Okay looking for some user usage monitoring software with the following features:

Screenshots
Active application time reports
Active website time reports
Daily activity time analysis

Preferably a silent mode

Optionally key logging options, chat monitoring etc

Looking to monitor about 20 machines.

Yeah I use K9 on my kids PC, not really looking to filter stuff as much as catching people doing bad, and not just internet but all PC applications.

not implying anything, just curious about the legality of using this kind of software in the workplace.

http://www.workplaceinfo.com.au/resources/employment-topics-a-z/surveillance-in-the-workplace

The Workplace Surveillance Act 2005 [NSW] relates to the employer’s use of technology including video cameras, computers and tracking devices, to monitor employees and generally prohibits the surveillance of employees at work, by their employer, except where employees have been given notice or where the employer has a covert surveillance authority.

except where employees have been given notice

So? Why's everyone being a whiney little b****? Boss says yep we're watching you, don't use computers for illegal stuff / personal stuff during work hours. Where's the problem? If you can't go a whole working day without using the work computer to download illegal movies or porn, or browse reddit all day then rather than quitting, I hope you all get fired.

Person signs a workplace agreement that says "We will monitor your email and computer usage". Person declines job. Workplace choice exists.

So the choice is pretty poor and given certain circumstances it wouldn't be considered a choice..

Is it that poor? What's the unemployment rate again? What's the safety nets that we have during times where someone is unemployed? How often is it that people are looking for a job while unemployed versus are currently employed and are jumping to a different workplace for either money, or other reason?

Maybe i've been the kind of person who separates his work from his personal life, but if you're employed to work, and you sign a contract that says "you must meet these performance goals, and your position will have monitoring in the case reaching those goals are in debate" i say 'sure' mostly because i haven't ever continued working at a place that i no longer want to do work at during business time.

What can you do on work supplied IT equipment that you can't do on your personal phone or at home that you MUST do during business time? (and if you can't do it in those situations, how devious is it that you can't just ask permission?)

Edit: Here's a non-it related situation
I work at a labouring yard. I pick and pack. I have a supervisor, a team leader, a senior labourer offsiding me. Every step i make is monitored directly.

In the indirect situation of working in an office, where a supervisor has allowed someone to be able to work more autonomous, under the reminder that when it's noticed that they are failing to meet goals, their performance is monitored is somehow less ethical than the one if they're left to constant supervision.

Man some of you girls will whinge about anything, no wonder the planet is going down the s******. If you actually did work at work then there wouldn't even need to be programs like this. Bunch of self entitled a*******.

You are the one QQ'ing, I asked a question based on a law I found with a quick google because I was curious. The OP may not have been aware or the same thing might not be legislated in QLD, either way, enough of the tears.

Company PC's belong to the company therefore there should be no expectation of privacy.

If we were talking about monitoring personal PC or Phone that is NOT on the network and not being used for work purposes, that's a different story.

If you actually did work at work

Whoa, slow down there. That's crazy talk.

We are looking at getting this firewall which is meant to do all that

http://www.watchguard.com/products/xtm-5/overview.asp

http://www.guardsite.com.au/XTM-515.asp?gclid=CIGC64PGqLcCFQIVpQod0SAApg

My workplace monitors internet usage to the extent that anything outside of banking and utilities websites is effectively fair game to be blocked. They understand we are working in an office away from home so they're reasonably lenient on things like that.

It beats people having to take time off work to go to a post office or wherever they need to go to do things if it can be quickly and conveniently done via the internet.

That said, I felt they went overboard in blocking sourceforge, but only because a few tools I use are on there. I bypass it by hooking up my phone to the PC and using it as a hotspot to download what I need. They obviously don't see it as unreasonable because I presented evidence of the data use and they paid me back the value of the data.

Thanks for the suggestions guys. Yeah we'll tell the staff we are watching them, then its on their heads if they f*** up. Also we are doing it to our staff in Manila first and they don't have the same laws in the Philippines so its all good.

Not too worried about recreational browsing or that sort of thing. More wanting to watch our call centre staff aren't chatting or using facebook while they are on the phone (hence the screenshotting), when they are off don't care what they do. Also will give us a picture of their idle time so we can better capacity plan and give them more work if needed.