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Best Software Metering

ON Technology Hits High With SofTrack

If you want range and breadth in software metering, lock onto John T. McCann's SofTrack from ON Technology. SofTrack can meter any file at all, not just executables. This NetWare Loadable Module (NLM)-only solution can meter DOS, Windows, Macintosh and OS/2 programs. None of SofTrack's competitors can compare.
The ability to share licenses among file servers on a network puts SofTrack above its competition. With this feature, you can purchase fewer software licenses for multiple file servers and allow SofTrack to move the license count around the network to where the licenses are needed. Saber Software's SEAM has the ability to share licenses among servers, but SEAM is a site metering add-on to Saber LAN Workstation, so sites that don't use LAN Workstation wouldn't benefit from SEAM.
SofTrack doesn't have any problems when it comes to metering suites of software, such as Microsoft Office. All programs of the suite are entered in to one license profile. If a user were to launch more than one application of the suite, SofTrack will correctly count it as only one license.
SofTrack will notify users via a NetWare broadcast message when all licenses are checked out. Users can also be placed into a queue that will reserve a software package for an administrator-defined amount of time once a license becomes available. SofTrack has excellent reporting capabilities, which include printed usage reports as well as hourly and daily license usage charts.
The one thing that SofTrack doesn't do that Frye's SMART does is allow a user to "check ou t" a license of a product to take home to use. When the user returns the software, the license can be checked back in by the administrator.

John T. McCann's SofTrack, $495-$1,295, ON Technology Corp., One Cambridge Center, 5th floor, Cambridge, MA
02142-1604. (800) 767-6683;
(800) 548-8871; fax (617) 374-1433.

Runners-Up
The Frye Utilities for Networks-Software Metering and Resource Tracking (SMART), Frye Computer Systems, 19 Temple Pl., Boston, MA 02111. (617) 451-5400;
fax (617) 451-6711.

Saber Enterprise Application Manager (SEAM),
Saber Software Corp., 5944 Luther La., Suite 1007, Dallas, TX 75225.
(800) 338-8754; (214) 361-8086;
fax (214) 361-1882.