Business Service Management

August 29, 2016October 24, 2017 RightITnow Business Service Management

Often times in the world of IT, business objectives and focuses from management can often be lost in translation when the two worlds (business and IT) come together as they so often do. One approach to the managing business IT services is business service management (BSM), which provides customer-centric and specifically business focused objectives to align IT with your company’s strategy through all of the other departments. With that said, if your company is utilizing this approach, it’s important to obtain software that supports BSM. Whether you are trying to manage processes or various software tools, today we will take a look at some important feature to consider when making an investment in a BSM software tool.

One of the most important features within good business service management software is the ability to track the availability and more importantly the performance of the network’s main components across an entire data center. While more traditional network monitoring software does this as well, business service management software can identify not only if a significant lapse exists, but also can determine the business impact related to it. An example of this would be if a company that has multiple servers and one of them multiple fail at once. A BSM will not only identify the failure, but can relay the business information related to each one, such as one of the servers provides critical revenue detail while the other may be less of a priority.

Another feature to strongly consider when looking into business service management software is one that offers a sharp and intuitive dashboard that will visualize all of your metrics in a aesthetically appealing way. While it tends to be often overlooked by more of the technical features software offers, the overall feel of a software can go a long way in not only learning it quickly yourself, but training your employees on how to use it. In a sector such as IT with often high turnover, having an easy to learn software can mean the difference between business as usual and potential lapses that can filter throughout your organization. Another major plus of having a great main dashboard, is that when you are producing reports or even giving software access to a business professional, he/she can go right to the information they are looking for and see the real value of your business service management investment. When you are using your tool to analyze issues such as the real dollar cost of server slowdowns or shutdowns, the easier you can relate an IT metric to a dollar amount the better.

An important aspect of BSM that you will want your business service management software to help protect is the configuration management database (CMDB), which stores information about IT devices such as routers servers and desktops. While this can be more of an IT feature than a business aspect, many of your company’s most important financial records and business strategy information is often stored there, making it critical to protect and monitor around the clock

All of the features mentioned today are just a sample of things you will want to look for when conducting your research. It’s never a bad idea to download a free trial demo version of the software you are considering for a couple reasons. For one, as we mentioned the intuitiveness factor of the software cannot be overlooked and this is a great, free way to see if the software has it. Another reason to obtain a free trial demo is to ensure the software is compatible with the plethora of software you are currently using on a daily basis.

Central Monitoring System

June 28, 2016March 20, 2018 RightITnow Enterprise Monitoring

Central monitoring system

The central monitoring system that your company obtains will be tasked with a plethora of duties that cannot be taken lightly in today’s IT landscape. From monitoring bandwidth, to configuration management to most importantly tracking incoming security threats, making the right investment in a software that will help to manage all three, is an extremely important decision. While your individual company’s set of needs will always come first, today we take a look at some of the most important features to consider when making your decision.

While it has a tendency to be often overlooked, the overall feel and aesthetics of the software you are using cannot be taken for granted. The quickest way for new hires to get behind in their training and get a slow start to the productivity, is having them use a software with a steep learning curve and difficult intricacies that can take months to learn. From the user interface dashboard to the various tools that your software can offer, the quicker you can fully learn and take advantage of your central monitoring system software the faster you can protect your systems and keep business running as normal and efficiently. When it comes to the security if your systems, it’s not something you will want to take lightly.

One of the most important features to consider when looking at central monitoring system software is a notification system that you can customize to send you alerts when efficiency is approaching a slow down or incoming security breaches are recognized. Whether it be via SMS, email or a built in notification system through the software, the faster you are able get to work on finding a solution to the problem and keeping business operating smoothly. One avenue of getting those push notifications is finding a central monitoring system that offers a mobile and tablet component to control the software from. With many of today’s professionals working remotely and being constantly on the go, finding a software with an application component is a great convenience feature that you will enjoy.

Monitoring bandwidth is one of the primary tasks that every central monitoring system will be assigned. Finding a software that presents the metrics involved in an easy to read format and contains visualization tools that lets you track it in real-time, is a valuable feature that cannot be overlooked. With employee’s smartphones and personal tablets flooding your already busy network, bandwidth can reach its maximum levels rather quickly. The aforementioned custom alerts feature is one that will go hand in hand with the monitoring of your bandwidth. By having the ability to be alerted when your bandwidth is running thin, you can make the necessary adjustments or phone calls to ensure your system maintains its speed.

Ultimately, choosing the right central monitoring system software is not only a financial investment but an investment in the life and long term success of your business. It cannot be stressed enough how important the proper research and self-awareness of your business’s needs is when making your decision. Many of the software available on the market today offer demo versions that while might not offer full functionality that the regular versions do, will let you see if the software is one that you can work with. Beyond getting a good grasp on the overall feel of the software, it will also allow you to confirm it’s compatibility with your already established suite of tools. While trying the demo, it’s a good idea to let your employees that will be using the software give it a try as well.

Net Monitor

June 28, 2016March 20, 2018 RightITnow Network Monitoring

Net monitor

The different between an efficiently running company and one that is constantly running into technical road blocks, can often be related to the health of its network. With that said, it is a critical decision to invest in the right net monitor software to help protect it. Today we take a look at some of the most important features to consider when doing your research for the net monitor software that best fit you and your company’s specific business profile and set of needs not only in its current state, but as you grow and scale to wider range of needs.

If you are currently using a net monitor software that is open source or simply are looking to make an upgrade in your network monitoring capabilities, finding a new software that offers a migration tool can prove to be invaluable as you will have to import your configuration data from your current system. Notification arraignments, custom alerts and user profiles are just a few things that you will want to make sure you carry over from your old software. Most migration features within the software only needs a port number from your server to easily transfer the information over to your new software.

Being able to visualize and analyze your server and router metrics, bandwidth fluctuations and drop-offs in performance can be critical in identifying problems and handling them with speed and ease. Ultimately, the primary goals of your net monitor software will come down to two very simple measures; maintaining speed and efficiency and protecting your network’s safety from incoming threats of all kinds. By finding a software with a main user interface dashboard that is intuitive and easy to read, you can quickly train new employees on your software and limit any downtime that comes during the training and onboarding phases.

Network configuration management is a feature that you should absolutely consider when researching your net monitor software. Not only will it increase the overall safety of your network and the computers located on it, but can also protect your servers and routers as well. The configuration of your network is constantly changing, and if you let the security of your network lapse, one penetration of your network can cause havoc to your entire organization. Network configuration management features regularly backup your network’s configuration on a running schedule ensuring that there is a backup every night and any downing of your system has a safety net on a centrally located cloud service.

Email and SMS alerts that customized to detect and automatically notify the IT administrator (or whomever in your IT department) on a variety of issues in real-time can prove to be an extremely important feature. Having the peace of mind that any time bandwidth is approaching limits or an incoming security threat is making its way onto your network, is something many IT professionals truly appreciate. The faster you can be made aware of a potential issue, the faster you can neutralize and continue “business as usual.”

All of the aforementioned features and tools are just a handful of things you will want to consider when finding the right net monitor software for your company’s needs. When you narrow down your choices to a select few, it’s always a smart idea to check and see if the software offers a demo version to get a feel for what it will be like to use it on a daily basis. Not only will you be able to get briefly familiar with it before using it, but you will also be able to make sure that it is compatible with your current set of tools that you are using daily.

System Monitoring Tools

June 20, 2016March 20, 2018 RightITnow Enterprise Monitoring

The system monitoring tools that you ultimately choose to manage your company’s network is a big decision that should not be taken lightly. It’s important to properly research the features that best fit the criteria your company and its IT department are looking for. Everything from tracking and managing bandwidth to keeping any eye on and defending against security threats comes into play when exploring options for the best system monitoring tools for your company’s needs. In today’s article, we take a look at some of the most important features to consider in your search. Every company has its own sets of needs and its own budget, so while we consider the following features as some of the most important, it’s critical to independently analyze your own needs and make a decision based off of them.

Often overlooked in the software world yet invaluable when it comes to important features, is a software’s intuitiveness and ability to be picked up and learned quickly. The functionality and ease of everyday use can translate into identifying issues and potential threats right away compared to letting them become deep seeded and wide spread problems. Most system monitoring tools offer some form of a main dashboard that tracks the key metrics and vitals of your network that help maintain the health and efficiency of your network as whole. By obtaining a set of system monitoring tools that are intuitive and easy to learn, you can quickly train new employees and maintain the health of your network as your company grows. Also as your company grows you run into the inevitable issue of turnover in your IT department. By having software that is easy to learn and train people on, you can ensure there is no lapse in coverage when there is an inevitable replacement on your staff.

