose. It offers sophisticated encryption to guarantee your privacy and security.

PrivateMail was founded in 2019 by entrepreneur Benjamin Van Pelt. The company is based in Orlando, Florida, U.S.A.

PrivateMail: Plans and pricing

PrivateMail doesn’t offer a free plan, which we consider a disadvantage. It offers different premium plans for individuals and businesses. Individuals can choose either the Standard or Pro plan.

The Standard plan costs $8.95 monthly and gives you 10 GB of encrypted mail storage plus an extra 10 GB for file storage. This plan lets you create up to 5 email aliases.

The Pro plan costs $15.95 monthly and gives you 20 GB of encrypted email storage plus 20 GB of extra file storage. You can create up to 20 email aliases on this plan.

Businesses can choose either the Pro or GroupShare plan. The Pro plan costs $64.95 per month and unlocks 100 GB of email storage plus an extra 100 GB of file storage. 

The GroupShare plan costs the same as the Pro plan and offers the same features save for supporting shared file storage, shared contacts/calendars, and account collaboration. 

PrivateMail in use 1.

(Image credit: PrivateMail)

PrivateMail: Features

PrivateMail offers many beneficial features, including

End-to-end email encryption

End-to-end encryption is a security protocol guaranteeing that no third party accesses data while it’s being transmitted. When you hit the send button, your email is encrypted on PrivateMail’s servers and can only be decrypted on the recipient’s server via a unique private key. If anyone intercepts the information in transit, it’ll be useless to them because they don’t have the required private key to decrypt it.

PrivateMail uses the OpenPGP encryption standard. This is the most popular encryption protocol that emails providers use and guarantees that only an intended email recipient will be able to read its contents. 

Cloud storage

PrivateMail offers cloud storage for your files. You can keep photos, videos, audio, and any type of document. Your files will be encrypted just like your emails, so you’re sure that unauthorized third parties can not access them. You can share your files with other PrivateMail users via a secure link. 

Mobile and desktop apps

A good thing about PrivateMail is that it offers native mobile and desktop apps, unlike most secure email competitors. You can download the iOS app from the Apple App Store or the Android app from the Google Play Store. You can also sideload the Android app by downloading the APK directly and installing it on your smartphone.

PrivateMail in use 2.

(Image credit: PrivateMail )

PrivateMail has desktop apps for Windows, macOS, and Linux. A page on the official website gives you the download links for all operating systems.

These apps make it easier to use PrivateMail and send encrypted messages. You can simply open the app on your smartphone or desktop whenever you want to use it instead of opening a web browser over and over again.

Alias addresses

An alias is an extra email address that forwards to your main address. The purpose is to interact with people or online platforms without giving out your main address. For instance, if your main address is jill@privatemail.com, you can create an alias called jill+edu@privatemail.com for educational messages, jill+games@privatemail.com for your gaming apps, and jill+work@privatemail.com for work-related emails.

PrivateMail lets you create up to 20 aliases depending on the plan you’re subscribed to. 

Custom domains

Many individuals and businesses need emails with a custom domain name because it makes them look more professional. The good thing is that PrivateMail lets you create an email with your own domain. You just have to adjust your domain’s MX records to point to PrivateMail’s mail servers, and you’re good to go.

Self-destructing mail

PrivateMail lets you send emails that delete themselves after a specific period. Self-destructing emails provide an extra layer of security and privacy if you’re sending sensitive information.

Contacts/calendar

PrivateMail offers a tool for creating and managing contacts. You can also access a tool for creating calendars and planning your schedule. You can create multiple calendars for different purposes, e.g., one for weekends and another for weekdays. You can share your contacts and calendars securely with other PrivateMail users.

PrivateMail in use 3.

(Image credit: PrivateMail)

PrivateMail: Interface and in use

PrivateMail offers a broad range of features, but its interface isn’t too intuitive. The platform’s interface looks more like something you’ll find in the earlier days of the internet. A glance at the website and the way the text and images are arranged shows that the interface needs improvement. 

PrivateMail: Support

PrivateMail offers support through email. You can message the company's support email directly and wait for a response. The Standard plan subscribers should expect a response within 48 hours, while users on the Pro and GroupShare should expect a response within 24 hours because of the priority support they paid for. 

PrivateMail: The competition

Proton Mail is the main competitor to PrivateMail we’ll highlight. This platform offers similar features and sophisticated encryption to PrivateMail. You can also access ProtonMail via an iOS or Android mobile app. But Proton Mail outshines PrivateMail in user-friendliness and ease of use. 

PrivateMail: Final verdict

PrivateMail is an ideal platform for people seeking to send emails without any third party harvesting their data. It provides very solid encryption that you can trust. The main drawbacks are its outdated interface and being a relatively expensive tool.   

We've also highlighted the best email services.

