O'Neil Software - Ian's Blog

A Strategic Partner Conference Update

2011-06-20T14:56:00.000-07:00

As we prepare for this years’ Strategic Partner Conference, many of you are calling us to get more details on what to expect, so let me share our planning so far…

Firstly, the beautiful Hilton Waterfront Beach Resort in Huntington Beach, California is the perfect place for a conference that's designed primarily as a networking event. Not only are the grounds of the hotel layed out, so there are plenty of places to share a quite moment with friends, but it is also located across the famous Pacific Coast Highway, overlooking the beach and the ocean. This location creates the perfect opportunity to make new friends and re-kindle old relationships, all with people using the same software as you.

Next, the conference is filled with useful information from our technical support team, but most importantly from our customers. People like you who use the software every day. We are lucky to have knowledgable customers who are willing to share their experiences with you, so you can learn and take back the knowledge to benefit your business. In 2011 we will be joined by nine speakers, who include Gail Bisbee, Jez Tibbetts and Richard Harris:

Gail is well known to all the PRISM members as the "queen of imaging" (sorry Gail, I couldn't resists the title. ). Gail is not only a regular speaker at PRISM International conferences but also hosts the Confidential Records Management - Document Imaging School.

Jez Tibbetts is an ex-employee of O'Neil Software Ltd, who has taken his knowledge and expanded upon it by working in "the real world" at Saracen Datastore in the UK. Jez has extensive operational experience and will be explaining how he uses it to create competitive advantages, especially in relation to tools such as RSMobile.

Richard Harris runs a small records management business in Australia. He is very proud of the fact that the company was started from scratch and extremely passionate about service and excited to see his business grow a little bit bigger every week. Richard offered to speak by explaining; "When I was first introduced to the records management industry it was as a sales representative, it didn’t take me long to see the potential and I now own 50% of the company. I had my doubts about O’neil in the beginning but this was due to a lack of knowledge and training, I’m pleased to say that the more I and my staff learn about the program the more impressed I am. I would be happy to share my passion for our business and how even a small records management business down under is utilising O’Neil software to grow nationally across Australia." If you are fairly new to the industry, just spending time with Richard will make the attendance worthwhile.

The third component that makes the O'Neil Strategic Partner Conference so special are our vendor partners. These companies are not coming with a show booth and a mission to sell you their products, they simply come to network and help you with questions about their particular industry expertise. Each has worked with many O'Neil customers, so they are familair with the software and how you use it. If you have a question, whether you are a customer of theirs or not, they are more than willing to help you. Of course, they would love you to become a customer, but that would be a bonus. This is a "No Hard sale" Zone!!

One of the most fun aspects of the conference is the Record Center Challenge. The challenge started out as a way of getting attendees to mingle and work with others, who they may not be familiar with. A fun set of challenges have us all working closely to beat the other teams. In the past we have raced boats constructed of record storage boxes, built bicycles for children in need, held a "Masterchef Cook-off" for hungry children, and painted "team" pictures of the Orange County Ronald McDonald House.

Adding a charity component was the idea of several customers, and this has been embraced by all.

Last year the conference raised over $20,000 for this worthwhile charity, and its all thanks to your generosity. The conference provides a vehicle for helping children who are less fortunate than us. Through the record center challenge, donated gifts for a silent auction, and the opportunity for everyone to sponsor a part of the event, 100% of the proceeds go to the charity. The charities have all been grateful for the help, especially in such difficult times, and it's nice that we can use the event to remiond ourselves of how lucky we are and provide an opportunity where, a small contribution by everyone, can add up to a significant amount for the charity. This year we are planning to bring hope, strength and joy to children with life-threatening medical conditions by supporting the the Make-A-Wish Foundation of America and Make-A-Wish Foundation International. Its mission is to grant the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy.

Finally, this is a great opportunity to meet so many of the O'Neil Software team, many of who you will have spoken to regularly on the phone. We look forward to meeting with you and sharing some of our ideas for the future, as well as taking the opportunity to show you many of the features available in the software today. We may even through in a few Strategic Partner of the Year Awards for good measure.

The O'Neil Stratetic Partner show is a unique industry event. A software user conference designed for you to network with and learn from each other. So you can plan accordingly, the dates of this highly anticipated event will be Wednesday, September 14th to Friday, September 16th whether the volcano erupts in Iceland again or not!! So don't delay. Attendance is limited to 150 people and typically spaces sell quickly. You can register at http://www.oneilsoft.com/news-portal/conference-news and we look forward to seeing you in September.

What is the most important feature in your software?

2011-04-28T13:12:00.000-07:00

When everyone talks about software, they immediately talk about features and functionality. Does the software do this or does the software do that, often with complete disregard to what the real questions should be. This approach is so prevalent that it was the first question asked of me for a recent magazine interview. And I know others interviewed will instinctively jump to the feature they want to promote to either promote their software, or attempt to differentiate their company.

I actually took a different approach. At the end of the day, we know that O’Neil has the most feature-rich product available to commercial record centers, but what really matters is ensuring that your business problems are understood and addressed. This is accomplished in several different ways.

First, experience matters. Over 30 years of developing software solutions exclusively for this industry sector has allowed our system business rules to mature and standardize throughout our products. If business rules conflict then data integrity problems occur, and they usually manifest themselves as billing errors, which you may never see. Years of experience and established business rules are there to protect you from revenue "seepage", so don't underestimate their value.

Next, if you haven’t worked in a Commercial Record Center, then you don’t fully understand the issues that need to be addressed - period. I don’t care what logistics experience anyone has, there are particular nuances to the Commercial Records Management industry that makes it unique. Knowledge of the industry is crucial to the delivery of an industry-specific software solution. This industry is not about asset tracking, although to the inexperienced eye that is how it first looks. Software designed for asset tracking should stick to that particular function and not be mistaken for commercial record management software.

The quality of any product offering is critical and quality is easily measured by the number of satisfied customers. For many, purchasing software specifically for the industry, especially if you are new to the particular business sector, can be daunting. After all, this software is going to run your business and changing later can be expensive. This leads to an important point: Don’t be mistaken by cheap deals that look too good to be true. You’re a business entrepreneur and you know those deals really are “too good to be true.” This is all about the ROI - Return on Investment. Understanding the true total cost of ownership, so you can calculate the real long-term value of a quality product is essential. You will be surprised by what you learn and the resuklts will speak for themselves: Quality products will always deliver the best ROI.

Of course, I can never discuss quality without bringing service into the discussion. Buying software without support is like not insuring your buildings, people or vehicles. Don’t do it! Support, like insurance, is a critical factor that needs to be included in any business plan. Unlike insurance, however, support should be more than just calling when you have a critical problem. Support should be about checking changes in advance, or just clarifying something about how the software is used in a particular situation. You should also make sure that support goes to a dedicated support desk, with trained technicians. If you call a support desk at 3am, a cell-phone next to someone’s bed just won’t cut it and if the company’s developers are handling support issues, who is expanding the product for you? Don’t be sold short in this area. Support is a critical part of the whole service you require from a software provider.

An area that has expanded beyond anyone’s imagination is, of course, social networking and today’s difficult business environments you need to be able to network with your peers. User meetings and active online forums are more critical than ever, especially in the current business environment. The ability to discuss issues face-to-face, or online can really help you improve your business, which helps in the delivery of that ROI.

So the best features in our software aren’t features at all… They are a combination of Experience, Knowledge, Quality, Service and Networking. The fact that all this comes with a fabulous feature set is just an added bonus.

Managing Chain of Custody for Off-site Records

2011-03-25T15:31:00.000-07:00

The question of being able to ensure that you can maintain the chain of custody is something that has come up a lot lately in conversations I have been having. It is clear that everyone is more cautious in today's highly regulated business environment, and so being able to prove who handled records and when is important. That proof allows you to demonstrate a complete chain of custody as records move your off-site storage facility.

All these discussions reminded me of a short article I write some years ago, which clearly still has relevance today...

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Records or data are considered to be in your custody when they are:

In your physical possession
In your view, after being in your physical possession
In your physical possession and then locked up so that theft or tampering cannot occur
Kept in a secured area, with access restricted to authorized personnel only.

Therefore, whenever a record is touched, you need to have proof of that activity, and you need to prove where it was stored. This may seem obvious, but what may not be so clear is that by creating an audit trail you provide two essential functions and, as such, you need a database capable of recording and handling the volumes of activity generated. So what are those functions and how do they benefit the client and you?

Firstly, and most important to the client, they are purchasing peace of mind when they store their records with you. They want to sleep at night knowing their records are safe and secure and you have to be able to prove that, when called upon to do so. There are many activities in a records management business, but some clearly need you to be able to provide date & time stamps of when those activities took place. Some of the most obvious ones are:

* Date & Time of pickup (and who picked them up)
* Date & Time of receipt at your facility (and who received them)
* Date & Time of being placed into permanent storage (and who placed them there)
* Date & Time of a request to retrieve records (and who took the request and who was the requestor)
* Date & Time of retrieval from the permanent storage location (and who retrieved the record)
* Date & Time of delivery (and who delivered the record, and who signed for the record)

These are obvious because they are very similar to what you expect from FedEx® or UPS®. You need to ensure that you have the proper tools and the very best database for recording all this activity. Most people miss an important fact with their activity/audit records when thinking about databases. In the example of obvious audit time stamps above, one stored record created six audit records. This means, in this simple example, your database has to be capable of scaling to encompass activity more than six times the size of the number of records stored. That’s why selecting the right software, such as O'Neil Software's RS-SQL®, is essential, so that you can maintain all this activity/audit history and can call upon it in a moments notice to satisfy a customers' request for proof of chain of custody.

The second and most important point of all this activity is that it accurately records what actually took place. This data is very important for billing and reporting purposes. With accurate activity/audit data, your records management system will be able to quickly create invoices for your clients. Each activity will have a charge associated with it and one of the key factors of a successful records management business is to ensure you charge for everything that has a cost associated with it. Not only can you have detailed, accurate invoices, but you can positively prove every charge was justified, should the need arise. These data records provide you with your peace of mind that the business is collecting all the charges due and your customers have confidence in their invoices. It is not uncommon to hear of more than 10% increases in service revenue, when the O'Neils Software's RS-SQL® records management software is used, simply due to the ability to record activity automatically and accurately.

So who knew that by providing an accurate chain of custody, you can afford both your client and yourself peace of mind? Sleep well.

Open all lines of communications...

2011-02-15T22:04:00.001-08:00

Several events this week have reminded me of the constant need to communicate through every available channel. It's like those old episodes of Star Trek where Captain James T. Kirk tells Lieutenant Uhura to "Hail on all available frequencies".

Every day we are bombarded with email, text messages, instant messages, Skype calls, cell phone calls, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter updates... and the list goes on.

As a software provider, we often have important news to provide our customers with, especially from a support standpoint. It could be big news, such as a new release, or an important update to your current release to fix a known issue. Either way, it's important that we get an opportunity to get vital information through to you in a timely manner.

As such, we have several ways that we try to communicate latest news, and it would be great if everyone could subscribe to at least one of these:

Firstly, we have the long-running eNewsletter. This has been a staple of news for more than 5 years and is a great way to learn about what is going on. It's designed to be a quick, easy monthly read with links to website articles, should you wish to read more. If you are not subscribed, you can do so at: http://www.oneilsoft.com/html/subscribe.htm and you can unsubscribe any time you wish.

Next, comes the newer "social networks" of Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. O'Neil has a presence on all of these and regularly posts industry news and updates. You don't need to subscribe to them all, as generally we post the same information across all three, but they are a great way to get timely updates.

Another great area for communication is the User Forum. This is one of the most popular communication channels, as it gives an opportunity to get involved in discussions with other O'Neil Software users. With over 2700 posts and over 840 members, there is a wealth of information on hand, as well as the opportunity to ask questions about any topic relating to the software or the record storage and information management industry in general.

If discussions are something you enjoy, you should also make a date in your calendar to join us at our User Conference, which will be taking place in mid-September 2011. Although this is not regular enough to discuss immediate updates, it is a great opportunity to meet with other users of the software, but also a great way tomlearn about the strategic direction of O'Neil Software. You will hear things at the conference that you won't hear anywhere else.

And finally, this Blog is my opportunity to communicate my thoughts. I try to only update this once a month, so as not to add to the communication "noise", but I hope to be able to use it to share one point that has some importance at that particular moment in time.

Whatever is your particular flavour of communications, please take the time to subscribe to at least one service so you can stay up to date in all things "O'Neil".

And with all that said, and with the opening being a Star Trek reference, I suppose there is only one way to sign off...

Live long and Prosper

A Global Industry Retrospective

2010-12-20T11:29:00.000-08:00

As we close in on the end of 2010 it seems fitting to look back at the year and reflect on some of the things that I have seen, especially in light of another difficult global economic climate. I suppose my main observation will seem obvious; that the world is not all equal, especially in the world of commercial records management. Here are a few of my observations from the different global markets:

In North America, I have witnessed an increase in activity on the acquisition front, with more companies saying that they are actively seeking acquisitions, or plan to make acquisitions in the near future. So what is fueling this desire to buy/sell? I believe it is two-fold: Firstly, I think that many independent companies have reached a size where they feel it’s time to exercise their exit strategy. With employee costs on the increase, inflation rumored to be on the horizon, and the constant media attention pointing to a rise in electronic records (and therefore an assumed decrease in “traditional” physical storage) maybe the time just looks right for many independents to sell. Couple that with the fact that many other companies seem to be buoyed with equity money flooding into the industry along with their urgent desire to spend that money, and the phone hasn’t stopped ringing at the independents in 2010. Now this may all seem alarming to the uninitiated, but this has been a natural part of the commercial record management industry forever. Independents are the pioneers who break out into new markets (the so-called green-field sites) and the larger companies come along with bags of money when they can see a successful opportunity. This consolidation has always created opportunities for new entrepreneurs (or those returning with expired non-compete agreements) to enter a market with new ideas and new visions for the industry. It is this regeneration that makes this an exciting industry that will continue to grow and be successful.

In Latin America, on the other hand, I am seeing what I refer to as a professionalizing of the industry (see my blog titled The Professionals to explain my use of this term). It may surprise many to learn that some of the biggest, and arguably best commercial record centers exist in these markets, and to continue their growth they are introducing new software, management structures, partnerships, and visions. Document management is a mainstay of many of these commercial record centers, in volumes not usually seen in companies in their North American neighbor. Each country is a little different but the trend is the same across them all. Expect to hear a lot more from this growing region in the coming years.

In Europe, to me it has been much more “business as usual”. I was expecting to see more acquisitions, as in North America, but they didn’t really come to fruition. Businesses appeared to continue to focus on their core strengths, with the addition of some exploration into the offering of digital services. Europe does not appear to being driven as hard by media speculation over the “paper-less office” and so traditional commercial records management is still considered to be a very important part of the Records and Information Management (RIM) requirements. I think the one thing that has most encouraged me about the industry in Europe has been the camaraderie of “competitors” clearly seen on our user forum and at trade shows. We all live in a competitive environment, but to see how our customers (and the industry as a whole) pull together in Europe is wonderful to see.

As we continue our globetrotting retrospective to Asia, I have to say that the market where I have seen most disruption in 2010 has been India. In an industry that needs to focus on providing high levels of services, it has been unfortunate that many companies have taken the commodity approach of selling “cheap storage” over “records management”. There are many excellent companies in India that have invested heavily in their business, in order to offer a first-class service, but the buyers of the services are still not educated to the important differences between storage and management. It is very important, therefore, that we all continue to produce articles and blogs, and any other marketing collateral we can, to help our industry colleagues in India educate their clients and potential clients to the importance of engaging with professional commercial records management companies. I hope the government there also gets involved, as regulation is needed and would help the industry. Over time, the message of governance will resonate through to the buyers of services, and then we can watch these entrepreneurial companies grow to their true potential.

So a quick tour of the globe lets us see that the commercial records management industry is very much alive, but facing different challenges depending on your geographical location. Each challenge will be taxing to those involved, but the end result will be a stronger industry that will continue to play an important part of the RIM lifecycle for the next decade.

I am more excited than ever to be involved and look forward to being a part of your successes in 2011 and beyond.

May I take this opportunity to wish you all a very happy holiday season and a prosperous New Year.

Reminding Records Managers not to Forget

2010-11-09T12:51:00.000-08:00

Originally published on Monday, 08 November 2010 11:58 at http://www.oneilsoft.com/news-portal/ians-blog/258-reminding-records-manager-not-to-forget

As much as the next guy, I can see that the record management world is embracing and moving towards digital solutions. This, of course, is just the next, natural evolution of the industry and is an essential part of the growth of any company in this industry. But, I do get left with a sense that in the trade magazines and ListServ’s the focus has moved almost 100% away from discussing the physical records. Are the traditional boxes on shelves being forgotten about?

This question bothers me because I see so many situations where physical records are being moved to off-site storage that are ill prepared, badly categorized, and sometimes even have no metadata at all to record them accurately. My worry is that many records managers are thinking that they only have to concern themselves with their digital/electronic records and are consequently neglecting the physical records. This can put an extraordinary burden on commercial record centers when those physical records are required urgently, and that happens… a lot!

Now, to be fair, it’s understandable as to why this is happening. The digital world is a flurry of chatter about how to control all the new types of “documents”. It wasn’t very long ago when companies really didn’t have to worry about archiving web content, Twitter feeds, Facebook accounts, and that’s not to mention the explosion of emails or the challenges of cloud services. So a firm’s records manager has gone from what some considered a fairly sedate job, to suddenly being thrown into the deep end of a digital/electronic pool, which was previously the domain of the IT department. This sudden draw of their attention brings to mind a very well known and often misquoted saying:

"The objective of all dedicated employees [a.k.a. record managers] is to thoroughly analyze all situations, anticipate all problems prior to their occurrence, have answers for these problems, and move swiftly to solve these problems when called upon. However, when you are up to your ass in alligators, it is difficult to remember that your initial objective was to drain the swamp."

So we all have to recognize the challenges that face records manager today, that they did not face yesterday, but we must help them to not forget that the physical records management issues show no sign of going away anytime soon. The latest figures continue to support this view.

According to the American Forest & Paper Association's September 2010 U.S. Paperboard Report, total boxboard production increased by 7.2% compared to September 2009. Although clearly not all of this goes into record storage boxes it has proven to be a useful indicator in the past. If we couple this with their September 2010 Printing-Writing Paper Report, which stated that total printing/writing paper shipments decreased only 1% in September compared to September 2009, while two of the four major printing-writing grades posted increases compared to last September, we can see that things haven’t changed much at all. We are still clinging on tightly to paper.

As sexy as digital/electronic records are, I know of at least 500 million boxes of physical records in off-site storage today, and they are getting added to on a daily basis. As such, we must ensure that we continually educate everyone to the initial object, which is the proper management of all business records, so no-one forgets the importance of physical records.

The End of an Era... Coming Soon

2010-11-09T12:48:00.000-08:00

Originally posted on Friday, 24 September 2010 13:25 at http://www.oneilsoft.com/news-portal/ians-blog/255-the-end-of-an-era-coming-soon

It’s been a staple of the commercial record center since its introduction in 1996 and is familiar around the world, but we are rapidly approaching the end of this wonderful journey together. What am I talking about? The good old Symbol PDT3100, of course.

When O’Neil software first introduced barcode scanning to the world of the commercial record center it came in the form of the Datawand, a pen type device that just captured barcodes. With no screen and no programming capability, it was very limited but functional. With the introduction of the ground breaking RSWin (Record Storage for Windows) software came the PDT3100. In its day this was a state of the art portable data terminal with a 4-line screen, rotating barcode scanner head and full keyboard. Its memory capacity was limited, but we were able to cram a lot of code into that small space, making it a very capable device.

Every good ride, however, must come to an end and in 2005 Symbol (now Motorola) announced the End of Sale and subsequently an End of Life (meaning no more support or repairs) was set for May 31, 2010. O’Neil Software had no choice but to quickly follow suit and made an announcement that from the end of 2010, we would no longer support the PDT3100. We also stopped selling our software package for the PDT3100 in 2007 and figured that a more than 5-years notice period would be enough for everyone to plan ahead. To clarify that old announcement, we will continue to support the PDT3100 until the first major release in 2011.

Well time has a habit of catching up with us and 2011 is rapidly approaching, so it is very important that a review of your remaining PDT3100 devices is undertaken, with a replacement plan put in place. The good news is that the newer RSMobile devices offer great advantages over the old PDT3100. They include, but are not limited to:

•More memory means that there is a lot more functionality;
•More functionality means a greater return on investment;
•Wireless capabilities provide many time saving options, such as remote upload/downloads;
•GPRS capabilities (with the MC9094k) allow communications from outside the four walls;
•Compared to the PDT3100 they are a more cost effective capital investment;
•The RSMobile software is transferrable to a newer device (the PDT3100 software was not); and
•Full-shift battery capability comes with the MC909x range.

Currently we sell and support the following devices from Motorola:

•MC9090K
•MC9094K
•MC9090G

And shortly we will be introducing a new device(s) to continue to improve on the benefits above. So don’t leave it to the last minute. Contact your account manager today and work with them on your replacement program. Currently they have access to some great offers from Motorola, so don’t wait too long as these won't last forever.

The Professionals

2010-11-09T12:43:00.000-08:00

Originally posted on Sunday, 15 August 2010 12:32 at http://www.oneilsoft.com/news-portal/ians-blog/254-the-professionals

When I want to relax, I do enjoy watching westerns and his weekend I rented a great old movie that got me thinking about our industry. Now it wasn't the movie content, or it's sub-title: "Rough, Tough and Ready", which I know describes a few of you , but more the movie title.

The reason is because one of the most exciting things that I have seen over the last 10-years has been a shift in the commercial records management industry. What am I referring to? Well, it is the transition of the industry that really grew in the 1980's and 90's into the industry that will continue to grow over the next decades, and I refer to that as "professionalizing".

Now, I don't mean that commercial record centers were not previously professional in their activities. Far from it, as many of the record centers I have been fortunate enough to visit are some of the best run businesses I have seen. What I mean is that the industry is changing to meet the demands from their clients for "professional services".

So what's the difference? In the past, record centers would lead all of their sales with traditional box storage. This was the primary, and for some, the only service that was offered. The problem was that this service started to become a commodity and storage rates suffered as a result. I don't think it is too hard to find a record center that is charging the same storage rates (if not less) today than five years ago. To meet this challenge, I am witnessing record centers, both small and large, leading with professional services and gaining storage revenues, but on top of their service revenue.

What is happening is that there is a wholesale recognition that clients require much more than just storage. They have a big headache that comes with more and more government regulations, and they are looking for people to help solve those problems. Commercial record centers are leading the way in offering solutions to companies who would not discover those solutions on their own.

This, of course, is very exciting because we have all heard the comments about the death of the commercial record center, as paper apparently goes away. That's another story, especially as I can absolutely say that, from my view point, the situation is the opposite. I see the commercial record center becoming more essential in helping their clients meet future challenges. Just as lawyers or doctors are viewed as "professionals", I am looking forward to the day that commercial record centers are seen in the same light; as experts in their field helping solve records and information management problems.

I am fortunate to be involved in an industry, with fabulous customers, who are allowing me to join them on this journey.

You are "The Professionals".

Back to Blogger

2010-11-09T12:41:00.000-08:00

OK... I received a ton of emails asking for me to keep my blogs here as well as on oneilsoft.com. I will post up copies of the missing blogs today.

Thanks for the kind words of support from all who contacted me.

Posts now on oneilsoft.com

2010-11-08T16:46:00.001-08:00

I should have posted this here earlier, but all my blogs are now published on the O'Neil Software website at: http://www.oneilsoft.com/news-portal/ians-blog

Local Disaster: Are you ready to be an industry representative?

2010-07-05T11:08:00.000-07:00

Many of you will be aware of the recent record center fire in Albuquerque, NM that I reported on our twitter feed after seeing it on the Fileman Blog :

"Firefighters say they have made tremendous progress against a blaze at a business records storage facility: http://ping.fm/Ke9qu 10:27 AM Jun 25th"

Disasaters, especially record center fires, make news headlines, and this made me think how could a competitor record center react in such circumstances. I couldn't help feeling that other record centers should jump on this opportunity to represent the industry in the local media. This has the benefit of them being seen as the local experts, of promoting the positive sides of the commercial record management industry, and getting some self promotion along the way. At a time like this, the media is going to focus on all the bad news, but fires are rare and a calm, representative voice in the media can help to give a balanced view.

Imagine if this happened in your market place? How would you react? If you had a media packet ready to go, you could be contacting the media immediately to become that local expert.

Read More

The Changing Needs of Commercial Records Management

2010-04-27T16:09:00.000-07:00

Attending our Strategic Partner (Users) Conference last week really brought home to me how much this is an interesting but increasingly challenging time to be in the commercial records management industry. Over 100 record centers were represented and it was great to get their feedback on the state of the industry. So what did I learn? The status quo, which existed for many years, has gone away. The dynamics of the market place have changed and new service requirements are prevalent. Increasing competition is everywhere, meaning that price pressures are squeezing margins more than ever.

It’s clear that it is a completely different game to just a short while ago. The unfortunate news is that many record centers will be caught out by the speed of this change. Unable to keep up, due to limitations in their software, they may find that they begin to lose business in an industry that is traditionally very stable.

Read More

New Record Center Thinking

2010-04-05T14:41:00.001-07:00

When we think about Commercial Record Centers, it’s still common to think of labor intensive operations with many warehouse staff running around with “picking lists” and customer service representatives entering orders. Today, however, many record centers have managed to move away from that image to modern facilities with very efficient workflows. So how have they achieved this?

Read More

RS-SQL 4.0 - More than just a new version

2009-12-28T14:30:00.000-08:00

It was fabulous to see the first feedback on the release of RS-SQL 4.0, the latest software update from our development team. It was clear that in this release we managed to hit some of the functionality that you wanted us to improve: from simple field additions to completely new features, but I feel this release is much more than that. To me, this release is a statement of the future of RS-SQL, how bright that future looks, and why our development group remains the best in the industry. Why do I think that?

First, I look at the obvious changes: those listed in the New Features Document. Not only are there so many changes in one release, making this one of our biggest releases in many years, but how many of these changes got there was new. With the launch of our User Forum, back in October 2008, we gave the opportunity for our users to openly discuss the software and it's uses in their businesses. We quietly observed and could quickly see what topics were popular, and which one's were not so important to you. Much of that feedback was used when we discussed what new features would be included in RS-SQL 4.0. We always strive for the software development to focus on areas important to our users, and the User Forum has been a huge help towards that goal. A big thanks goes out to all our, more than 650 of you, for your participation. This release shows how getting involved can pay off.

Next, I look at changes that may not seem obvious, but are critical to our future together. One large component of RS-SQL 4.0is the support for full Unicode characters. If you are not sure what this means, Unicode is a worldwide character standard used in all the major languages written today, including European, Middle-Eastern and Asian scripts. These characters can now be displayed in RS-SQL, RSWeb.NET and RSMobile. With customers in more than 70 countries, it is critical that we continue to ensure that we support their business goals, one of which is the ability to do business with their clients in their language... but, to me, Unicode is much more than that. As we work on other R&D projects, we have to be sure that we can communicate with any RS-SQL system, anywhere in the world. By ensuring our solutions are Unicode compliant, this not only creates a solid foundation for our future product enhancements, but also allows all our software functionality to be utilized everywhere.

Finally, I always think our development team are our un-sung hero's, especially where they have a hidden task. One we don't often think about, but is probably more important even than adding new features. That task is making sure that RS-SQL remains technologically current, so it can run on the latest iterations of the operating systems and databases being launched by Microsoft. RS-SQL 4.0 is the first, and still possibly the only, commercial record management software that is certified for Windows 7 and compliant with Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2. Why is this important? Can you imagine what would happen if you came to work on a Monday morning only to find out that an excited IT technician had upgraded your workstations and now your software doesn't work!! Back in February, I blogged about how Technology is a treadmill and, the only thing I would add to that article is that, if anything, the pace of change is increasing. As we launch RS-SQL 4.0, we are already discussing a version of RS-SQL that is a true 64-bit application. If you don't think this is important, just try and buy a 32-bit computer today. Behind the scenes, our development group are always looking ahead, so when you invest in hardware or software, you need to know that you are future-proofing your business. You should also be aware of this, so you can plan your future business growth. Technology waits for no man today, so make sure that you think about your technology infrastructure, so you can also stay up-to-date.

So, as we launch RS-SQL 4.0 it is exciting to see how we got to this release and how it is just the next stage in the continuing evolution of RS-SQL, RSMobile and RSWeb.NET. Now I must go, as I have a meeting to discuss RS-SQL 4.01 !

The Request for Proposal (RFP) - Time for an updated approach?

2009-09-16T09:06:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure if it is just me, but does it look as if there is only one RFP (or tender as we call it in the UK) being recycled? This is not necessarily a bad thing, as we now have a nice collection of standard responses, but I can't help think that this is all missing the point.

My understanding of a RFP, is to identify vendors who can help improve a particular situation. In our case that situation is usually the need for better management of physical records. So why does the writer of the RFP usually list a series of features from their existing software, and ask if we can do these things, usually with a simple Yes/No response?

A few years ago, I saw this approach demonstrated while working with a City Record Center. After answering Yes to all the questions, I got invited to meet their RFP team, many of who did not work in the record center. They provided me with their current workflow, line by line, and asked me to show how we could do all the things their current software did. Of course, I could have done that but I preferred to ask why? Their purchasing manager said it was because he wanted to compare systems. I then decided to explain all the bottle-necks in their current workflow and how our software would avoid those costly mistakes, but he said that he couldn't let me continue to do that. I am still amazed by that response and told him that, if he was happy with the current approach, why not simply stick with the software they already have! Guess what... they did.

The problem with their approach was the classic "you don't know what you don't know", so a feature to feature comparison was not going to achieve their goal. A different approach was called for.

I would really like to see RFP's written that have:

an overview of the current situation (what is being carried out today);
explains the areas of concern (which is why an RFP is being written);
explains the features that they would like to retain (and why); and
provides an opportunity to present new methods and ideas.

The City, in my earlier example, is in finacial difficulty today, still uses the same software and are still absorbing the costs of those inefficiencies. My conservative calculation showed a 2-year ROI on the project, based on the known savings. That was more than 4 years ago.

It's amazing what a different approach to their RFP back then could have had on the City budget today!
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Long Live the Fisherman

2009-08-28T16:04:00.000-07:00

Last Friday and earlier this week, I met with two of my favourite consultants in the record storage industry. I use the term favourites lightly as I consider them both friends and mentors first. These are two people with whom I can talk about the industry challenges and what they think the future holds. I always learn a lot and this time was no different. It was very interesting to hear both of their observations and for me to see similarities in what they were saying. So what was the message?

On Friday, it was lunch with Cary McGovern (a.k.a The Fileman). Cary has the most experience of any sales consultant in the industry. He has a tried and tested method that gets results. It takes discipline and dedication but as Cary say: "It just works!" So what's the problem? Well, over many years of training it is hard to find sales people who grasp the concepts and run with them. Now this isn't a 200 page procedure manual that you have to digest. Just a few simple concepts. How hard can it be?

On Tuesday, I met with Tom Adams, who gets involved much earlier in the sales cycle. Tom focuses on lead generation and strategic marketing. His methods are constantly evolving, especially as one of his roles ensures you stay ahead in the never ending battle of search engine rankings. Tom told me the story of one company who, after just 6 weeks with a new optimised website, received over 35 new business leads. Very cool indeed. Then he tells me the story of the company that not only wants leads, but can you qualify them and if you could close the sale while you are at it, that would be jolly nice too!

I think Tom summed it up best when he said; "Only a few years ago people wanted us to teach them how to fish. Now they just want us to give them the fish."

What does all this mean to you? It means people are so busy with their core competencies, that they want people to solve their other problems for them, and with professional help, and the grasp of a few simple sales concepts, this is a perfect sales opportunity.

I really came away from chatting with them both feeling that you can use this timing to your advantage. Firstly, if you work with professionals like Tom to generate your leads, using modern techniques available to you, you get more leads at a lower cost. How many cold calls would it take to generate 35 solid sales leads? Next, take the time to learn tried and true sales techniques from veterans like Cary.

Train your sales people, then identify your customers problems. It is just a simple next step to give them the what they want... the fish!

Long live the fisherman.

Motorola Loyalty Promotion coming to an end...

2009-08-26T10:08:00.000-07:00

Just as I was able to announce that we have secured the promotion for our European customers, I have to announce that the current Americas & Asia promotion ends on Monday.

For those who have not yet taken advantage, the Motorola/O'Neil loyalty promotion has allowed us to provide over $50,000 in discounts, upgrades, accessories, training and warranties. This is a great opportunity to utilise our RSMobile software on the most rugged mobile device available - the MC909x range from Motorola.

I am, of course, pushing hard for an extension but Motorola is a big organisation and there is a lot of paperwork to submit. I'm working on it. I'm hopeful, but I can't guarantee it.

With the PDT3100 end of life just over 16 months away, planning your move to RSMobile and the MC909x devices is a great strategic move, and with this offer in place there has never been a better time than now.

A Single Login for our Website and User Forum

2009-08-17T17:02:00.000-07:00

Software integration is a necessary step today to make the user experience easier. We understand that with RS-SQL and we definitely understand it where our website content is concerned. I am sure you have noticed that over the last few months we have been working to make our website simple to navigate and easy to use. The latest change to meet that goal comes in the form of a unified login for the website and for the User Forum.

By tying the two products together, we can provide website content specifically for registered users and give you access to the forum, all with a single username & password. We are also hoping to add a third product offering in the coming months, which will also benefit from this unified login approach.

If you already have an O'Neil Software User Forum username & password, you can try it out: Login or, if you are an existing customer, you can register for a logon by clicking on the REGISTER button found on our home page at www.oneilsoft.com

Don't forget to update your bookmark to the user forum to http://www.oneilsoft.com/user-forum/

Windows Mobile is Dead?... I don't think so!

2009-08-13T11:40:00.001-07:00

There is always something interesting published in various industry magazines and I read as many as I can. Every now and then you see a gem of knowledge but you can also see some absolute nonsense make it into print. Reading the technology section of Business Week online this morning, I saw an example of the latter.

In this article Jack Gold, the founder and principal analyst at J.Gold Associates, predicts the end of Windows Mobile in two years. So as not to misquote him, his exact words are "I expect Microsoft to ... exit the mobile operating system market within the next two years." Is he serious?

I agree that the iPhone has gained the consumer interest, but have you seen any being used in Walmart, Target, or in any of the other industrial applications where WinMo reigns supreme? I think Jack's vision is clouded by the phone market and he clearly has no comprehension of how many industrial devices use this platform. In fact, Microsoft has a clear commitment to WinMo and has already announced Windows Mobile 6.5 and there is already a lot of information coming available about Windows Mobile 7 & 8.

Windows Mobile has a long and, I think, successful future ahead of it. Let's check back with Jack in a couple of years and see if his prediction comes true, but I won't be betting on it.

Motorola/O'Neil Customer Loyalty Promotion now available in Europe

2009-08-11T08:49:00.000-07:00

Back in March I was able to announce the Motorola and O’Neil Software Customer Loyalty Program, which had been in the negotiation stage for quite some time. The program is our way of continuing to move beyond a simple customer/supplier relationship by negotiating directly with Motorola on your behalf and now I am delighted to announce that we have been able to complete negotiations in Europe.

In the current economic climate it is increasingly important that you are able to utilize cutting-edge software, such as our RSMobile solution, to maximize your cost savings, but this comes at a price as you need RSMobile capable devices. Using our status as Motorola's leading Business Solution Partner in the commercial record management market, we have been able to create a significant loyalty scheme with Motorola for the Americas, Asia and now the European regions.

So how does this work?

When making a purchase of an MC909x mobile computer, you will be instantly rewarded with loyalty points. These points are not dependent on future purchases, so can be applied immediately to that particular purchase or to other Motorola products, such as extended warranties or wireless access points.

Through our Customer Loyalty Promotion, you can continue to enjoy the benefits of our reliable, rugged, cutting edge mobile devices and capitalize on big savings. There are hundreds of dollars of loyalty points for every MC909x purchase, so don't delay. Speak with your account manager today and learn how you benefit from this unique promotion before it expires.

2010 Strategic Partner Conference Dates - April 21 to April 23

2009-08-04T08:39:00.000-07:00

One of the most fun things we get to do every 18 months at O'Neil Software, is to organize and attend our Strategic Partner Conference. The planning takes some effort but it is definitely worth the effort as we create a unique industry networking experience.

We do this because we recognized that many "user conferences" are nothing more than training classes or thinly veiled sales pitches for products. The O'Neil User Group (known as our Strategic Partners) told us that they wanted... no, expected more.

If you haven't attended a previous event, mark your calendar and get ready to get involved. That's right, at an O'Neil Strategic Partner Conference getting involved is all part of the fun. From participating as a speaker to competing in the record center challenge, you can chose your level of involvement, but the most important is networking with all the other participants.

So is it worth attending? Don't take my word for it, just take a look at the 2008 post-conference survey results, which really said it all:

• 97% of attendees voted the conference as excellent or very good
• 90% found the networking to be good, very good or excellent
• 95% said the knowledge gained was very good or excellent
• 100% said they increased their knowledge by the end of the show
• 100% said they would use the information gained

You can read more about each of the conferences at: http://www.oneilsoft.com/news-portal/conference-news and don't forget to book early. Registration will open shortly and typically spaces have sold quickly.

The Importance of Training in Difficult Times.

2009-07-22T03:19:00.000-07:00

While visiting our UK office it is clear to see that the big R word (recession to you and me) is mentioned a lot more in magazines and the newspapers than back in the US. I am not sure exactly why, but one thing I did notice is that it has generated a large amount of booklets on managing your business through difficult times.

From local newspapers to chamber of commerce brochures, the theme is very much the same. You must take a proactive approach to management and look closely at areas you may have previously ignored. Last evening, I had time to read through many of the booklets I had picked up and, amongst the usual suggestions, there was one I didn't expect to see: Invest in Training.

Now I have always been a big advocate of training, so I was interested to see why this particular subject was included alongside the usual suggestions, such as managing your cash-flow. The logic, in fact, was simple: In difficult times you need to maximize all of your investments.

So why training? When companies initially purchase software tools they often do so to reap rewards of greater automation and time saving, but often don't realize all of those rewards. The reason is usually down to a lack of investment in training. Now is the time to gain those advantages and also give confidence to your customers and staff. The consensus was that the trainining investment will be paid back quickly as new features are introduced.

I couldn't agree more. For example, if you are using an older version of O'Neil Software's RS-SQL (the current version is 3.07) the upgrade is free. All you need to do is learn how to use the new features so you can do more with less. That's good advice.

You can learn more about our training options at http://www.oneilsoft.com/training

Google leading the way with their OS... or not?

2009-07-10T08:25:00.000-07:00

Not really something that I believe will affect us (at least in the short-term) but something I did find interesting.

Earlier this week Google announced their plan for a new Operating System (OS) for PC's. Here's what Google says: "Google Chrome OS is an open source, lightweight operating system that will initially be targeted at netbooks" and "most of the user experience takes place on the web." Groundbreaking stuff, eh? Or maybe not...

Back in February, Microsoft quietly made a similar announcement entitled "The Multi-Principal OS Construction of the Gazelle Web Browser". Within that statement you will read that "Gazelle, a secure web browser [will be] constructed as a multi-principal OS" and "Our prototype implementation and evaluation experience indicates that it is realistic to turn an existing browser into a multi-principal OS that yields significantly stronger security and robustness with acceptable performance and backward compatibility."

So it looks to me as if both these big guys are heading in the same direction and actually Google are reacting to Microsoft's moves rather than the other way around? Nevertheless, I don't think I will be removing Microsoft Windows from my PC any time soon.
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Support Extended for RS-SQL 3.07 with SQL Server 2000

2009-07-09T15:34:00.000-07:00

As you know, earlier this year we announced the end of support for SQL Server 2000 commencing with all RS-SQL releases after March 2010. We were not expecting to have to change this decision but technology has a habit of forcing changes upon us.

In developing our next release of RS-SQL (to be known as version 4.0) we have found that there are many issues that are handled seamlessly with SQL Server 2005 or SQL Server 2008, but with SQL Server 2000 we could encounter problems.

Clearly, that's not something we want to do!

Therefore, we need to give you more time to plan for the upgrade and so we will continue to issue updates for RS-SQL version 3.07 and we will also continue to support customers running RS-SQL versions lower than version 4.0 on SQL Server 2000 until March 2010. We still want you to plan your upgrade, but we don't want to rush you or leave you stranded.

You can learn more or discuss this topic on our User Forum at: http://www.oneilsoft.com/forum/index.php?topic=427
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How Much is Too Much?

2009-07-06T18:58:00.001-07:00

It's been an interesting couple of weeks looking at the new website and taking into account your feedback. It's actually been quite amazing as to how much attention was paid to sections that I thought were hardly noticed, so I quietly retired them. They may have not been on the top of the "hit list" but they were referenced. So, over the coming weeks you will notice some more content being added and this brings me to the very question: How Much is Too Much?

It's an interesting issue because, in this day of social networking, it has concerned me as to how much static data should I place on the website. Clearly I don't expect people to pick up the phone every time they want to learn about O'Neil Software or our products. On the other hand, who has time to read paragraphs of marketing literature which bestows the virtues of our products with it's (literally) hundreds of features? As always, I believe a compromise is called for...

In this version of oneilsoft.com, several features of each product are shown with a graphic or screenshot, and a short overview. We shall add more and rotate the six that appear on the particular product page, but this way a simple review can show all the functionality available. Click here for an example. It will take a while to add all the functionality but we have started.

With this new overview approach, the social networking aspects of the web can be used to discuss these features and functionality with other users (in the user forum), on Facebook or Twitter.

I will continue to share feedback on how this approach is received, but luckily the website framework now means I can change very quickly if I have got this wrong.

Did You Notice Something Different?

2009-06-26T18:33:00.000-07:00

I am sure that, by now, you noticed that the O'Neil Software website has had a major overhaul. Over the last few months we have been quietly building a new set of foundations so we can deliver content to you in a more organized format. We received lots of compliments for our previous website but we knew we could do better. This is our 4th version over the last 12 years, and capitalises on some great new technology.

Importantly, this new version is structured in a very similar manner to the previous version, so you won't have to re-find your favorite content. However, the addition of tabs means you should be able to find what you want a lot quicker. We have also decided that a picture speaks a thousand words and have structured the site to be more visual. Want to learn about a feature of RSMobile? Just check out the screenshots with a short explanation. Isn't that so much easier? What about the GPRS features? Listen to the audio interview with Access Information Management, while having a coffee.

We appreciate that you may have some links bookmarked, so many of the older pages will still be available for a period of time but, as you encounter these, we encourage you to locate the new content and update your bookmarks accordingly.

If you do encounter any issues with the new site, simply let me know and I will take care of the problem as quickly as possible. You can email me at ian.thomas@oneilsoft.com with any comments you have about the website and remember, over the next few weeks we will continue to update the website with new content, so check back regularly.
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100th Edition of the Newsletter

2009-06-17T13:44:00.001-07:00

I just sent out the latest monthly newsletter from O'Neil Software to it's list of subscribers. It is very interesting to me that I made it to 100 editions, and I am not sure that I ever thought that would be the case. The interest, of course, comes down to the changing methods of communications with our customers.

The history of our printed magazines was summed up in Issue 26 of our newsletter in January 2003:

"For many years, O'Neil Software has provided a Quarterly Bulletin. We started in the 80's with "What's In Store" and this was re-introduced as "The Record" in 1994. In 1996 this was renamed to the now familiar "Strategic Partner" and re-launched as a large, map-style fold-out document. The layout was re-vamped in 1999, into the format that is familiar to you today. Once again we felt that now was the time to present this publication in a new format. We expanded the content, adopted a more easy to read, magazine style and so the Strategic Partner Magazine was born."

By now, the electronic newsletter was well on its way to being a familiar face from O'Neil and, eventually, the printed magazine went the way of many printed publications, being cancelled after just a couple of years.

Over the next few months, the newsletter changed its form from the larger articles to an introduction with a "Read More..." footer. This allowed for faster browsing and the ability to focus in on the articles that were important to you. By 2006, the newsletter was being proclaimed as dead by the marketing gurus. Out were electronic newsletters in were... printed media??? Our statistics told us a different story and so the newsletter continued to today. On an average distribution around 1,000 people read the newsletter, and so I believe that this is still an effective method of communication, but what does the future hold?

This blog, obviously, is a threat to the newsletter due to its ability to deliver timely comments and news, but does it cater to the same audience? With multiple methods of communicating, from Twitter to Facebook, the temptation is always to leave the old methods behind but I have to say, I still have a soft spot for the old newsletter. Maybe it will make 200 editions yet?.

Which Data Network is Right for RSMobile?

2009-06-15T09:45:00.000-07:00

Recently I have been asked a lot of questions about RSMobile and how it communicates over the cellphone data networks. This is such a great feature, allowing drivers to upload/download data from the field, or allow you carry out record center operations in a remote warehouse, including live lookups. Most of the questions, however, focus on the cellphone company that people have chosen. After all, we all have our favorite service provider so why did O'Neil choose AT&T and is that your only choice?

So let's give some background:

In cellular services there are two competing network technologies: Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) and Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA). The GSM Association is an international organization founded in 1987, dedicated to providing, developing, and overseeing the worldwide wireless standard of GSM. Service providers in the US include AT&T (formerly Cingular) and T-Mobile. CDMA, a proprietary standard designed by Qualcomm in the United States, has been the dominant network standard for North America. The major service providers in the US include Sprint/Nextel, Verizon and Virgin Mobile.

Of course, there are sides that firmly believe either GSM or CDMA architecture is superior to the other so this wasn't the area where we had to choose our core provider.

With the need for data transfer from the device, rather than just using it to make calls, CDMA has been traditionally faster than GSM, though both technologies continue to rapidly leapfrog along this path. Both boast "3G" standards, or 3rd generation technologies. EVDO, also known as CDMA2000, is CDMA's answer to the need for speed while GSM's answer is EDGE (Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution) with new technologies that include HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access).

So with speeds being very similar, this wasn't a primary choice for O'Neil either but a big advantage of GSM are Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) cards. In the United States only GSM phones use SIM cards with the SIM itself being tied to the network, rather than the actual phone. Phones that are card-enabled can be used with any GSM carrier. The Motorola MC9094K & G devices require a SIM card and so this was the first area where we had to make a choice of networks.

Next, according CDG.org, CDMA networks support over 450 million subscribers, although this is limited to the Americas, Asia & Africa, while GSM.org tallies up their score at over 3.8 billion worldwide. With O'Neil Software customers operating in more than 70 countries, we needed the worldwide coverage. GSM was the clear winner in this area.

So, once a technology platform was chosen, we looked at which providers in the US would work with us to test RSMobile. T-Mobile told me that they were focused on the consumer market and did not have a program in place for testing business applications. AT&T were geared for eaxctly this kind of project and had already approved the MC9094 for use on their network. We worked directly with their testing group and they certified that RSMobile performed perfectly on their GSM network with the MC9094.

And that is how RSMobile became tested and approved for the AT&T GSM data network.

So is AT&T your only choice? The simple answer is no, as long as you use a GSM network with a SIM card. Although we have not tested RSMobile with any other service provider, we do have customers using it from Vodaphone (in the UK) to Telstra (in Australia). Please remember, our support teams will not be able to help you with some specific network setup on the device if you use another provider, but you should be able to work through issues with the cell phone companies support desk.
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When is a Backup Considered Successful?

2009-06-11T14:03:00.000-07:00

This is a great question that was posed by Stephen Bouffard in an article he recently posted at SQL Server Central (http://www.sqlservercentral.com/). Stephen highlighted several issues that we see all too frequently and has essentially created a non-technical checklist that anyone can use. I may get into trouble for copying it here, but it is such a good article I hope he won't mind me sharing it with you. Before reading the aricle, can you answer the question?

"As a Database Administrator, we are responsible for backing up and restoring databases. Many would argue that this fundamental task is the most important task of a DBA. There have been many articles written and published on this forum about this topic and the intent of this article is to reinforce and stress the importance of database backups and restores. So when can a DBA consider a database backup completely successful? When it’s Restored!

All DBA’s have processes and jobs in place to backup their databases. In most cases, FULL database backups are performed on a daily basis and periodically throughout the day TRANSACTION LOG and perhaps a DIFFERENTIAL BACKUP is also performed. As a DBA, do you have a process in place to restore the backups on a recurring basis? Here are some items to consider so when it’s “game time”, you’re on your “game”.

Do you routinely practice restoring your backups to different servers?

On a daily or weekly basis you should randomly select some backups and restore them to a different server. This will validate your process and confirm your backup. Not that you need any more practice, but the more restores the easier it gets. You’ll end up finding the best techniques and realize what other scripts you may need such as “fixing orphaned logins”, etc. This is also helpful for practicing your disaster recovery procedures. Repeated tasks become innate tasks.

Do you routinely restore the backups that have been copied to tape?

How often has someone asked you to restore a database from “Wednesday night, of two weeks ago”? At my business, I have to get the backup from tape. Now I don’t directly get the backup; I have to put a request in to the platform unit person for the backup to be retrieved from tape. My request usually takes several hours to be fulfilled and doesn’t always have the expected outcome. On many occasions I have received a phone call saying that “We don’t have the Wednesday backup on tape; we have Friday night’s”. Now what good does that do me?

Additionally you may want to restore a backup from tape which is located in an “off site” location. This will prove your entire backup strategy. When was the last time you requested backups from your “off site” vendor? Do you know who to contact? What kind of timeframe does the vendor have to return the tape to you?

Some would rightly argue that there should unequivocally be reliable tape backups, and the people responsible for the tape system should perform at a higher level. But, I can see tapes going bad and corruption happening, so I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt. The reality of the situation is this wouldn’t have been discovered without the DBA actually requesting the backup from tape which leads me to my last item.

Do you have all the necessary “contact” information for personnel that you may need during a recovery process?

When it’s time to restore production for “real”, you shouldn’t have to scramble to locate the contact information that you may need for this process. This information should be readily available on your PDA/Phone, as a file on your PC, and even a “hard copy” in your briefcase. In the event of a full disaster recovery, you want detailed documentation for the recovery process including vendor information. By doing so you will ensure you haven’t forgotten anything during a stressful situation.

Hopefully these brief words are nothing new to you, but if they are then take a moment and think about your recovery process then think about scheduling some time to restore a few databases."

By Steven Bouffard, 2009/06/08 Published at: http://www.sqlservercentral.com/articles/Backup+and+Recovery/66703/

I can't hide my disappointment...

2009-06-03T20:15:00.000-07:00

Well I can't hide it any longer. I was really looking forward to introducing the Motorola MC55 to our range of mobile devices but clearly it is not meant to be... at least not for now. If you have been following the history of our testing on Twitter you know all about it. If not, here is a brief summary:

Motorola introduced the MC55 as a replacement for the MC50 and PPT8846. It looked like a real winner, with benefits over both and falling in at the right price. Testing went well until Motorola launched a new platform, and then it all went wrong... We quickly identified a fault and, after some wrangling, Microsoft admitted that they replicated it. It is a Windows Mobile 6.1 bug. The MC55 is the first device to use WM6.1. We did receive a patch but this introduced or exposed a Motorola bug, which caused keyboard locking. Motorola issued a registry fix but both patches need to be re-applied after a cold boot.... That's not good. It gets worse if you send it in for repair, but I will spare you all the gory details.

So with all that taken place, we are waiting for the next Motorola platform for the device so we can re-test. The bad news is that it could be 6 months away !!

If you ever wondered how we spend money on R&D, this is a great example of a lot of time and effort expended for little (or for now, no) gain, but it is a really important part of what we do. Technology goes wrong and we want to do our very best to ensure that we identify these issues before you do.

At least there's some good news... In the meantime, we have a killer promotion for the MC909x range with some amazing offers.
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Microsoft on a roll...?

2009-06-03T18:13:00.000-07:00

This week has proven to be a big one for Microsoft announcements, two of which I find particularly interesting.

Firstly, there was the launch of Bing.com on Monday. For those of you not familiar, Bing.com is Microsoft's challenge to Google. It is a new search engine that has replaced Windows Live and MSN. I must say, my first impressions are good. I tried searching O'Neil Software and got good results with an easy way to get to contact details and other pertinent information. I also tried checking flights and got comparisons and a neat price predictor. The rumour is that Bing stands for Bing Is Not Google, which clearly it isn't, but I do like it. Give it a try and see what you think.

The second announcement related to Windows 7, which is now scheduled for release on October 22, 2009. I played with this earlier this year and really enjoyed some of the improvements over Windows Vista. You can read my original blog entry here. Windows 7 has been designed to be compatible with Vista so users do not have to invest in new hardware and it promises a major usability improvement on Vista, with a simplification of security measures which caused frustration for many users. Other Beta testers of Windows 7 have reported that it is faster than Vista, especially in terms of start-up and shutdown sequence of the computer. Over the next 4 months we will look at the testing requirements for the platform but I have to say I am optimistic on this one, which is a great feeling.

Are Microsoft finally getting things right? I suppose only time will tell but these two announcements were welcome news for me.

Twitter... I think I finally get it!

2009-05-29T13:05:00.000-07:00

In this world of ever increasing information, sometimes it is great to be able to just quickly pass on some news. I originally started doing this via the O'Neil Software eNewsletter, which reaches it's 100th edition next month. From publishing long messsages, this evolved into short paragraphs with a "Read More" link for those who were interested in the article. This layout became the most popular and remains today.

Next came this blog to deal with the fundamental problem of the eNewsletter... time. It takes time to consolidate all the monthly information and, by the time you do this, it is often out-of-date. The blog allows me to pass on my thoughts or witterings instantly. It's a bit like being able to send an email to everyone, so I don't have to put it all together once a month.

So where does Twitter fit in, especially in a business environment? Well, Twitter allows me to quickly pass on information that may not justify a blog entry, but may be interesting for people to know. For example, it could be as simple as "The phone system is currently down", which is not something I would probably want to blog about or put in the eNewsletter but it is something that I would like customers and suppliers to be aware of. Twitter would allow me to tell everyone immediately and, just as importantly, let them know it's back working again.

It's going to take me a bit of time to get into a habit of updating regularly but, as long as I am not telling you what I ate for lunch and I keep it business related, I think this could be a very useful tool.

You can follow me and stay up to date at: http://twitter.com/ianjthomas
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The humble barcode...

2009-05-27T12:31:00.000-07:00

It's amazing that despite all the advances in technology the humble barcode has remained the solid rock that our software is built upon. When I first started in records management (more years ago than I care to admit) the forward thinking companies were introducing barcoding technology. I had become familiar with it through my work in the courier industry and it seemed a natural fit. In fact it was so natural no-one today would realistically consider a software system that did not support barcoding. Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is often talked about as a replacement for the barcode but, in truth, it will augment and support the barcode but not completely replace it.

Almost as if you want to prove the point to us, last year O'Neil Software's barcode label printing division printed and distributed over 17 million labels for our customers, which is a stagerring amount. These labels are high-quality, tested and guaranteed for 20-years, but we want to do better. We want to make your interaction with our label printing business easier, faster, more flexible, and cheaper. To this aim, we have hired a professional label manager to head up the division. His name is Mike Jacobs and he is looking forward to your feedback.

So, do you love our labels or do you print your own? You can log on to the user forum at: http://www.oneilsoft.com/forum/index.php?topic=379.0 and tell us why you made your choice.
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Is Commercial Records Management Recession Proof?

2009-05-19T15:43:00.000-07:00

I've been out of the office the last two week, firstly attending the PRISM International Conference in Daytona Beach, Florida and then taking part in their first charity event.

At the conference, I was able to speak with a lot of customers about how they were fairing in the first quarter of 2009, in what are difficult economic conditions. The results of those discussions were pleasantly surprising. Almost everyone reported that, although they could see some impact from the economic downturn, generally business was good. Some even explained that business was increasing, especially for those who worked closely with law firms and accountants.

All this brought to mind an article I read by John Ulmer, titled "A Good Business for Bad Times", which you may be able to obtain from his website at www.julmer.com. John is an industry veteran who serves as PRISM's Director of Membership Development, and he has seen a lot of change over the years. His article provides some good advice on getting into Records Management, but his message is that this is a good business to be in.

During my second week, which involved riding a mtorcycle across the country, I had plenty of time to think about the comments made and the article written by John and came up with a my own conclusion...

I believe that Commercial Records Management is a good business to be in but the key word is Management. During normal times, managing customers, managing costs, managing staff, and managing expectations are all key things that help make a business successful. In difficult times, these are essential. When I look back at the customers I spoke too at the conference, I see a long list of managers who are actively involved in their business, making careful choices but still investing in their company's future.

Records Management is a great business. It offers a value to its customers in good times and in difficult times. Due to its very nature, it is a service that is required at all times, but a good business still needs good leadership.
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Network Overload?

2009-05-01T15:22:00.001-07:00

It's Friday afternoon and I was discussing with some of the team here how keeping up with all the social networks can be time consuming. Between posting to Blogs, Twitter & Facebook, it can be quite a task but a member of our support team may have found a tool that can make all this easy... or at least easier.

I am also signed up to try the beta of a new product from Microsoft, named Vine. (Http://www.vine.net). I shall let you know how that works, as I think it has a great application for your record center, especially in an emergency situation.

More soon...
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Trade Shows - Still Essential to Business

2009-04-27T12:17:00.000-07:00

Every year we attend about 14 trade shows around the world. From fairly small shows, for specific industry sectors to the large ARMA show, aimed at records managers, each affords a different reason for attending.

Next week is the PRISM International conference in Daytona Beach, that is aimed specifically at the commercial record management industry, and it is the biggest of it's kind in the world. It's quite a logistical event for us to ship our trade booth, organise the appropriate technology, move staff and cover the daily duties of everyone who will be at the show.

So why do we do it? After all, one of the biggest technology news events at the beginning of 2009 was the revelation that Apple were cancelling their hugely successful macworld conference.

My view is that trade shows still gives us one of our best opportunities to meet face to face with new prospects but also many existing customers. We find that at a show we spend more time showing new features, or provding consultancy to customers than we do selling new software. This is such a valuable opportunity to network with each other and provides great interaction. The User Forum does a great job of connecting our customers but you can't beat sitting down and chatting about the exciting new features in a recent, or upcoming, release.

We may cut back a little, may even only attend some shows rather than having a booth, but we are glad trade shows are there to help us meet up with so many of you.
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Latest RS-SQL Updates Now Available

2009-04-23T16:45:00.000-07:00

For those of you running RS-SQL version 3.07, there has been another series of updates released today. The updates fix some minor issues in RS-SQL, RSWeb.NET and RSMobile discovered by our early adopters. The latest updates will bring you up to version numnber 3.07.20.

We should all thank them for volunteering to work with early releases of the software to help with discovering any minor issues not found by internal testing.

IMPORTANT NOTE! You must install or upgrade to version 3.07.18 before applying the database update. You can download all the software updates along with a copy of the updated release notes at: http://www.oneilsoft.com/forum/index.php?board=23.0

Truly Global, Truly Amazing

2009-04-08T14:32:00.000-07:00

After 12 years with O'Neil Software, it still excites me how we have grown to become the leading Commercial Record Management Software in so many countries. Just last week I was told that we have added a customer in Costa Rica to become our 70th country, only to have that quickly increased to 71 countries with an addition in Mozambique. With your help, you have made us truly global.

From that global view, it has always interested me that no two countries operate in exactly the same way, and in some countries no two cities are the same, but each customers adapts the software to their circumstances. When I get the opportunity to talk with people I am always delighted to hear their stories of growth and entrepreneur ship. Just this morning I joined a conference call with a customer in the Mediterranean and saw a company brimming with confidence and working hard to be a role model of professionalism in the industry. Their growth over the last 4 years has challenged them but they have faced up to, and continue to overcome every challenge they face.

The key point is that despite having customers in so many countries, most of our customers are entrepreneurs who are small or medium-sized business servicing their local business communities. They need to know that O'Neil Software is there to help them, so we continue to strive to ensure that we have the necessary support infrastructure in each region. With three manned technical support desks strategically placed 8-hours apart, in California, the UK and Australia, you can speak with a representative when you need to, but many people do not realise that they can speak to any support desk. If it is 3am on a Monday morning in California it is already 11am in the UK, so our support desk there is open. We run a central support database so, if you introduce your company name they will be able to look up your history and assist you with your current issue. You can get all our contact details here.

There is also the opportunity for this network of O'Neil users to help each other. Using the User Forum, we have already seen many users willing to jump in and answer questions that other users have posted. In a short period of time, the forum has been able to gather over 670 posts of information in an easy to search, ask or respond format. It is truly amazing that these 'friends' can share ideas and help each other from all over the world and do so willingly.

So when you are next posting on the forum or meeting another O'Neil user at a trade show, take the time to learn about their different business culture, experiences and ideas. You never know what that networking could lead to?
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RS-SQL 3.07.19 Update

2009-04-01T13:17:00.000-07:00

For those of you running RS-SQL version 3.07, there has been a series of update patches released. The patches fix some minor issues in RS-SQL, RSWeb.NET and RSMobile.

You can download all the patches along with a copy of the updated release notes at: http://www.oneilsoft.com/forum/index.php?board=23.0

Change to April Training Course

2009-03-30T13:29:00.000-07:00

Our O’Neil classroom training calendar shows that we had scheduled a new web course for April 23-24, 2009 in Irvine, California. The name of the course is New Features in RSWeb.NET. It was to focus on the features new to web in the last three releases and would require knowledge of RSWeb.NET prior to the course. However, we have had more people interested in the standard RSWeb.NET course, which is a basic course for new users of RSWeb.NET.

Threre, DUE TO POPULAR DEMAND WE WILL NOT BE TEACHING THE COURSE “NEW FEATURES IN WEB” IN APRIL. INSTEAD, ON APRIL 23-24 WE ARE HOLDING THE STANDARD RSWEB.NET COURSE, TARGETTED FOR NEW USERS OF WEB.

If you were registered for the New Features class, we will contact you directly and send a trainer to your site to carry out this curriculum for youl, AT NO ADDITIONAL CHARGE.

For further information, contact you account manager.

PRISMgives needs your help

2009-03-23T18:32:00.000-07:00

PRISMgives is just 1/3 it’s way to our goal of $25,000 to support Action Against Hunger and the work they do around the world making sure kids in crisis areas and situations are not only getting food but also a way to ensure the ongoing nutrition.

But we need your help!

I will be riding 2,500 miles from Daytona Beach, Florida to Santa Monica Pier, California to help raise money for this deserving cause. Please sponsor me here and help us to help children in need around the world.

This weekend I will be riding 1000 miles over three days for the Ride for the Heart Foundation, as a warm up for the main event. I will let you know how that goes.

Thanks in advance for your help for this worthy cause.

RS-SQL and the Internet Explorer 8

2009-03-22T12:50:00.000-07:00

Many of you will already know that Microsoft have released Internet Explorer Version 8.0 (IE8).

Our developers have downloaded the IE8 Final Build (IE 8.0.6001.18702, released on March 19 and found that this release seems to clean up the problems encountered in IE8 Beta 2 version. Here is a summary:

1. The IE8 Beta problem with selecting and double clicking on the grid is fixed in this IE8 release.
2. The IE8 Beta problem with the choice list freezing up is fixed in this release.
3. The IE8 Beta problem with grid header and grid content misaligned if horizontal bar is dragged is fixed in this release.
4. The IE8 Beta problem with using the Back Button causing the “Webpage has expired” page to displayed is fixed in this Release.

So basically, as far as we know, nothing needs to be done on our side to make RSWeb.NET compatible, as this final build resolved all known issues discovered with the beta release.

... but more testing would be appropriate, so we will continue, and if your customers do start using IE8 and report an issue, please let us know.

Should I buy new vans?

2009-03-18T15:10:00.000-07:00

I was talking to someone a little earlier today about their vans. They were asking what I thought about their current situation and what I would do in their circumstances?

In late 1999, they purchase three new vans for $18,950. The three vans have long since been paid for and still continue to run today, albeit with some issues. Three replacement vans would around cost $22,950 each, which looks like a 21% increase in price. In the current economy it felt like a tough decision to have to make.

The reason I am sharing this is because it is an interesting question and there are several aspects that need to be understood before it could be answered. Here are some of the most prominent points we discussed:

The first point was to understand the apparent 21% increase in the price of the vans. What wasn’t being taken into account was an understanding of the purchasing power of money and how it changes over time. A quick look on the internet answered this question easily. By visiting http://www.measuringworth.com/ppowerus/ we could quickly see that you would require $24,489.70 in the year 2008 to have the same "purchase power" as $18,950 in the year 1999. This was due to cost of living index (CPI) increases. This meant that the vans were actually around 7% cheaper in today’s money.

Next, we discussed the maintenance issues. They didn’t break down too often but when they did it was definitely an inconvenience. Often they would have to wait a few days to get parts that were not in stock, due to the age of the vans. There was no question that there was indeed a cost for all this, such as for rentals of replacement vans, and the frequency meant that this would only get worse. New vans would have greater reliability and less down time, so the rental costs should, hopefully, go away.

We then talked about some of the issues with the original vans. One source of annoyance was that they came with just rear doors, making curb-side loading and unloading a nuisance. The new vans were upgraded with a great new feature: a side door. Also the old vans only had a key lock so the driver had to stop and lock the doors each time he left the vehicle and returned. The new vans had a lock/unlock button on the key fob. This saved time and increased security as there was a fear with the old vans that the driver may not be bothered to lock the van. Finally the existing vans did not have the capacity that the new vans had. This meant that the new vans could be used for longer periods without the need to return to the facility to unload. Unnecessary trips from and too the facility wasted time and if they could be reduced, they would save the company money.

So having reviewed these points they saw that the “expensive” new vans were actually going to be a great investment. The reasons were:

1. In real terms the vans were cheaper today than the equivalent vans in 1999. This would help with the justification for the capital expenditure;

2. Reliability and maintenance have a real cost that affects the business. Although the older vans had been paid for a long time ago, there was an ongoing cost that was higher than it would be with the newer vans. The total cost of ownership for the existing vans was a lot more than was being taken into consideration;

3. New features helped with the justification for the return on the initial investment. Calculations on time and fuel savings, along with a greater confidence in the security aspects, helped show that the initial expenditure would reap a positive return for the company.

In tough times purchasing decisions can often be put off because it is the easy thing to do, however in some circumstances putting the decision off could be costly.

In this case, the vehicle manufacturers are all running promotions to increase sales so purchasing today would mean they could take advantage of those promotions. It would also mean they could take immediate advantage of the reduction in the running costs, and increased productivity.

I’m looking forward to seeing a photo of that new fleet of vans any day now.
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Motorola/O'Neil Customer Loyalty Promotion now available in the Americas & Asia Regions

2009-03-09T11:52:00.001-07:00

I am delighted to announce the Motorola and O’Neil Software Customer Loyalty Program, which has been in the negotiation stage for quite some time. The program is our way of continuing to move beyond a simple customer/supplier relationship by negotiating directly with Motorola on your behalf.

In the current economic climate it is increasingly important that you are able to utilize cutting-edge software, such as our RSMobile solution, to maximize your cost savings, but this comes at a price as you need RSMobile capable devices. Using our status as Motorola's leading Business Solution Partner in the commercial record management market, we have been able to create a significant loyalty scheme with Motorola for the Americas & Asia regions. We are continuing negotiations in Europe and should have an update in the next couple of weeks.

So how does this work?

When making a purchase of an MC909x mobile computer, you will be instantly rewarded with loyalty points. These points are not dependent on future purchases, so can be applied immediately to that particular purchase or to other Motorola products, such as extended warranties or wireless access points.

Through our Customer Loyalty Promotion, you can continue to enjoy the benefits of our reliable, rugged, cutting edge mobile devices and capitalize on big savings. There are hundreds of dollars of loyalty points for every MC909x purchase, so don't delay. Speak with your account manager today and learn how you benefit from this unique promotion before it expires.
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A Week of Motorola

2009-03-06T11:21:00.000-08:00

It seems like the last few weeks have all been about Motorola for me. I have been in some lengthy discussions with them about product offerings and our development/support team have been busy testing units.

So where are we with the testing?

As at this moment, we are leaning strongly towards introducing the MC5590 to replace the MC5040 and PPT8846. This device appears to be a real winner, with fast scanning and processing, along with good battery life. Our support team is continuing to give it a good shake down but I am optimistic that I will be given the go ahead in the next few weeks. I think this will be a very popular unit, especially for couriers where GPRS is not required.

Several people have asked me about the MC3090. We initially did not support the MC3000 range as it used Windows CE as its operating system. The MC3090 was delivered to us with Windows Mobile but it was clear from the outset that this is an after-thought, as the screen size was non-standard. I believe that the MC3000 range has not been popular and Motorola are making an attempt to get this used in the Windows Mobile arena to generate more sales. With the non-standard configuration, the fact that it is more expensive than the MC5590 and concerns about its longevity, we decided to skip this particular unit.

I will have more news next week about the outcome of my discussions with Motorola, which I believe will be very exciting for all of our customers.
Watch this space...
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The Forum 500

2009-02-27T09:44:00.000-08:00

For all you NASCAR racing fans, this was the month of the Daytona 500 but for me it was the month where we saw the User Forum break past 500 posts. This may not seem too earth-shattering, but the forum is still a fairly new method of opening up communications with all our customers.

The forum has quickly become a knowledge base of articles from O'Neil but the most important aspect is the ability to read about or get involved in discussing particular topics. When we see that a topic is very popular, it allows us to take notice. For example, there is one topic that created a lot of interest, and that related to the short description field on containers, or lack thereof. The question simply asked: "As a small backwater operator in Newcastle Australia I have wondered why the Description field available on file and tape records is not available on container records..." After some internal discussions, we have decided to see if we can get this added or fixed, depending on your point of view, in the next release of RS-SQL.

Now it doesn't mean that every enhancement request is going to immediately get added to the next release, that wouldn't be practical, but it does show that the forum is a great place for us to learn about what we need to do to keep improving our product lines.

A big thanks must go out to the moderators, who are not O'Neil Software employees, but interested parties. Their support has been essential to the forums' initial success but you can make it better...

If you regularly visit the forum, don't be afraid to post a message, a reply or just provide moral support to someone who asked a question you always wondered about.

If you haven't visited yet, what are you waiting for?

O'Neil Software now on Facebook

2009-02-24T19:42:00.000-08:00

Due to several requests, O'Neil Software can now be found on the popular social networking site - Facebook.

As if the website, user forum, blog and twitter accounts are not enough, it appears that many of our customers already use Facebook extensively and wanted one place to get all the latest news from O'Neil.

As we continue to ensure that we open up every possible communication channel, so we can best interact with all our customers, it seemed only natural to add Facebook to our list. If you are already a Facebook user, you can link to us at http://www.facebook.com/pages/oneilsoft/53886276937
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PRISMgives Charity Ride - Route

2009-02-20T21:48:00.000-08:00

You may have read that I am taking part in the first PRISM International Charity event, which will be a motorcycle ride from Daytona Beach, FL to Santa Monica, CA. This evening I finished planning the route, which avoids most major cities along the way.

The destinations and route had to been fine-tuned (so we can stay at hotels with beds long enough for Dennis Barnedt, PRISM's current President, to lie down). Seriously, I was looking to see the real America and experience some wonderful sights along the way. Below is the route shown day by day starting from Daytona Beach, FL. I would love to see you if we are passing close to you, so let me know.

The route will arrive at the following destinations, with mileages shown from the daily start point:

Sat 9th May – Columbus, GA - http://tinyurl.com/ajb6cz 378 miles
Sun 10th May – Greenville, MS - http://tinyurl.com/agbnlr 404 miles
Mon 11th May – Gainesville, TX - http://tinyurl.com/c9doxz 405 miles
Tue 12th May – Clovis, NM - http://tinyurl.com/al4u92 390 miles
Wed 13th May – Eagar, AZ - http://tinyurl.com/byj2xb 434 miles
Thurs 14th May – Blythe, CA - http://tinyurl.com/aq279m 375 miles
Fri 15th May – Santa Monica, CA - http://tinyurl.com/crabqm 243 miles

You can sponsor me on the ride, with 100% of the donation going to charity at: https://www.actionagainsthunger.org/donate/prismgives?fname=Ian&lname=Thomas

You can also learn more about this event at http://www.prismgives.com/

The RSWin Legacy

2009-02-20T17:33:00.001-08:00

I had a very interesting conversation with a customer, whom I have a huge amount of respect for, regarding a feature that isn't delivering results in the way he would like. Of course, this is a big issue for him and he wanted me to understand the negative impact that this is having on his business. The issue was so important that he could not understand why this was not a top priority for us to change the software to work in the way he requires it to.

...and there lies the interesting part of all of this. The particular feature has operated in the same manner for over 13 years, originally being designed into our RSWin system before being replicated in RS-SQL. This feature is what I term as legacy functionality.

Now the implication of the conversation was that we should abandon this approach and re-write the feature. Due to the [legacy] design, what initially sounds easy is not actually the case and, therefore, becomes a big task, but can we really do this anyway?

It is generally not appropriate for us to re-write a feature and abandon the legacy because it is very well understood by it's users. A new feature would have different characteristics and could have an impact on many more customers if its behaviour was changed. Ideally, and selfishly, we would love to be able to move away from many legacy features, especially in relation to the ongoing support of them. Whether it be older versions of SQL Server, hardware or supported software, there is a burden associated with continuing to maintain and support older features.

The reason we do maintain the legacy is because the software represents many years of accumulated experience. This experience is hugely valuable and, therefore, we prefer an evolutionary rather than revolutionary approach to upgrades. Wherever possible we maintain the legacy for as long as possible, because the cost to our users of re-training staff or customers can be high. All upgrades from O'Neil always attempt to protect the legacy mode of operation, usually providing the ability to "turn on" new or additional functionality.

I am hoping that we can work with our customer to ease his frustration and present alternatives to help him resolve his current business challenge. He is also planning to use the user forum to get ideas and comments from other users, which is a great method for learning about alternatives or canvassing opinion for a software change, but I cannot stop thinking about how the RSWin legacy has provided huge benefits over the years. Occasionally, it may prevent us making a very quick change to the software, as we have to plan how to protect the legacy, but I believe that having 13 years of accumulated business rules and processes has a tremendous value.

Windows Mobile 6.5 gets its first reviews...

2009-02-16T18:37:00.000-08:00

We knew it was coming and finally, at the Mobile World Congress show currently underway in Barcelona, Microsoft showed off Windows Mobile 6.5. With so many new features, this should have been exciting but it looks as if most of the reviews are simply saying that this is too little too late. Now Microsoft have been known to dig themselves out of a hole (Windows 7 ?) so this may just be a stepping stone as to what's to come. It certainly looks different, as you can see from the screenshot. The new "honeycombed" screen is definitely "finger friendly" but is it enough to compete against the Applie iPhone or the Google Android?

Initial reviews are mixed.

Some comments are very positive, especially regarding the new start screen: "The most welcome improvement to the Windows Mobile OS is the improved, finger-friendly look of Windows Mobile 6.5. The new OS skips out on menus entirely, and replaced the programs and applications menus with a customizable Start screen." or "I like the new Windows Mobile 6.5 interface, specially the new home screen, which is brilliantly executed."

Others are not so impressed, with statements such as "Microsoft seems content to let third-party manufacturers, or worse, the competition, swoop in with all the best ideas. These 'new' ideas in Windows Mobile 6.5 are woefully behind, and even the visual improvements, though welcome, are too little, too late."

I suppose I shall have to wait until I get my hands on this new OS for the WinMobile devices so I can pass my comments?
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RS-SQL Version 3.07 and our Early Adopter Program

2009-02-13T12:01:00.001-08:00

Last evening I received the good news that RS-SQL 3.07 had passed its final tests and is now ready to be released to our early adopters. This is great news, as it is a very major release with a lot of new features and a lot of "behind the scenes" changes as we prepare for version 3.08 (but that's another blog's worth of information). So, with version 3.07, what can you expect to see?

In this release we have focused primarily on invoicing issues, communications and control.

The new invoicing features are quite substantial and include:

Scheduling price changes
Creating account groups
Printing storage and service invoices separately
Scheduling invoice print runs
Creating draft invoices, with the ability to transfer them to "finalized" invoices

The communications feature is known as Event Notification. This new feature allows users with an interest in certain events to be notified when those events occur. Notification can be in the form of an email so, for example, the manager of a web user can be notified whenever the user places an order to the record center via RSWeb.NET. Various events have been set up in the database and more will follow in future releases based on your feedback and requirements.

The control feature focuses on greater functionality for the RSWeb.NET administrator at your clients site. Adding "Cart Administration" functionality, the administrator now has the capability to view items placed in the order carts of subordinate staff and even edit, delete or complete the order on their behalf. This is essential a "global view" of all the shopping carts that the client is responsible for.

Great stuff. Now a question I am often asked is why we don't simply release a new version immediately to all customers?

The answer is relatively simple and, I believe, quite logical. Although we spend many months testing a new release, we simply cannot replicate every environment that is being used. With different server hardware, operating systems, workstations, etc... there could be one or two scenarios that can create issues. Our Early Adopters recognize this challenge but are willing to work with us should a feature not work as expected in their environment. This allows us to obtain feedback and make any necessary corrections before issuing a general release to all. It also provides customers who are less inclined to be on the leading edge, to digest the release notes and new features documents so they can decide how they plan to implement the new features into their business.

If you like to be one of the first to try out a new feature, contact your regional support desk and ask to be added to the list of early adopters. For the rest of us, we can keep up to date with progress, questions and comments on version 3.07 by visiting the O'Neil Software User Forum at http://www.oneilsoft.com/forum/.

The technology treadmill

2009-02-06T10:33:00.000-08:00

I was asked a question, during a meeting last week, about the support of old products by O’Neil Software and how we handle transitions. This was a very good question which addresses probably one of the most difficult balancing acts that any software company has to perform. At O’Neil, we primarily rely on two main providers of products: Microsoft and Motorola. Both of these companies are very progressive at moving their product lines forward, providing constant change due to the improvements. Of course, the downside is that everything now has a life expectancy that is a lot less than it was many years ago.

The most obvious example of the old days is the humble PDT3100. This handheld device was being used by O’Neil Software before I joined the company (back in February 1997). It had a phenomenal run, as far as technology goes, but after the sale of Symbol Technologies to Motorola, that came to an end. Motorola announced a series of dates for the last sale, then the end of support, and finally the end of all service. We were fortunate that this old but robust technology allowed us to give a five (5) year notice period to our customers. The end of the road is December 31, 2010 and all customers should plan to have all their PDT3100 units replaced before that date. The first release of RS-SQL in 2011 will not include support for the PDT3100 and 90-days later, we will end all support for the PDT3100, even in previous releases of RS-SQL.

Newer technology is being replaced a lot quicker now, which means we cannot always give such a long notice period. Microsoft, for example, typically supports a product for only two years after the release of its replacement, although this sometimes gets extended (think of Windows XP). With many of the new releases there are improvements that, as a software company, we simply cannot ignore. SQL Server is an example that falls into this category. We have continued to support SQL Server 2000, even though it was replaced by SQL Server 2005 and now SQL Server 2008. Both the latter products offer better tools and more stable platforms, especially for features such as Reporting Services. As a result, we have provided notice of the end of support for SQL Server 2000 in twelve months time. This should provide plenty of time for our customers to plan their upgrade and we can start to look at introducing that new functionality sooner.

As a general rule of thumb, we will try to continue to support the Microsoft software platforms for as long possible, which is probably at least one more year than Microsoft is giving. On the hardware front, generally we will be able to continue to support the Motorola products for three years after the end of sale announcement.

So as we continue together on the technology treadmill, we must all be conscious that software and hardware are subject to replacement a lot quicker than previous. As long as we are all understand this, plan it into our business and make sure that we take advantage of the benefits afforded to us, then it is all for a good cause.

Remember, you can keep up to date with our end of sale, support and service announcements on our website. You can also discuss this on our User Forum.
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Is Web ordering replacing traditional methods in your record center?

2009-01-30T11:06:00.000-08:00

At the end of 2008, surveys conducted concluded that trading via the internet was still increasing. Here are some interesting numbers:

- It was widely reported that U.S. commerce conducted via the Internet totaled $214.4 billion in 2008, a 7 percent increase versus the previous year, with travel spending growing 9 percent, to $84.3 billion, and retail growing 6 percent, to $130.1 billion.

- According to ComScore Media Metrix, the U.S. Internet population grew 4 percent to 190.7 million visitors in December. Google sites ended the year with the most traffic, growing 12 percent to 149 million visitors, with Yahoo sites in the No. 2 spot, followed by Microsoft, AOL and Fox Interactive Media.

- Facebook grew its visitor base 57 percent to 54.6 million visitors, while Wordpress, the largest blog publishing platform, surged 64 percent, to 24.2 million visitors.

- The Mozilla Organization saw a 40 percent growth in traffic, driven by updates to its Firefox Internet browser and continued growth in its user base.
The number of searches conducted with the five U.S. core search engines in 2008 rose 21 percent, to 137 billion, with Google sites handling nearly 85 billion.

So with all this internet activity, is this changing the habits of your customers or are the traditional methods of communication (Phone & Fax) still holding their own? Are you seeing an increase in RSWeb.NET usage that mirrors the increases in internet business shown above?

Let us know your thoughts about whether the internet is playing a bigger role in your customer communications on our User Forum
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Customer Satisfaction Survey 2009

2009-01-26T11:39:00.000-08:00

Periodically, we undertake a customer satisfaction survey with the help of Microsoft and TNS Prognostics.

It is important for us to understand our relationship with our customers and discover areas where we can improve. Since the last survey (January 2008), we have made a lot of changes in our communications with customers. The introduction of the Blog, to complement the eNewsletter; the new User Forum, to allow year round networking; and even a new twitter service, which will be interesting to see how useful this is.

For that last survey, we invited 130 customers to take part, with 25% actually completing the survey. This is a little below the expected average of 30%. The overview results are shown here. Please remember that not all participants answered all the questions.

So on to this year. Invitations were sent to 500 customers, with the offer to take part. The surveys will actually be sent by TNS later this week, with the results expected in March. If you did not receive an invitation but would like to take part, simply email me and I will do my very best to get you added to the list or recipients. If you did get an invitation, please take about 10 minutes to help us learn how to better serve your needs.

As always, I will publish the entire results on our website when I receive them.
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O’Neil Software pledges $2,500 to PRISM Charity event

2009-01-24T19:18:00.000-08:00

Over the last two years O’Neil Software and its Partners have been able to contribute over $30,000 to children based charities. Its Record Center Challenge, which takes place at its Strategic Partner Conference, became the vehicle for fund raising and has proven to be a popular addition. In 2009, O’Neil Software is delighted to be a part of PRISM International’s first Charity Event and has pledged $2,500 to get the event off to a flying start.

Action Against Hunger has been chosen as the charity to benefit from this event and it is a fabulous cause. To use their words, their “nutrition programs treat and prevent acute malnutrition in young children. The programs are launched most often during times of crisis—when an earthquake devastates a city, when civil war tears apart a country, when drought leads to famine, when families flee violence only to confront hunger.”

Through the PRISMGives.com website and sponsorship of this event, let us show them that the Records Management Industry cares,a nd you don't have to be a PRISM member to show your support.

Go to http://PRISMgives.com to get involved.
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MC5040 End of Life Announcement from Motorola

2009-01-21T15:33:00.000-08:00

I hate having to give bad news but today I received notice that Motorola (formerly Symbol Technologies) has planned the end of life for the popular MC50 Electronic Digital Assistant (EDA). This has completely surprised me and many others in the Motorola Channel. The official notice reads as follows:

"The purpose of this bulletin is to make all sales channels aware of the discontinuation of the current MC5040 product family. A finite supply of key components used in the manufacturing of this product is the driving force behind this discontinuation. While we have sufficient supply to meet current backlog and forecasted demand, we highly recommend that you expedite any orders that you may have for any remaining demand. The planned last book date for the MC5040 product family is currently March 30, 2009 but is subject to change based on component availability."

So, it appears that thye have run out of a key component, so cannot produce any more of this unit??? That seems very surprising to me but it is no joke as I have been informed that supply of these devices is already low, if not completely depleted, in Europe.

If you have MC50 devices, you have nothing in particular to worry about as they will continue their support & repair services until June 30, 2014.

Over the coming months we will look to see if we should introduce a unit to replace the PPT8846 and MC5040, or simply standardize on the MC9000 range. I will, of course, keep you posted on how that decision goes and you can keep up to date with all of the End of Life announcements that may affect you from our website at http://www.oneilsoft.com/partner/endofsale.shtml
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Another Windows Worm

2009-01-19T14:51:00.000-08:00

By now you, hopefully, will have heard about the nasty new virus, known variously as Conficker, Kido or Downadup, that has reportedly affected 9 million computers? If you have read about it, you will also have made sure that your Windows PC's on your network are all up-to-date with the latest anti-virus software updates and a dedicated microsoft patch. You have, haven't you?

The reason for the concern is that this is one of the worst viruses discovered in recent years and its spread is still growing. Having first appeared in October last year, its most recent strain is only about 3 weeks old but has grown from 3 million to 9 million infected computers in that short time.

Windows XP and older versions of Windows are most at risk from the worm but this virus is unusual in that it can also be transmitted via a USB memory stick, so you should take great care that staff or visitors do not use unknown USB sticks, regardless of your operating system.

If you want to know more, you can read F-Secure's Security Advisory.

Don't get caught out.
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PRISM Charity Event Announced

2009-01-18T09:41:00.000-08:00

This month I got involved in another charity event. As you know, our Strategic Partner Conference raised over $23,000 for a charity focused on children and healthy eating strategies. Now I am delighted to be involved in the first Charity Event to be sponsored by PRISM International. So how did it all come about?

Back in December 2008, I was planning a vacation for 2009. Seeing that the PRISM International Conference was being held on the east coast, I thought it would be a fun idea to ship my motorcycle to Daytona Beach, FL and ride it home – a journey of about 2,500 miles (see the route here). Riding alone through the countryside conjured up visions of lots of “me time”, until I mentioned it to my wife, Janice.

“Me time” quickly became “us time” as she decided that this was a ride within her capabilities and a family holiday was taking shape. That week, I mentioned this to Dennis Barnedt, PRISM's President, and suggested, as this was no longer a solo venture, that he may also wish to join in. Dennis was enthusiastic, as always, and quickly suggested that Rob Alston, VP of Access Information Management, would also like to join us. So the solo ride was now four people and then Dennis had a brainwave... Let's open this up to everyone and making it a Charity Ride.

Jim Booth, Executive Director of PRISM International, immediately saw the potential and gave approval for this to become the first sponsored charity event for the organization.

This weekend, after working closely with Tom Adams of Flourish Press, we launched PRISMGives.com, a website dedicated to PRISM's charity efforts. This was put together quickly so bare with us we add the content, but already thre is a lot of information available.

The charity we are supporting is Action Against Hunger, and you can read about them at http://prismgives.com/2009-charity/. We wanted to focus on helping Children and Hunger around the world.

Please take the time to view the website at PRISMGives.com and think of ways to get involved. If you are up to a challenge, you can ride along. If that's not for you, you can either sponsor a rider (of course, I would be a great choice ;-) or just sponsor the event. Any amount, however big or small, will go to the charity. The riders must pay entirely for their own expenses so all donations go where they are intended.

Finally, and most importantly, you don't have to be a PRISM member to donate to this worthy cause.

I look forward to keeping you updated on this adventure, including daily blogs and photos from the actual ride.
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New Feature Overview: Scheduled Transactions

2009-01-16T10:15:00.000-08:00

This new feature allows you to set up base or account transactions that are to be applied some time in the future.

For example, you may want to give your customer the first six months of storage free. You can set up the transaction to become effective in six months without having to remember to change the transaction at that time.

Setting up Scheduled Transactions (prices) is very similar to setting up normal transactions, except that you have to enter an "effective date", as shown in the image above. To read more about how to set this up or to comment on this new feature, simply visit our user forum

New Feature Overview: Event Notification

2009-01-16T09:22:00.000-08:00

In RS-SQL version 3.07, a new notification feature will be added that allows users with an interest in certain events to be notified when those events occur. Events include such things as workorder status changes, Web order submissions, and more...

So how will this work?

First, you will need to set up your users so that they are allowed to receive notifications. Then the specific type of interest those users have in an event will need to be defined. To try to be clear, an interest is an association of some kind between a user and an event. We know that there can be different types of interest in a single event by different users. For example, a user who submits a Web order has one interest (e.g. an email confirmation of just the order they submitted), while their supervisor could have a different interest (e.g. an email with confirmation of all orders submitted for his account).

Various events have already been set up in the database and, over time, we will add more and more events to the database.

A new Event Interest Service is then used to send the actual notifications, which can be grouped together, or sent out individually.

You can read more and comment on this feature over in our user forum

RS-SQL Version 3.07 Overview

2009-01-07T13:50:00.001-08:00

I have been told that version 3.07 is continuing through its testing phase and should be made available soon. Obviously testing for any release is a big task and so dates can change depending on the results but I thought I would take the opportunity to start to share information on some of the features that we expect to include in the final release. This will provide you with an opportunity to discuss these features in our forums, as well as with your Business Development or Support Representative.

Over the coming days, I will focus a new post on each feature, which should provide us all with time to discuss the feature and how it can be used in the daily business, before it is released. This should also allow you to be able to plan its introduction.

So what are some of the features that we are hoping will be included? Here's a preliminary list (subject to change, of course )

Event Notification - Introduced at the Strategic Partner Conference it provides the ability to send automated email notifications when certain "events" occur within RS-SQL, such as the receipt of a web order.

Schedule Transactions - Want to ensure a price increase takes place on a certain date, say 3 months from now? This feature will allow you to create your prices that will be applied some time in the future.

Print Storage & Service Invoices separately - Never have a customer not pay a storage bill because they have a question about a service charge.

Specify Default Priority by Account - Make sure every workorder has the priority field completed and choose which priority each account should have.

RSWeb Cart Administrator - Introduced at the Strategic Partner Conference it allows a supervisor at your clients' site to mange the carts of multiple users.

RSWeb Workorder Notes - Allow your clients to enter comments for bulk orders and workorder notes.

Update Activity Billing - A new feature has been added to allow billing activity to be updated, such as due to a change in an activity set since the activity was originally generated.

With so many things to share, starting this week, I will take the first feature and open up a discussion. I am looking forward to hearing your views on the best ways to implement each feature, especially those that are client facing.
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Will Windows 7 Save Microsoft?

2009-01-04T18:09:00.000-08:00

It's the start of a new year and, after using Windows Vista for most of 2008, I have to say that it's never quite lived up to my expectations. I am a strong supporter of Microsoft and their products, despite all the negative press. Just look at the success of Microsoft Office and its suite of products. I use them every day and they are incredibly reliable. Then take a look a SQL Server, the foundation of RS-SQL. It has grown from its humble beginnings to a fabulous, reliable, scalable product.

... but Windows Vista? I have a laptop and a home computer, both with Vista Ultimate, but they don't actually behave the same. It has puzzled me and been a source of bemusement, and I have never quite got to the bottom of it. And despite both being very powerful machines, I frequently have to reboot them due to some problem relating to speed or "hanging".

So the question at the start of this was simply: will Windows 7 save Microsoft? It certainly looks like it is the product Vista should have been and all the early testers are actually very positive about it. Today, Windows expert and former Windows-Now blogger Chris Holmes posted a blog entry that is definitely worth reading, if you are interested in how Windows 7 is developing.

It looks as if 2009 is already shaping up to be an interesting year, technology wise, and we wouldn't have it any other way.

PS No we have not started testing RS-SQL on Windows 7 yet. This OS is still a very early beta and there will be many changes before it becomes an official release. As that time approaches we will allocate testing resources accordingly but, until then, we will concentrate on ensuring RS-SQL, RSMobile and RSWeb.NET function correctly with all the other new software available (Windows Mobile 6.1, IIS 7.0, SQL Server 2008, etc..) or coming to a PC or server near you soon.
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A Happy & Prosperous New Year...

2008-12-31T10:08:00.000-08:00

... but I couldn't let the year end without posting some of my thoughts on 2008 and 2009.

With the worldwide economies struggling and oil prices fluctuating, 2008 probably gave us all a lot of [unwelcome] surprises. But I can't help but think that some good will come of all this, eventually.

At the end of 2007 and beginning of 2008, there was almost a "consolidation frenzy" in the commercial record management industry. It was definitely a sellers market and money seemed to be freely available. As the year comes to an end, it certainly appears that this is over and, I think, probably for the best. The reason I say this is because I do believe that consolidation is good for the industry, but not if completed at a frantic pace. When clients of record centers find their records managed by three different companies within a year (yes, I actually saw this) can this be a good sign for the independents? I think it makes clients more cautious of storing off site, and that is not good. With a slow, controlled level of consolidation, it allows clients to understand the benefits and not feel as if they were "traded" without their knowledge. It also creates an environment when new entrepreneurs can jump in and continue to expand the industry.

The "money drying up" also saw our first casualty as CUSP Point software stopped trading. I hope this is the last but I am not so sure. 2009 promises to be a difficult year and it is important to pick financially strong partners, as you move forward.

Now the question on my mind for 2009 has been asked of me by many, especially over the last three months: How recession proof is the industry? My lazy answer is, "we are about to find out", but my more serious response is that I believe the Commercial Record Management Industry is in one of its most exciting phases. There are several reasons why I say this:

1. Bad news normally brings more legislation. Once the current bailouts are enacted everyone is going to continue the "blame game" and, as what always happens, legislation will follow. If companies are instructed to keep better business records, then the industry stands to gain from this.

2. Technology is moving along at a tremendous rate and opening doors that were not easily accessed. Just one of the projects that we are working on, gives huge potential for integration of technologies. As this integration becomes easier, then product offerings become more seamless, which leads me to...

3. Every day I see commercial record centers becoming more professional. What I mean by that is that the old "record storage/boxes on shelves" solution is no longer enough and companies are meeting new challenges head on. A great example is one of our customers, Gail Bisbee, who has attacked the imaging market and completely changed her business over the last few years. She is quite an inspiration to others and is always willing to share her knowledge and ideas, which leads me to my final point...

4. Which is that sharing of ideas and helping each other with problems or issues, is gaining momentum. The trade shows have always been a great networking place but travel is expensive (both in money & time) so online networking is helping. We have seen a great take up on our own O'Neil User Forum and hope to see that expand even further in 2009. By networking together, all the independents really can take on the "big guys" and create a huge value potential for their clients, so lets keep talking together.

OK, enough ramblings. May I wish you a very Happy, Successful and Prosperous New Year to you, your colleagues and especially your families. Thanks for your continued support in 2008 and I look forward to working together with so many of you in 2009.
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RSWeb.NET, Internet Explorer and alternative browsers

2008-12-21T09:37:00.000-08:00

Many of you will have read about the recent exploit in Internet Explorer. Of course, this prompted a lot of concern for everyone and I received a few emails on the subject and why, currently, RSWeb.NET is only supported in Internet Explorer. As such, I thought that I should share my thoughts here.

There are obviously support cost issues whenever more browsers are supported, simply because they don't all behave the same. You would think that by now they would, but really they don't. That is one factor but the biggest issue, however, is that there is a common misconception the other browsers, such as Firefox, are safer than Microsoft IE. Here is some information that I researched earlier in the year:

"Judging strictly by the sheer volume of vulnerabilities Mozilla Firefox was the most insecure browser in 2007, according to Symantec. Firefox had a total of 122 security holes, more than any other rival browser. Symantec credited the efforts poured into securing Internet Explorer 7 for IE managing to be situated under Firefox in terms of security flaws. Internet Explorer, Firefox, Opera and Safari are together synonymous with the browser market, having divided the vast majority of the Internet audience among them. In addition to the constant race for an increased install base, the four browsers are also continually evolving toward new standards of performance, compatibility and security.

In this regard, Symantec has published a report offering an insight on one critical aspect of browser security - vulnerabilities. Firefox was impacted by no less than 88 vulnerabilities in the second half of the past year, with another 34 in the first half. Mozilla's open source browser cumulated more vulnerabilities in 2007 than any other browser, this despite the fact that Firefox is generally perceived as an apex of security."

So here lies the main problem. Although all the browsers are being attacked IE gets the most press. The hackers will continually switch to exploit any and all vulnerabilities in any browser, so switching browsers is not the answer.

I should add that a patch is now available for the recent IE vulnerability, that sparked all this. Microsoft's Christopher Budd said the software giant "encourages all IE customers to test and deploy this update as soon as possible". He also said the threat led Microsoft to mobilise security engineering teams worldwide to deliver a software cure "in the unprecedented time of eight days".

Please go to the Microsoft Update web site as soon as possible to download and install this software update. You will then need to reboot your computer.

This security update also addresses the vulnerability first described in Microsoft Security Advisory 961051."

I know this will remain a contentious issue, which you can continue to discuss on our User Forum.

Travel, the User Forum and Mobile Access

2008-12-16T17:02:00.000-08:00

The end of year always ends up a busy time for me with travel. I usually plan to visit our UK and Australia offices to go through budgets for the following year. Couple this with some annual customer visits and it means I am away from my desk most of the time. There are, however, some great tools to keep up-to-date with everything while remaining mobile.

One trick I just learned relates to the O'Neil User Forum. While waiting around, usually at airports, I wanted a quick and easy way to check the forum, read new posts and even reply. I carry a Windows Mobile (WM) phone, so I can get usually internet access, but WM still doesn't do a good job of rendering web pages. I have tried the Pocket Internet Explorer and Opera browsers (amongst others) but nothing really works. What is needed, at least for now, is a mobile version of the forum.

With a bit of research I found that the mobile version actually already exists. Simply type the following url into your Pocket Internet Explorer, or alternative browser, and you get a nice, clean simple forum interface. The url to use is:

http://www.oneilsoft.com/forum/?imode

If you use a Blackberry of Pocket PC device, this is a great way to view the forum. Why not give it a try and even make your first post or reply to an existing post?

PPT8846 End of Life Announcement from Motorola

2008-12-07T22:06:00.000-08:00

Since it's introduction in 2003, the PPT8846 has been one of the most popular devices that support our RSMobile software. However, today I received notice that Motorola (formerly Symbol Technologies) has planned it's end of life.

This is very annoying to me as I met their President of Enterprise Mobility, Kathy Paladino, in October last year and was assured that there were no plans to discontinue this popular device. Well, obviously plans change and they have now made that announcement.

The news is not all bad. They will continue to sell the unit until May 31, 2009 and their support & repair services will continue until July 31, 2014.

Currently we support the PPT8846, the MC5040, and a range of MC9090K & G units. Over the coming months we will look to see if we should introduce a unit to replace the PPT8846 or standardize on the remaining units. I will, of course, keep you posted on how that decision goes.
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Holiday Season Support Hours

2008-12-04T08:27:00.000-08:00

As we approach the Holiday Season, please make a note of the hours our support teams will be unavailable or providing limited cover:

US Office Support Hours
Wednesday, Dec. 24 - 8am to 12pm (Emergency Cover Only*)
Thursday, Dec. 25 - CLOSED
Friday, Dec. 26 - 8am to 1pm (Emergency Cover Only*)
Wednesday, Dec. 31 - 8am to 1pm (Emergency Cover Only*)
Thursday Jan. 01 - CLOSED

Australian Office Support Hours
Wednesday, Dec. 24 - 8am to 12pm (Emergency Cover Only*)
Thursday, Dec. 25 - CLOSED
Friday, Dec. 26 - CLOSED
Wednesday, Dec. 31 - 8am to 1pm (Emergency Cover Only*)
Thursday Jan. 01 - CLOSED

European Office Support Hours
Wednesday, