MONITORING SOFTWARE BLOG

SoftActivity is announces the release of new version 14.2, a major update of its on-premise software for employee productivity tracking and insider threat detection, SoftActivity Monitor and TS Monitor.

The latest update improves web app loading times, adds detailed CSV export for Attendance, fixes issues with PDF exports, email alerts, and screenshot zoom, requires PostgreSQL 12+ by 2025, drops support for Windows Server 2008 in TS Monitor, and more.

What’s new in version 14.2

• webapp: much faster page loading time on Users live view, and some other reports.
• webapp: new type of CSV export on Attendance page: work sessions with duration, idle time and keystrokes for each session.
• [fix]: webapp – Attendance export to PDF. Keystrokes typing rate per hour was missing in previous version.
• webapp: export to CSV shows date and time in ISO format (for example, 2024-11-27 15:01:18), which is always accepted by Excel.
• [fix]: email alerts and reports sending stopped working on some customers’ servers.
• [fix]: webapp – zoom on screenshot images was broken.
• improved reliability of file operations recording feature in the Client App, and fixed some random crashes.
• a reminder to admins to upgrade PostgreSQL database server used by SoftActivity. We are announcing the planned retirement of support for PostgreSQL versions older than 12 after January 10, 2025. PostgreSQL version 12 or newer will be required.
• [TS Monitor] support for Windows Server 2008 has been discontinued. Now supports Windows Server 2012 and later versions. Customers requiring TS Monitor on Windows Server 2008 are advised to continue using version 14.1 for the time being.
• numerous minor improvements and fixes.

April 2024 updates

• Much faster loading time on Users live view page, and some other reports.
• Capture screenshots during periods of user inactivity to provide insight into their idle time, whether it’s a long meeting call, or watching a video, or to verify that their screen remains unchanged during absences. Previously it stopped taking screenshots completely during idle time. 

January – March 2024 updates

• Fixes and improvement in reliability, security, and performance

SoftActivity is glad to announce the release of new version 14.1, a major update of its employee productivity tracking software, SoftActivity Monitor and TS Monitor.

Version 14.1 includes new features, fixes and improved performance. Upgrade is recommended to all users.

What’s new in the on-premise version 14.1

• Image Format Upgrade: Switched screenshots to the new WebP format from JPEG. It reduces images size taken by screenshots by up to 50% without the loss of quality. The WebP format is supported by all web browsers and most image viewers.
• Server Space Optimization: Free up space on the server. Now it removes old screenshots that are not in the database anymore, as well as old thumbnail images.
• Numerous performance improvements, fixes and security updates.

SoftActivity Monitor for workstations:

• Monitor app: to help admins in resolving connection issues, it now shows the resolved IP address of a remote computer, even if not connected. For connected computers, it shows the connection IP address.
• Monitor app: will now clean up duplicated computers from the list. Host name now must be unique. Computer name is provided just for reference.

TS Monitor for terminal servers:

• In multi-server configurations improved checking for available space on the main server when uploading screenshots, to avoid low space issues on the server.

• Improved reliability when recording a lot of user sessions.

December 2023 updates

• A number of minor improvements and fixes

November 2023 updates

• Enhancements and fixes in Attendance module, and in the Client App.
• Additional internal system improvements have been carried out to boost overall efficiency and reliability.

October 2023 updates

• Numerous improvements and fixes in Attendance view. It shows user work sessions and idle periods.

September 2023 updates

• Download multiple screenshots at once. If you want to save a few screenshots, select them and click Download button. All of them will be downloaded in .webp file format.
• Attendance PDF report: add session length visual representation.
• fix: idle time percentage was wrong sometimes in Attendance PDF report.
• Changed the screenshot image format from jpeg to WebP, which reduces images size and traffic from the client computers by up to 50%. WebP format is supported by all major browsers. Downloaded .webp files remain easily viewable on Windows and other operating systems.

SoftActivity is glad to announce the release of new version 14.0, a major update of its employee productivity tracking software, SoftActivity Monitor and TS Monitor.

Version 14.0 includes improved security features and important fixes. Upgrade is recommended to all users.

What’s new in version 14.0

• upgraded PostgreSQL database server from version 9.6(x32) to version 15 (x64). This brings improved performance, security, and reliability of data storage.
  Note: Upgrade to PostgreSQL 15 will NOT be performed automatically. Please follow the steps in our guide for admins here: Migrate database from PostgreSQL 9.6 to 15
• improvements and fixes in screenshots recording.
• webapp: fixed real time alerts in browser
• webapp: improved Attendance report export to pdf and sent by email. Added visual session duration representation
• fixed security vulnerabilities found in older Python version by upgrading to the latest Python 3.11.
• official support for secure TLS connection to PostgreSQL servers. Bundled server does not come with
  TLS enabled, but if you have an existing PostgreSQL server that supports TLS, SoftActivity will utilize the secure connection. TLS connection should be used when connecting to any other databases than on localhost.
• webapp: dropped support of IE11 browser.

With more and more workers logging in remotely, employers can still monitor their attendance, computer behaviors, and internet usage through routine employee monitoring software. 

There are many different ways to track employee internet usage, so each company can employ a different method. Here is how employers track internet usage and more.

With the rise of remote work and advanced computer technologies at our fingertips, there is much more that we’re capable of, especially when it comes to tracking the workplace. 

Employers track their employees to ensure they continue to provide quality work. But to what extent can these employers track? Can they monitor your emails?

If you’re wondering, as an employer, what you can monitor, you’re in the right place. If you’re an employee and you’ve stumbled on this blog, you, too, can learn what exactly your employer can track when at work.