Any workplace wanting to mitigate the risk of insider theft needs a good Skype Manager application. Afterall, employee Skype usage and privacy hit the headlines in 2012 after a U.S. company obtained Skype messages between co-workers who were complaining about their jobs.
The messages had been exchanged outside of work on the employees’ own computers. But the company was able to access the messages on one of the employee’s work computers because Skype makes available a transcript of chats on whatever computer a user is logged onto.
“There’s no expectation of privacy on work computers,” the company’s lawyer said at the time.
Why track workers’ Skype usage?
- Limit distractions and increase productivity.
- Guard sensitive information.
- Prevent malware and viruses from entering company networks.
It’s also smart for managers to be aware of the law governing Skype in whatever country they’re working in. China and Ethiopia, for example, have both restricted Skype.
Skype Manager: Rules and Limitations
Skype offers a Skype Manager plan that allows business to create employee Skype accounts and monitor almost everything about them: who they call, when and for how long.
However, employers who want to track a personal Skype account under the Manager plan have to ask the account owner for permission.
Skype Manager regulations:
- The accounts have to be created under Skype Manager.
- Managers who want to look at Skype Manager accounts must be the administrator of the account.
By contrast, Digital Endpoint’s KnowIT software can monitor and record all kinds of employee activity, including Skype, regardless of account permissions.
The information is collected from all company devices and presented in easy-to-understand charts. A manager can access these charts from any device connected to the Internet.
Employee Skype monitoring is a powerful tool for ensuring productivity and corporate safety. Learn more about how monitoring can protect your company at www.digitalendpoint.com