New Features v4.4

IT Asset Management solution, NetSupport DNA, now includes even more features to support the effective management of school technology. The new version delivers yet more cost and time-saving tools, increases security even further, plus helps schools meet the latest government safeguarding requirements.

Vault

Raising the product’s security capabilities, a secure Vault component allows storage of serial numbers, passwords and any other confidential IT data. Access to the Vault can be restricted to specific console users and activity can be recorded against the central DNA audit trail to help prevent against any unauthorised views or amends.

System Audit

Security is boosted further by the addition of the powerful system audit component. This will track all selected console activity by staff, records when policies or settings are changed, entries are added or deleted or where rights are changed for any DNA user – so technicians have a record of what has happened and when.

Remote Control

To save even more time, powerful Remote Control and monitoring features from screen viewing to transferring files and more, have been added to NetSupport DNA as standard. Administrators no longer have to manually visit each site or computer but can from one central location, manage and control all computers – providing further time savings, especially for multi-site schools, academies and Trusts.

Remote management tools

Adding to the remote control and monitoring features within NetSupport DNA, the latest version also allows you to run command line instructions and scripts at Agent PCs using Remote Command Prompt or PowerShell; and remotely view and edit the Registry, making remote device management even easier.

New safeguarding language packs

Within the database of pre-supplied safeguarding keywords and phrases, language packs are also included as standard to support schools with students learning English as an additional language (EAL). Now teachers and safeguarding leads will be able to extend their safeguarding provision to a wider group of students, as the packs allow them to see and monitor phonetic representations of what students are typing in languages other than English. In addition to English, French, German, Spanish, Czech, Slovak, Romanian and Portuguese, NetSupport DNA also includes language packs for Latvian, Lithuanian, Urdu and Polish.

‘Urgent’ keyword category

We’ve also delivered an important addition to our safeguarding module by creating an “urgent” category in the keyword and phrase monitoring priority list. This tool already provides a school with insight into and alerts from any activity by a student that might suggest the child is engaged in activity that would place them at risk. Using a database of pre-supplied keywords and phrases covering a range of topics from self-harm, bullying and racism through to risks of radicalisation, the school can set individual severity levels to control the outcome when a word or phrase is matched – from a screenshot to a video recording of the event.

Video recording

A new video recording option is also included within the keyword and phrase monitoring feature. When a safeguarding keyword is triggered, in addition to a simple log of the activity, through to capturing a screenshot of the triggered event, NetSupport DNA will now automatically record a video of the student’s screen activity when triggered – allowing safeguarding staff to see in detail what they’ve been up to and allow them to take action more quickly.

Extended multi-site support

For larger multi-site schools, academies and Trusts, NetSupport DNA’s enhanced data queue allows incoming data from the DNA agents to be quickly processed by the server, reducing the lag time between agent and console. This ensures the console data is always refreshed, providing an up-to-date overview of all activity – no matter how many IT assets you’re managing.

Optimised query tool

Within the reporting tool, new totalling options have been added, providing greater flexibility on custom reporting. Questions now include a range of new options for totalling custom reports, like setting a max value.

This helps to identify the largest value within your custom search more efficiently, saving you time by avoiding a manual search.

Database Maintenance – New Data Size tab

The database maintenance utility allows the administrator to easily maintain and cleanse various parts of the DNA database, from deleting data, PCs and applications to importing data files. The latest version now includes a new Data Size tab as the first option. This tab displays the number of records and data size for internet metering, application metering and eSafety (phrase matches, screen shots and screen recordings) providing you with the information needed to keep your NetSupport DNA database at a manageable size.