Spiceworks adds mapping to its software

Management upgraded with social media add-ons too.

By Maxwell Cooter, Techworld | Techworld
Published: 15:28 GMT, 15 June 09

Network management company Spiceworks has launched a new version of its software offering users the ability to draw network maps and introducing a number of third-party applications based on the company's public API. Spiceworks has also enhanced the social media aspect of the software by introducing the ability to link to Twitter feeds.

According to Jay Hallberg, Spiceworks' vice president of business development. the company sets great store on what its users say and act accordingly. "The network mapping was number one request," he said, "so that's what we concentrated on."

The company has used a Google Maps look-and-feel rather than the more traditional network diagram software. Users can click on a particular network cloud to get in-depth information on devices on that network, including IP address and vendors. He said that the product doesn't cope so well with virtualisation "VMs will show up in the inventory ," he said but "there's a bit of work to get them to show up on the map." However, he pointed out that Spiceworks' core user base of small and mid-sized businesses would be less interested in virtualisation.

The ability to add third-party applications is also very important said Hallberg. "We've added third-party applications from Microsoft, LiveOffice, Trend Micro and Intel," he added. "We're currently talking with a lot more vendors and should roll out further announcements later this year. We've also got some 70 plug-ins developed by users who have also made use of the API."

The company has also implemented a Facebook-style look-and-feel to show how devices have been configured so that users wanting to catch up on the history of a device will have ready access to instant information.

Spiceworks, whose free software is funded by advertising, has been steadily been growing its user base. Hallberg said that the company had about 700,000 users now, of whom 82,000 were in the UK.

What are your views on this subject? Use the form below to post a comment on this article up to 500 characters.

Characters remaining: 500

Related Networking news

Cisco free iPhone app grabs security feeds

Cisco SIO To Go iPhone application for IT managers on the road

20 November 2009

Queen's speech promises action on pirates

Government sticks to plans to disconnect illegal file sharers

Ombudsman faults EC's Intel antitrust ruling

European Commission accused of "maladministration"

Blue Coat unveils faster network security appliances

Web security gateways acheive 1Gbps performance

Related Networking reviews

Western Digital WD TV Live media player

Opera 10 browser

Internet Explorer 8 review

SANs tuned for virtualisation

Whether you're using virtualisation to make large applications more manageable or to consolidate many small applications, a SAN packed with features that ease the management of storage for virtual machines is a good thing.

Email this article to a friend or colleague:

PLEASE NOTE: Your name is used only to let the recipient know who sent the story, and in case of transmission error. Both your name and the recipient's name and address will not be used for any other purpose.

Techworld White Papers

Database security: Preventing enterprise data leaks at the source

IDC discusses the growing internal threats to business information, the impact of government regulations on the protection of data, and how enterprises must adopt database security best practices...

Download Whitepaper

Service-oriented security

SOA has become an integral part of enterprise software by providing a framework to efficiently develop software as services that is easily sharable, reusable, and integrated. No where is the need more apparent than in the Identity Management space. Welcome to the age of Service-Oriented Security (SOS).

Download Whitepaper

Data protection prospective vendor checklist

Organisations need a way to map business needs against all these challenges in procuring a technical solution. To help, SANS has developed the following Prospective Vendor Checklist.

Download Whitepaper

Unlock the power of the mainframe

This whitepaper presents the notion of CICS as an integration hub based on a component-based, service-oriented architecture supporting Web services. Highlights will review the challenges and contrasted support for Web services natively in CICS.

Download Whitepaper

Techworld UK - Technology - Business

COLT White Paper

Are all VoIP services the same?

Questions to ask your service provider to ensure you get the VoIP service you need
With careful choice of partner, your business can have all the advantages of VoIP access - reduced costs, flexibility and simplicity - without the drawbacks.
This white paper is your guide to ensure you get right the VoIP service and details the pitfalls which businesses would do well to avoid.

Download white paper
BMC

Ride the express lane in the journey to speed ITIL adoption

Explore the challenges in making the journey to ITIL and the criteria for selecting consulting services
By following ITIL practices, your IT organisation will become more closely integrated with the business. We recommend making the journey to ITIL in a sequence of six incremental steps, the phases of which are driven through execution of a strategic transformational roadmap.

Download white paper

Webcast: IT Financial Management: Cost Optimisation for Efficiency and Agility.
On Demand Webcast
Join this webcast to learn about the techniques and technologies that can help you prove the value of IT to the business by understanding the true cost of today's IT services and those that will be necessary to deliver future success.

Register Today

Site Map

IDG Network

* *