Revision 796675202 of "Birch Grove Software" on enwiki

{{Orphan|date=April 2017}}

{{Infobox company
| name = Birch Grove Software, Inc.
| logo = 
| type = Private
| industry = 
| fate = 
| predecessor = <!-- or: | predecessors = -->
| successor = <!-- or: | successors = -->
| founded =  {{Start date and age|1995}} 
| founder = <!-- or: | founders = -->
| defunct = <!-- {{End date|YYYY|MM|DD}} -->
| hq_location = 7434 Centenary Avenue
| hq_location_city =  [[Dallas]], [[Texas|TX]]
| hq_location_country = [[United States]] 
| area_served = Worldwide
| key_people = Herbert Axilrod, Anton Seidler
| products = ActivTrak, Screen Pass
| owner = <!-- or: | owners = -->
| num_employees = 
| num_employees_year = <!-- Year of num_employees data (if known) -->
| parent = 
| website = <!-- {{URL|example.com}} -->
}}

'''Birch Grove Software, Inc.''' is a privately security software company which develops cloud based productivity monitoring software for network administration as [[software as a service]]. Founded in 1995, the company is headquartered in [[Dallas]], [[Texas|TX]].

==History==
Birch Grove Software was Incorporated in 1995.<ref>{{cite web|title=Birch Grove Software, Inc. Company Profile: Financial Information, Competitors and Executives|url=https://datafox.com/birch-grove-software|website=DataFox|accessdate=March 19, 2017}}</ref> The Dallas-based company was founded by two American programmers, Herb Axilrod and Anton Seidler.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Herb Axilrod - Biography|url=https://www.entrepreneur.com/author/herb-axilrod|work=Entrepreneur (magazine) |accessdate=December 10, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|title=The Office Is Watching You|url=https://www.fastcompany.com/3046133/the-new-rules-of-work/the-future-of-workplace-surveillance|accessdate=December 15, 2016|work=[[Fast Company (magazine)|Fast Company]]|date=May 22, 2015}}</ref>
<ref>{{cite web|title=Birch Grove Software, Inc.: Private Company Information|url=http://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=223272837|website=[[Bloomberg News|Bloomberg]]|accessdate=March 19, 2017}}</ref> Initially it launched Screen Pass, a Windows-based screen locking security software for network administrators.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Sony's AVT drive uses latest media for impressive performance: Screen Pass heads off IS headaches|journal=InfoWorld|date=November 3, 1997|volume=19|issue=44|page=70|url=https://books.google.com.bd/books?id=8zsEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA70-IA10&lpg=PA70-IA10&dq=screen+pass+software+first+version&source=bl&ots=KGrCxF6YLt&sig=6ZZHfFragBT8Cmevp9Qbm15FCmg&hl=en&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=screen%20pass%20software%20first%20version&f=false|publisher=InfoWorld Media Group, Inc.|language=en|issn=0199-6649}}</ref> It also released Link-Launch, a utility software that automatically creates directory mappings for Windows applications.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Local Networks: Birch Grove Software, Inc.|journal=Network World|date=May 8, 1995|volume=12|issue=19|page=29|url=https://books.google.com.bd/books?id=whAEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA29&dq=%22Birch+Grove+Software%22&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiXk829xODSAhVKt48KHZQmDqYQ6AEIHjAB#v=onepage&q=%22Birch%20Grove%20Software%22&f=false|accessdate=March 18, 2017|publisher=IDG Network World Inc|language=en|issn=0887-7661}}</ref>

It began offering its software via the [[software as a service]] (SaaS) or cloud computing model when ActivTrak was launched in 2009.<ref>{{cite news|title=Key Points To Consider Before Using Employee Monitoring Software|url=http://www.smallbiztechnology.com/archive/2013/03/what-to-consider-before-using-employee-monitoring-software.html/#.WM1n6fmGPIU|accessdate=March 19, 2017|date=March 12, 2013}}</ref> It was first launched as LAN based, and later moved to the cloud service. The first version of ActivTrak released on February 9, 2009. In November 2016, ActivTrak released its latest version 4.5 to public.

