May 07, 2007

Want to Manage Your Network Printers with Free Software?

By Jason Sattler

PrinTip: Try Spiceworks, the Ad-Supported IT Desktop

If you manage a computer network, Spiceworks may become your new best friend. A browser-based application supported by advertising, Spiceworks helps you manage your network, including many helpful tools geared at printers.

You can download Spiceworks for free plus no need to worry about the company using the free version to upsell you to a "full" version later. Spiceworks is so loyal to its ad-supported business model that it doesn't even offer a paid version.

As soon as you install Spiceworks, it instantly identifies all of your networked printers. Once it completes this inventory, Spiceworks can track their firmware, warranty expiration dates, purchase price, and more. It regularly scans your network to add new or updated printers and other devices.

Spiceworks also keeps you on top of your printers' supplies. You can set up email or text-message alerts and receive alerts when your laser toner or inkjet cartridges start to run low. Spiceworks even comes with the ability to set up your own IT help desk to establish trouble tickets for any printer or device problems.

More than 60,000 IT professionals already use Spiceworks. PC Magazine rated it 4.5 out of 5 in its May 4, 2007 review, writing:

Spiceworks 1.5 isn't the right choice for larger companies or those needing a solution that's oriented more toward performance monitoring, but it's an excellent tool for a smaller business—and paying nothing for it adds to its appeal.

Michael Coté, a Spiceworks user, published his own review of Spiceworks, and provided us with the above screenshot.

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Sometimes useful, sometimes fun, and always interesting, PrinTips enable you to get more out of your ink jet or laser printer. That said, we don't profess to have a monopoly on printer tips so if you have anything to add, please do so below.