Ten Invaluable Apps For IT Professionals

As our lives inexorably move more online, our reliance on IT professionals is increasingly unavoidable. From streaming media services to ecommerce platforms, the cloud has transformed the way we work, socialize and communicate.

Always Connected

As a result of society’s growing internet dependency, people tend to react strongly to downtime or inaccessibility, regardless of its cause. Consumers are rarely interested in the unstoppable nature of a global DDoS attack, or the likelihood of WordPress plugins becoming obsolete. They expect any problems to be resolved instantly, irrespective of what time it is or where they happen to be.
One of the best ways for IT personnel to deal with this 24/7 reliance on technology is to call on some automated assistance therefore numerous IT apps have been developed to handle everything from project management to network downtime.
In this article, we look at ten of the best apps IT professionals should install on their mobile devices, from networks to technical support:

Networking Apps

Microsoft Remote Desktop –Platforms: Android, Windows, iOS

Being able to remotely access a client computer can expedite the resolution of many IT issues, as well as enabling you to check documents and resources on your own devices. Microsoft’s Remote Desktop provides full device control, including access to files and apps. It’s freely available on various devices, but some users report problems using the app on devices with 18:9 screen resolutions. Remote Desktop is compatible with Professional and Server editions of Windows, and it can even be connected to external monitors or projectors.

Fing – Network Tools – Platform: Android

A staple feature on lists of recommended IT apps, Fing – Network Tools details every device connected to a network. Displayed information includes IP and MAC addresses, device names and even the manufacturer/vendor. Additional features embrace port scanning, intruder detection and DNS lookups. With an estimated 20 million Android users worldwide, Fing is a serious tool for people with expert knowledge of (and responsibility for) networks.

Network Toolbox – Platform: iOS

This web security platform is iOS only, despite the presence of an identically named app in the Android store. It combines 37 networking and internet tools into a single interface, identifying security issues or faulty configurations across local and public networks alike. It exposes individual devices and their locations, as well as port and hostname data. Network Toolbox also offers socket analysis, ping capabilities and DNS queries. It’s even capable of hierarchical XML browsing, crawling websites and analyzing robots.txt files.

Pingdom – Platforms: Android, iOS

If you’re in charge of more than one website, server or web application, Pingdom is definitely worth looking into. A user-friendly graphical interface monitors individual platform availability and performance in real time. Automatic alerts ranging from content changes to error messages support swift resolution of incidents, with live monitoring of loading speeds in specific countries, browsers or devices. Any interaction can be monitored, from logins to ecommerce transactions. However, the app requires a paid Pingdom subscription to work.

JuiceSSH – Platform: Android

Combining numerous advanced functionalities into one location, JuiceSSH is an all-in-one terminal client. A popup keyboard and full-color terminal underpin SSH server connectivity. JuiceSSH is compatible with Dropbox and Evernote, as well as offering community or third-party plugins. It’s also terminal independent, capable of running multiple SSH sessions at once across IPv6 with 2FA. In-app purchases unlock extra features like port forwards, Amazon AWS integration and AES-256 encrypted backups of connections, settings, etc.

Storage and Collaboration Apps

Dropbox – Platforms: Android, iOS, Windows

When it comes to cloud-hosted storage, Dropbox takes some beating. Free accounts provide 2GB of file storage, but a $9.99 monthly subscription opens up 1TB of online storage across unlimited folders. The drag-and-drop interface is simplicity itself, though some users report folders not refreshing until they’re reopened. Outages are rare, making this a reliable cloud platform for personal data storage or online collaboration. Office document editing, action histories and access to deleted files are among Dropbox’s less heralded features.

Evernote – Platforms: Android, iOS, Windows

From handwritten notes and reminders to photos and audio recordings, data uploaded to Evernote is sorted into searchable notebook directories. It’s possible to clip data from pages in Chrome; paid upgrades include photographing text and having Evernote transcribe it into a searchable format. It’s popular with teams working on collaborative projects, but Evernote is also widely used for storing screen grabs of software faults or notes about ongoing tech issues.

CamScanner – Platforms: Android, iOS, Windows

We’re all familiar with holding our phones over a document, trying to get the camera to focus before taking a picture. That’s even harder in circumstances such as attempting to capture serial numbers on a desktop tower in a dark corner. CamScammer’s images are saved as a JPG or PDF before being emailed, printed or faxed. Evernote and Dropbox integration makes cloud sharing easy, though the basic CamScanner platform is limited to 200MB of storage for ten users. A premium account grants the user 10GB of cloud data and 50 related accounts.

Support Apps

Spiceworks Help Desk – Platforms: Android, iOS

Spiceworks is the IT app industry professionals turn to when they encounter an unfamiliar problem. With a thriving network of fellow geeks and oracles, the Spiceworks app provides full platform functionality. It’s possible to open a ticket, offer help to other people or view your network inventory. Existing tickets can be edited and closed, and it’s even possible to see whether a particular phone user is making a call in real time.

Tasker – Platform: Android

Although the iOS store has an app called Tasker, it’s unrelated to this comprehensive automation tool. Android’s $2.99 Tasker contains hundreds of standard actions and numerous plugins. These cover specific functionalities like reading text messages while driving, or managing call block lists. Tasker is capable of regulating almost every attribute on a mobile device, from alarms and airplane settings to backups and browsing. Its complexity may seem daunting, but Tasker’s versatility makes it an IT app worth persevering with.