==Services==
===Screen Pass===
Screen Pass is a Windows-based screen locking software for network administrators which provides them enforcement of password security and centrally control security options over idle workstations.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Low-cost network management tools: nothing to sneeze at|journal=InfoWorld|date=April 10, 2000|volume=22|issue=15|url=https://books.google.com.bd/books?id=bD0EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA46&dq=%22Birch+Grove+Software%22&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiXk829xODSAhVKt48KHZQmDqYQ6AEIIjAC#v=onepage&q=%22Birch%20Grove%20Software%22&f=false|accessdate=March 18, 2017|publisher=InfoWorld Media Group, Inc.|language=en|issn=0199-6649}}</ref> Its advanced features include automatic logoff, auto shutdown, administrator override, and record of all workstation events.<ref>{{cite web|title=Screen Pass 6.6: Auto Logoff solution - Workstation locking with auto logoff and auto shutdown|url=http://screenpass.net/|accessdate=March 19, 2017}}</ref>

===ActivTrak===
ActivTrak is a [[Cloud computing|cloud-based]] productivity monitoring software that works based on tracking web and application usage of computers.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Gregg|first1=Aaron|title=Stare at Facebook all day? Watch out: Your boss could be monitoring you.|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/stare-at-facebook-all-day-watch-out-your-boss-could-be-monitoring-you/2015/02/20/cfa6c1da-ab33-11e4-9c91-e9d2f9fde644_story.html|accessdate=December 10, 2016|work=[[The Washington Post]]|date=February 22, 2015}}</ref> It provides business owners with monitoring their employee tracking the performance of the workstations.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Strohmeyer|first1=Robert|title=How to Monitor Your Employees' PCs Without Going Too Far|url=http://www.pcworld.com/article/222169/how_to_monitor_your_employees_without_going_too_far.html|accessdate=December 10, 2016|work=PCWorld|date=March 22, 2011}}</ref> It keeps records of any website visited <ref>{{cite journal|title=How to monitor employee computer use the right way|journal=Computer World UK|date=March 23, 2011|url=http://www.computerworlduk.com/tutorial/infrastructure/how-to-monitor-employee-computer-use-the-right-way-3266702/|accessdate=December 15, 2016}}</ref> or software used by employees, takes screenshot and reports how many times were spent on an individual page or application.<ref>{{cite news|title=Spying on Employees: Should You Do It?|url=http://www.inc.com/francesca-fenzi/4-things-you-should-know-about-employee-tracking.html|accessdate=December 15, 2016|work=[[Inc. (magazine)|Inc.]]|date=April 18, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Don’t Make Snap Judgments When Monitoring Employee Social Media Use|url=https://www.eremedia.com/tlnt/dont-make-snap-judgments-when-monitoring-employee-social-media-use/|accessdate=December 15, 2016|date=January 27, 2015}}</ref> It works silently on computers <ref>{{cite news|title=Fave Raves: 34 tech pros share favorite IT products - Birch Grove Software’s ActivTrak|url=http://www.networkworld.com/article/2909734/security/fave-raves-34-tech-pros-share-favorite-it-products.html#slide4|accessdate=December 10, 2016|work=[[International Data Group|Network World]]|date=April 16, 2015}}</ref> and only network administrators can access the ActivTrak data.<ref>{{cite news|title=Tech pros' favorite tools increase IT efficiency |url=http://www.networkworld.com/article/2910872/infrastructure-management/tech-pros-favorite-tools-increase-it-efficiency.html|accessdate=December 10, 2016|work=[[International Data Group|Network World]]|date=April 16, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Web monitoring software helps keep employees honest|url=http://searchfinancialapplications.techtarget.com/news/4500249505/Web-monitoring-software-helps-keep-employees-honest|accessdate=December 10, 2016|date=July 7, 2015}}</ref>

ActivTrak’s services are offered as a [[freemium]] model and provided in the form of [[software as a service]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Covertly monitor PCs and Macs with ActivTrak|url=http://betanews.com/2016/02/09/covertly-monitor-pcs-and-macs-with-activtrak/|accessdate=December 15, 2016|date=February 9, 2016}}</ref> It works in both Microsoft Windows and OS X operating systems.<ref>{{cite news|title=Workplace Productivity Service, ActivTrak, Now Available on Mac OS|url=http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20150122005111/en/Workplace-Productivity-Service-ActivTrak-Mac-OS|accessdate=December 10, 2016|work=|date=January 22, 2015}}</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist|2}}

[[Category:Computer security companies]]
[[Category:Companies established in 1995]]
[[Category:Companies based in Dallas]]
[[Category:Privately held companies in the United States]]
[[Category:Software companies of the United States]]
[[Category:1995 establishments in Texas]]