While the security of your network is obviously your first priority, the speed of your network is often times a close second. When it comes to network speed, your company’s network bandwidth is a critical metric to keep track of. More and more employees in today’s offices have their personal smartphones and tablets connected to the company’s network. Short of having two separate networks and routers, it can become extremely important to monitor that bandwidth from a centralized set of system monitoring tools. Much of the software available today can offer custom alerts for when bandwidth is approaching a certain level so that you can make adjustments as necessary when needed. By being able to track bandwidth in real-time, you can prevent your company from having a major slow down, ultimately affecting your bottom line, and ensure that speed is always maintained.

As previously mentioned, smartphones and tablets are becoming a large part of today’s business landscape. Having the ability to offer a set of system monitoring tools that offer a mobile or tablet application can help play to the needs of the IT professional that is constantly on the go and or works remotely on a regular basis. Similar to setting up custom alerts, a mobile or tablet applications gives you the ability to deal with issues as they arise much faster than if you had to be in front of a traditional desktop. Within the system monitoring tools application, you can often times set alerts from within the software to notify you of potential security threats and bandwidth problems.

As with much software offered in today’s tech landscape, many system monitoring tools offer demo versions that let you get a feel of how the software works and how well it will integrate with your current suite of tools. After doing your research and before making your decision, it’s always a good idea to test out one of these demos before committing to the investment.

Server Monitoring Service

June 20, 2016March 20, 2018 RightITnow Enterprise Monitoring

With so many options available on the market today, a server monitoring service is a tool that can be intimidating to purchase. That being said however, it is one that is extremely critical to any IT professional tasked with maintaining the speed and ultimately protecting the safety of their server and network as a whole. When it comes to choosing a server monitoring service that best fits your company’s needs, it’s important to do your research and consider all of the features available to you. In today’s article, we take a look at some of those features to consider in making this long-term investment.

When considering features for your server monitoring service, there is ultimately no substitution for a software that you can pick up and learn quickly. Being intuitive and easy to not only learn but train your staff on, the software becomes that much more valuable as you are wasting little to no time with a learning curve. Maintaining efficiency is very important to the overall health and effectiveness of your server, but maintaining security and safety within your server is even more important. By choosing a user interface with an intuitive dashboard you can become quickly comfortable with, it allows you to quickly identify incoming threats and other potential issues that may slow down your servers and ultimately company operations. Like every software, most server monitoring service tools feature an initial dashboard that visualizes all of the necessary metrics from your server that you will want to be constantly tracking. From graphics, charts and bar graphs that display your server’s data metrics in real-time, to more visualization features that help you to recognize patterns that can lead to potential issues, a solid suite of visualization tools can help the less-experienced members of your IT team recognize issues themselves and make sure your servers stay efficient and safe.

Another feature that is growing in popularity is the ability to offer mobile and tablet support for your server monitoring service. With today’s professionals constantly on the go, this is a feature that many cannot go without. By being able to monitor the overall health and safety of your server while traveling is a convenience that should not be looked past.

An often overlooked yet many times a very important feature to consider when choosing the best server monitoring service for your department’s needs, is the ability to setup custom notifications for everything from potential server speed issues to more importantly, security threats. By setting parameters to receive email or SMS notifications when the software recognizes a specific set of events, you can make sure that it is constantly running at an optimal speed. More critically however, you can also make sure that any incoming security threats are immediately recognized and dealt with before they penetrate your server and cause widespread problems. The difference between immediately neutralizing a threat and missing it by a few hours, can be the difference between no problems and absolute havoc to your server and company.

Ultimately, choosing a server monitoring service tool is a decision that you cannot afford (both metaphorically and literally) to get wrong. With that said, it’s important to consider all the features mentioned above, but also be complete in your research and due diligence. As with many software in today’s tech landscape, we suggest downloading a demo of the software you are considering before pulling the trigger on the investment. Not only will this allow for you to get an overall feel of the aforementioned intuitiveness of the software, but it will also let you see if the software is one that is compatible with your operating system you plan to use with it.

