Spy Review

Mobile phones have become an increasingly integral part of most people`s lives, meaning that each individual is contactable by their own source, and makes mobile phones a main communication method of spouses and partners acting unfaithfully. This has allowed an opportunity for a market in software to keep check on people suspicious of their partner (obviously having discussed the issue beforehand).

Likewise, businesses may have an interest in monitoring their employees communications, perhaps for a wider range of reasons, such as ensuring policy procedure adherence in business dealings, investigating fraud, monitoring business costs etc.

Programs such as Mobile Spy can be installed onto any device running Windows Mobile, as well as some other `smart` phones, such as the Apple iPhone. Once installed, it is hidden from the user of the phone (and therefore, ethically and legally, the owner of the phone should be informed of its presence). The person purchasing the software should set up what type of communications they want the software to record (e.g. SMS messages sent and/or received, calls, internet data etc.). This is usually sent to an online server from the phone, meaning the person purchasing the software simply has to log in to see a stored record of phone user activity.

Some packages are also able to record the actual calls, or transmit live calls to another phone. This works by ringing the `spy` user`s phone every time the `spied upon` phone makes or received a call, transmitting over a GPRS signal. Other packages work in a similar way, but transmit data by Blue Tooth to the `spy` person`s phone instead. It is also possible to buy pre-configured `spy phones`.

This type will usually be configured to send the `spy` a copy of all of the phone users SMS messages, and is therefore very useful in business situations to allow a company to have a record of their employee`s company communications. It is also possible with these to listen to activity around the phone, when not being used for a call, by dialling a particular number. Again, this makes it useful, for example, in keeping track of remote meetings and business deals.

Other software is more geared towards security and safety, particularly that of people`s children, relatives and vulnerable friends. This type of software requires the user to register a particular phone with the service, simply by using the phone number, usually with no software download required. The spying provider will then use mobile phone signal information to determine the distance from mobile phone transmitter masts, and therefore the general geographic location.

This information can be sent by text message to the spy`s mobile phone, or it can be viewed on a map via a computer. This is a popular option for parents looking for an easy way to keep aware of where their children are, and can be set up easily in combination with cheap mobile phones, with no need to check compatibility.

This post was written by the editing team at Mobiles.co.uk, a site affiliated with Carphone Warehouse