There are many ways of obtaining property inspection software, and each has its benefits and drawbacks. That said, it is always important to have some important things in mind when sourcing software since it can be the difference between work-made-easier, a crashed computer, stolen data and, in some cases, the accused dock in a court of law. In this age where people want to get things at a bargain, property inspectors need to be careful about where and how they obtain property inspection software.
Be wary of free software
The internet is awash with free software that purports to do all kinds of things. While there are some genuine software developers who provide free software, it is highly unlikely that a developer will spend huge resources to get a project made then give it away for free. The chances that someone will make property inspection software and give it out free are next to nil. If you find a free offer, there are two likely outcomes:
1. You will lose data
‘Free software’ is something that hackers dangle in front of unsuspecting people to get access to their database. What happens here is that the hacker goes and gets genuine property inspection software; often buying it, then reverse engineers the code to introduce points of weakness, or backdoors, as they are called in hacker-jargon. Next, the hacker will undertake a spirited internet marketing campaign to offer free property inspection software. When you download this onto your machine, the hacker is able to access your files. This means that is you are a big company with lots of tenant credit card information, for example, the hacker is able to see it. Now, a hacker can either sell that information or use it to steal money from your accounts or those of your clients. To avoid this, keep away from the ‘free software’.
2. You will be sued
Again, there really is nothing like genuine free property inspection software. The only ‘free software’ there is – is taken from a genuine developer, tinkered with to remove authentication and then spread over the internet. Today, software developers are getting fed up with having their efforts pirated. The most common technique is that they write lines of code that send back some information regarding the location of their users. If the developer finds that the number of users is more than the copies of software sold, he or she might decide to check on every use and if he or she finds you with pirated copies, it is likely that you will either settle out-of-court for an obscene amount or be taken to trial. Either of these options is more expensive than buying genuine software.
Always buy software on CD
The CD is slowly being forgotten in today’s age of digital downloads. When buying software though, always get the CDs since it is easy to check the software is original. Having software on CD gives you a backup in case your computers crash. When you buy online, always ask the vendor to send you the hard copy.
Buy from renowned developers
We have nothing against small software developers but if you truly want to be on the safe side, get your software from a big developer with a good reputation. A big developer not only has a big team that is likely to make very good software but also has very elaborate support structures. This means that should you run into any problems, the developer will send someone to come sort you out. Small developers are unlikely to afford you such services.
Get software from within the country
A big part of property inspection software depends on how the real estate industry is run in a country. When you buy from a developer in the country, the software is likely to fit your needs better than some software developed abroad since the software is tailor made for real estate industry in the country. Buying abroad might be cheaper but it might end up failing you when you are on an important inspection.
With the above in mind, you are well on your way to finding excellent property inspection software for your organizational or personal use.