Server Monitoring

June 20, 2016March 20, 2018 RightITnow Enterprise Monitoring

Whether you run an IT shop of 10 people or the entire department of a fortune 500 company, a server monitoring tool is a tool that you simply cannot do without. On the market today you will find a plethora of options for tools like this and one’s similar, and it’s important to distinguish the one that is the right fit for your current needs and ones that you will have as your company grows and expands. The efficiency, stability and most importantly safety of your company’s servers depend on you making the right decision and learning the tool you purchase quickly and effectively.

As you will find with any software you purchase, regardless of its purpose, the overall intuitiveness of it is a feature that cannot be overlooked. Anyone who uses a large amount and wide variety of different computer software will tell you, we’ve all had that one tool that while we know the functionality makes it an incredible asset, the learning curve was just too large to make it effective right away. It is critical that the main user interface, which tracks the up to the minute health of your server and overall network, is easy enough to learn and ultimately use that you can not only learn it quickly yourself, but be able to teach your employees and new employees how to use it. Most server monitoring tools available today offer some form of a central dashboard that is the face of the software when booting it up. From here, you can visually track everything from bandwidth, to server health to performance metrics on a minute to minute basis.

When researching the best server monitoring for your needs, a tool that offers the ability to set up custom alerts is one that should be strongly considered. One of the biggest reasons for an alert system is for incoming security threats. By having a system in place that sends emails or even SMS text messages to you at the first sign of a potential issue, you can address and ultimately more quickly neutralize the incoming threat to prevent it from spreading and shutting down your operations.

In today’s tech landscape, a feature that is gaining in popularity every year is server monitoring tools that are mobile and tablet friendly. Many of today’s professionals are not only working remotely, but are constantly on the go making traditional server monitoring more and more difficult. Having the ability to check on the overall health of your server and speed of your network while on the go, gives you the peace of the mind to always know what’s going on back at the office. Similar in nature to the last feature we mentioned, many mobile applications also give you the ability to set up alerts and notifications from directly within the app. Convenience is something that cannot be replaced or imitated.

Before purchasing your server monitoring software, it’s also important to make sure that it is compatible with your current suite of tools and has the ability to use add-ons to further its functionality. As is the case with any software you are considering an investment in, it’s always a good idea to look and see if there is a demo version of the server monitoring software you are considering. Not only will it allow you to see if you’re other tools are compatible and run smoothly with it, but it will also give you a general sense of how the software runs before committing to the purchase. Where available, we strongly recommend downloading the demo version of your server monitoring tool before purchasing.

Network Management Tools

June 20, 2016March 20, 2018 RightITnow Network Monitoring

Choosing the right set of network management tools can be critical in defending and monitoring the activity on your company’s network, no matter the size. When looking at the options available today, everything from monitoring bandwidth from the devices that flood your network, to trusting the security of your network from incoming threats comes into play when it comes to the lifeblood of your company’s IT heart. Today, we take a look at some of the most important features to consider when researching and ultimately making the investment in the network management tools software of your future.

Often overlooked yet impeccably important is the overall feel and ease of use of your software. Your suite of network management tools will be responsible for the health of your network at all times, and give you the ability to track that health in real-time. Tracking in real time can come via a set of visualization tools that takes your analyzing and assessing of your needs to the next level. The ability to visualize your metrics such as router issues or growing bandwidth, can prove to be essential in neutralizing and preventing incoming threats to become larger, deeper seeded problems.

Many IT professionals today have become akin to pushing their business needs to a more tablet or mobile focused platform. With that said, finding a set of network management tools that offer a mobile/tablet application can prove to be very valuable asset if you have a staff that is consistently traveling and or working remotely. Everything from tracking bandwidth to keeping updated on security threats can be offered via these applications. Many applications also offer the ability to set up custom alerts that based off of criteria you set, can notify you when a certain chain of events happen that could cause potential issues.

Another feature to consider when looking at network management tools is the ability to set up custom alerts for everything from bandwidth issues to incoming security threats. Many tools available on the market today offer you the chance to set up alerts to be delivered via everything from SMS text message to emails sent directly to you. Once your parameters are set, automatic notifications will be sent to you when your limits are hit.

Another feature that is often looked past but yet can be valuable is a network configuration management feature that protects the safety of your network. Not only will a network configuration management tool within your network management tools increase overall safety of your network and the computers on it, but it will also ensure that as your company grows, the configuration of your network and its security settings will stay the same. With configurations of networks constantly changing and scaling up and down, the threats (both big and small) have more ability to sneak through your safety nets and cause havoc to your network. By having a feature that automatically regularly updates your settings and performs backups, your entire network is ensure with a security blanket without having to perform any manual functions.

