Austin, Texas-based Spiceworksâ„¢, Inc. is a social business network for IT that is transforming how $1 trillion worth of technology products and services is marketed and sold each year to small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs) worldwide. Over 1.4 million IT professionals use the free Spiceworks network management application and integrated Facebook-like community to discover, buy and manage technology in a social way. Hundreds of top tech brands, including Dell, Intel and Microsoft, leverage the power of Spiceworks to connect with buyers, conduct market research, advertise, and sell to IT professionals while they work.

Another key feature of Spiceworks is the ability to connect with other IT managers. When problems come up you can post questions, submit answers and use group-edited wiki articles, etc. Also, if you think of a feature you wish Spiceworks offered you can make a request, which will be rated and voted on by the rest of the community. The integration of crowd-sourcing should make for a valuable IT feature. Currently, the Spiceworks user community supports 46 million workers, manages 80 million computers and devices, and spends nearly $244 billion annually on technology products and services.

Network management competitors include Versiera, WhatsUp and Microsoft.