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Q1: EZ Data offers their remote offices for $30/month. Is it just me or is Agency Expert overpriced?
Q2: Do you have the capability for Caller ID recognition? Something where the existing client would come up on Screen Automatically?
Q3: How can we make the Agency Expert faster?
Q4: Are there any potential problems with using Windows 98 for our server?
Q5: Can I do e-mail blasts using the search criteria in the Reports query builder?
Q6: How can I copy and paste from one field to another?
Q7: Can we search on any field in the Agency Expert Database?
A1:
You actually can add your own remote office capability using PCAnywhere, Citrix, or Terminal Services and our support charge is only $25/year. The main cost factor for our hosted database is the fact that we host your database on our servers and provide both a system with more capability and all of the additional support and licensing. If anything, we are significantly less than EZ Data.
A2:
This capability is available now in the MGA version. It only requires that your phone system be TAPI compliant, since this is the way the caller ID is transmitted to Agency Expert. We use a phone system internally that has this capability and in fact are dealers for such a phone system marketed by Artisoft Corp. and called Televantage. If you are looking to purchase a phone system with this capability we suggest you look at the Televantage system. GBS, Inc. also has a caller ID hardware solution where you can get the benefit of Caller ID even though your phone system does not support TAPI 3.0. Contact the GBS, Inc. marketing department for more information.
A3:
If performance is an issue because of the combination of number of users and size of the database the easy solution is to upgrade to an MSDE (Microsoft Data Engine) or SQL Server back end. MSDE is a $500 optional module and results in a 2x to 10x increase in speed. (Based on our tests and feedback from users that have upgraded) MSDE is Microsoft’s database of choice as they make it easier and less expensive to migrate to a SQL environment. If you are using Terminal Services you definitely should be using either MSDE or SQL Server.
A4:
We have found several offices that are using Windows 98 on the machine which is acting as the server for the Agency Expert. If you use Windows 98 on your server and you have workstations using Windows 2000 or Windows XP then you will have problems since the Microsoft Access database record locking mechanism does not work properly in this configuration. If you have Windows 2000 or Windows XP on your workstations you must have at least Windows NT for your server operating system. In general if you are still using Windows 98 you should seriously consider upgrading to Windows 2000 or Windows XP. Windows 98 is now more than 6 years old and has many deficiencies and bugs compared to NT, NT2000 or XP. Later this year we will begin working on the next generation of Agency Expert for release in mid-2005. This release may not be able to work on Windows 98 machines because of the limitations of the older operating system.
A5:
Yes if you have the MGA version.
A6:
You can use window’s built in functions (Ctrl C to copy, Ctrl X to cut, and Ctrl V to paste) and you get the full functionality of the windows functions or at the major modules the Copy/Paste functions are on the right click menu. If you are trying to move data in one field to another field this can be easily done in summary view. In the correct area (Agent, Individual, Policy, etc.) select the records that you want to change then click the Update All or Update Selected and click the Move to Another Field button, then select the field to move from and the field to move to. (note: the two have fields have to be the same data type, i.e. Date fields, numeric fields, string fields etc.)
A7:
Yes. The best place to do this is in Summary View. You select the area you want to search (remember if you want to search on Policy information you must be at the policy tab) Then create a query with the table(s) and field(s) you want to select on. After you run your query and the selected records appear in the grid, you can double click on the 1st record and then (since you entered the module from summary view) you can step through the records by using the control in the lower right hand part of the screen.
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