The features mentioned above are just a few features to consider when doing your research into network management tools. Ultimately, as with any software you are considering making an investment in, it’s a good idea to look and see if the software offers a demo version you can download before making the purchase. Not only will this allow you to see if it is a software you and your staff can learn quickly, but if it’s one that will fit with your already established suite of software that you use regularly. It’s important to consider that even if the software is easy for you to use, it’s valuable to find one that you can also train new employees on rather quickly as your company grows and turnover occurs.

Performance Monitoring

May 17, 2016March 26, 2018 RightITnow Operations Management

It goes without saying that for any IT professional, maintaining speed and performance on a network of any size is no small task. The value of having a fast network trickles down from everything to quick browser speed to the ability to view sales or financials in real-time, with no delay. With all this said, it’s important to have a great arsenal of performance monitoring tools to keep your company running at optimal speed. Considering all of the options available on the market today, let’s take a look at some of the more important features to consider when looking for the best performance monitoring tool to fit you and your organization’s needs.

Important yet often overlooked, the intuitiveness of a software is a critical feature to consider and one that will give you the ability to pick up the software’s functionality and full potential, sooner rather than later. By learning the software in-depth fast, you will be able to maintain optimal speed within your network and keep business running per usual. Many of the performance monitoring tools available on the market today offer an extensive set of visualization tools that keep track of your important metrics that you want to be aware of in a visually appealing and straight forward way. Very often, the data and performance metrics being output are only as good as the user’s (you and your team) ability to read and process them in the appropriate way. The central dashboard of the software will be critical as it is often the face of the tool and the starting-off point for all of the features that the tool offers. Not only should you be sure that the software is one that you can learn quickly, but one that you can train your employees and peers on who will be using it daily.

Whether it be via email, SMS or the software itself, custom alerts are a feature that can prove to be a valuable asset when looking to keep an eye on your company’s performance while you’re not in the office or “logged on.” Beyond setting up alerts for incoming security threats, which they are commonly known for, there are other metrics that alerts can be valuable for. Below we take a look at one of the more common reasons alerts are set up from a performance monitoring standpoint and explain how this specific feature can be as important as any.

When it comes to the performance or health of your network, there are not many more valuable metrics to keep an eye on than the health and capacity of your network’s bandwidth. With many devices, for both pleasure and business, flooding your office’s network and servers, the bandwidth levels are a metric that you cannot ignore. Most of the performance monitoring tools available on the market today offer a feature that allows for bandwidth to be tracked and monitored in real-time to ensure there are no slowdowns for your company and that the network can be running efficiently as possible at all times. The aforementioned alerts feature can set limits for your bandwidth that automatically notify you when it is reaching maximum levels. By pre-setting these parameters, you can make sure that you are notified any time that s network slowdown is coming, preventing a potential snowball effect of issues that can waterfall throughout your business.

As with most software available out there today, performance monitoring tools often feature trial versions that let you try the basic features if the software before committing to the investment. Not only will this let you see some of the key features you will be using on a daily basis, but it will also give you an idea of how quick you will be able to pick up the software and use it to its full potential.

Network Performance Monitoring Tools

May 12, 2016March 26, 2018 RightITnow Operations Management

Network performance monitoring

Being an IT professional, outside of the issue of security, one of the most important aspects of your daily job is to ensure the performance of your company’s network is in tip-top shape and running as quick and efficiently as possible. Given the importance that is typically put on the performance of networks, investing in the proper network performance monitoring tool is a decision you will not want to take lightly and thoroughly consider all of your options. Today, we will take a look at some of the more important features to consider when shopping around for the best tool that fits your needs and goals.

Often times at companies in today’s business landscape, many employees have two if not three devices both personal and for work that flood company’s networks and servers. When this happens, a company’s already thinly spread bandwidth is tested to its limits and can cause a plethora of problems if not monitored and dealt with appropriately. Obtaining a network performance monitoring tool with an intuitive and dynamic way to measure and monitor network bandwidth can be a feature that can prove to be extremely valuable as your company grows and more devices flood your network. In addition, software that offers the ability to set parameters to notify you when bandwidth is reaching a certain limit is another feature to consider. By making you aware of your bandwidth reaching a potential slowdown level, you can make the proper adjustments right away to ensure there is no slowdown to your network. No matter the network performance monitoring software that you choose, bandwidth monitoring is definitely a feature you will want to consider.