VPN.ac review
5:39 pm | October 9, 2020

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets | Tags: | Comments: Off

VPN.ac is among the less well-known VPNs, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have helpful features. Created back in 2009, VPN.ac is a Romania-based VPN owned by Netsec Interactive Solutions. Romania is a secure location for VPN services, because data retention in Romania is prohibited by law and the country is not subject to the 5 Eyes alliances' surveillance authority. 

With a modest network of 100+ servers in 20 countries and 117+ IP addresses, VPN.ac is quite small - especially compared to top competitors who provide thousands of servers. However, VPN.ac does use an obfuscation technology that allows it to operate in China. 

Pricing & plans 

VPN.AC in use

(Image credit: VPN.AC)

Unlike other VPNs, VPN.ac doesn’t offer a free trial. This means you unfortunately aren’t given the opportunity to test the software before using it. There are three subscription plans available: 

1 Month: $9.00

1 Year: $57.6 ($4.80 per month)

2 Years: $90.00 ($3.75 per month)

All subscriptions involve 6 simultaneous connections, a VPN kill switch, P2P servers, cross-platform software, protocol support, OVPN configuration files, and no speed limit.

It’s also worth mentioning that although VPN.ac offers a 7-day money-back guarantee, the terms of service state explicitly that requesting a refund is not a simple process. The VPN does have a wide selection of payment plans to choose from, including credit and debit cards, PayPal, bitcoin, gift cards, UnionPay, Webmoney, and CashU. 

If you're working to a budget, see our round-up of the best free VPNs.

Privacy & encryption 

In its privacy policy, VPN.ac is open enough to acknowledge that it records information about your session, including your real IP address, in order to find ways to perform better. This includes the amount of data transferred as well as the start/stop times of your connection, however, It does not collect any data concerning your online activities, and all data collected is encrypted and removed at the end of each session. VPN.ac claims that the logs help them combat man-in-the-middle and brute-force attacks. It should be noted that as of the time of this review, the company has not had a VPN audit, which means there’s no independent verification of their claims. 

Remember that the headquarters of VPN.ac are in Romania, a nation that is not covered by the surveillance of the Five, Nine, and Fourteen Eyes alliances, this is good news as far as privacy is concerned.

VPN.ac uses AES-GCM 256-bit encryption along with 4096-bit RSA authentication for encryption, and uses SHA512 HMAC and PFS for added security. Top-notch VPN protocols like PPTP, OpenVPN, L2TP/IPsec, IKEv2, and WireGuard are used, offering impressive security. Torrenting is supported on all VPN.ac servers, however do keep in mind that your torrent activities may be exposed and it is illegal to torrent in some countries. 

VPN.AC in use

(Image credit: VPN.AC)

Streaming 

One of the advantages we found when evaluating this service was its effectiveness as a streaming VPN. During our testing, we were able to stream HD content from Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, BBC iPlayer, Hulu, and HBO Max. 

Speed & experience 

When we tested the software, we were somewhat surprised by the speed of the VPN.acserver. Prior to using the VPN, our internet speed was around 94 Mbps, and when we connected to a distant server in Germany, we received an amazing speed of 87.41 Mbps. The UK also performed remarkably well in our test, achieving 88.92Mbps. VPN.acmakes big claims about their performance and speed, and they keep them! 

Apps 

VPN.ac is compatible with Windows, macOS and Linux, as well as plug-ins for Chrome, Firefox, and Opera and a mobile VPN app for Android. There is also a kill switch available, although you have to turn it on manually. The apps are simple to use and well-built and can be configured to work with routers and even on Linux systems by following the tutorials on their website.

There is a multi-hop configuration that allows you to encrypt your data across two or more servers and a DNS filtering system that filters trackers, advertisements, and malware.

VPN.AC in use

(Image credit: VPN.AC)

Customer support 

VPN.ac can be contacted via email, ticket system, or by sending a message via Skype. You can also look through the website's knowledge base and frequently asked questions to learn more. The knowledge base contains more complex questions, like how to install it on your router, while the FAQ is useful for basic and technical questions. 

VPN.AC alternatives 

NordVPN

Over ten years have passed since the launch of NordVPN. You have unrestricted entry to your favorite websites and can benefit from online security that meets military standards. It also doesn't retain any data from your activities due to its rigid no-log policy, allows connections from 6 devices at once, and offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full NordVPN review

Surfshark

The service unblocks all of the streaming platforms, is extremely fast and packed with sophisticated easy-to-use features, has a user-friendly app, and offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full Surfshark review

ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN is quick, safe, unblocks major streaming platforms, supports torrents, doesn't log your data, and is simple to use. It also has a 3-month free trial and offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full ExpressVPN review

Windscribe

This VPN has a feature that stops trackers from following you, a “distraction-free” mode to help you concentrate when you need to, and a strict no-login policy that keeps your online activities private. This app is among our favorites.

Read our full Windscribe review 

VPN.AC in use

(Image credit: VPN.AC)

Verdict 

VPN.ac may be the ideal VPN provider for you, depending on your particular needs. They have great apps and excellent security, and the price is fair. The service is also quick, compatible with streaming services, and works well in China. 

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