Control Your Printing
PaperCut Software's PaperCut NG

PaperCut Software's PaperCut NG is a Web-based, cross-platform print quota, charging, tracking, and monitoring solution that lets you manage printer resources from a central location. Implementations include silent monitoring, quota control, and user-pays systems.

Bill Stewart of Albuquerque, New Mexico, says, "PaperCut NG is simple to install and is managed by an easy-to-navigate Web-based interface. The product has a variety of price charging options based on color or print size—you can even configure it to deny certain types of print jobs. PaperCut provides its own internal database but supports Microsoft SQL Server and the open-source PostgreSQL database engine. I can install the product on secondary print servers and have them record their activity in the primary server's database. Active Directory (AD) account integration and synchronization are also available with PaperCut NG.

"If you need to get control of your printing, I recommend Paper-Cut NG." A 40-day free trial and pricing information are available at PaperCut Software's Web site.

Protect Your Computer Environment
AVTECH Software's Room Alert 11E

Paul Robbins of New York City endorses AVTECH Software's Room Alert 11E, a firmware solution for computer-room environment monitoring and alerting. Robbins highly recommends Room Alert to anyone who manages a computer room.

There's a story behind Robbins's recommendation. "I walked into my computer room one Friday morning. Both air conditioners were down, and the temperature had reached 100 degrees. If this had happened on a weekend or holiday, I can't imagine what damage could have been done. After this experience, I did some research and found Room Alert, which has sensors to monitor the temperature, humidity, and power and to detect smoke or water in the room. Room Alert uses an Ethernet connection and sends a message to my pager, cell phone, or email if a problem occurs. I can also set temperature thresholds, so if the room temperature climbs above 80 degrees, for example, the product will page me. I can continuously monitor my environment at the office, but the Web interface also lets me check the room conditions from home or anywhere in the world.

"Having additional means of receiving alerts about potential problems while I'm away from the office gives me peace of mind and helps me be proactive before serious damage occurs." For pricing information, please contact AVTECH Software.