When it comes to alerts, monitoring your bandwidth isn’t the only way custom alerts can prove to be a crucial feature when choosing your network performance monitoring tool. Much of the software available today allow for custom alerts, based off of parameters that you set, to notify you when it comes to security threats that are always trying to infiltrate your networks and servers. Whether it is via SMS, email, or alerts within an application, the earlier you can address a potential security threat the faster and more effectively you will be able to be handle it.

Whether it is bandwidth or security, choosing a network performance monitoring tool with an easy to read and intuitive set of visualization tools is another key feature yet one that is often overlooked. When monitoring and sometimes forecasting the speed and health of your network, being able to read the metrics and daily readouts can often be just as important as the data and metrics themselves. Many times, network performance monitoring tools will offer a dashboard that is the central hub tracking all of the devices on your network, the speed of you network and ultimately maintaining the security that protects your critical files and server settings. That being said, another often overlooked aspect to choosing software is being mindful and active in your search for a user interface that is intuitive and can be easily learned by you and your staff. Ultimately, as with any software you are bringing into your department, you’ll want to make sure that it is one you can train your team on quickly to avoid any lapse in security and efficiency.

Most software on the market today offers some form of free trial that allows you to use the basic functions of the software, but more importantly help you get an overall feel of how the software will be to work with every day. When downloading the trial, it may also be a good idea to have some of your staff that will be using it test it out as well.

Network Monitoring System

May 12, 2016March 20, 2018 RightITnow Network Monitoring

Network monitoring system

Choosing the right network monitoring system can make all the difference in the world for the IT professional tasked with monitoring their systems productivity and efficiency. From monitoring bandwidth that floods your network to monitoring the overall security of your network and system as a whole, it’s important to choose a network monitoring system and associated software that fits best with your specific company’s needs and long-term goals. Today we will take a look at some of the more important features to consider and give you and your staff some ideas to look for when making the important decision that will affect many facets of not only your IT department, but entire company.

In a time when almost every function of our personal lives can be done on an application, the business world and specifically IT is becoming less and less different. With that said, it is becoming increasingly more important to choose a software package that you are able to use with an application that can be accessed from a smartphone or tablet. From application features that offer tracking bandwidth to the setting up of alerts for incoming security threats, it can be a great way to quickly be alerted of potential issues that your networking monitoring system catches so you can address them immediately and neutralize any potential issues.

While a mobile application is a great feature that will add a certain level of utility to the robust tool that you choose for your network monitoring system needs, one of the most important features to consider with any software is the overall intuitiveness of the software’s dashboard and “face” that you will be using on a daily basis. The easier the user interface is to navigate, the quicker you (or your employees) can learn and be using the software to its full capabilities. Visualization tools offered on your networking monitoring system software can provide a quick way to see the metrics you need to track such as traffic on your server or incoming threats to your network and system as a whole.

When looking for the best network monitoring system to fit your specific needs, choosing one with a network configuration management feature can prove to play a crucial role in the overall security of your system on a daily basis. Not only will a network configuration management feature increase the security of the computers on your network, but the routers and servers located on it as well. With configuration of company networks continually changing, threats of all sizes can find their way onto your network and wreak havoc with a myriad of consequences. Finding a network monitoring system tool with a networking configuration management feature gives you and your team the ability to constantly run and schedule network configurations that will perform automatic backups of your entire networking, giving your system that unanimous security blanket automatically on a running basis.

As mentioned before within the application feature, a key feature of any good networking monitoring system too is a built-in notification feature that allows for the setting up of alerts, whether they be directly from an application, SMS, or email that alerts you anytime you need to check the software and handle an issue. Two primary reasons that you may need to have an alert system setup is for the reigning in of bandwidth and a safety net for incoming security threats. As most company networks face a plethora of new devices flooding their networks, this is a feature to strongly consider when shopping around.

All of the aforementioned features are just a few to consider when making the important decision if choosing the right networking monitoring system tool. As with any software you are considering making an investment in, it’s always a good idea to see if there is a free trial to get an overall feel of it.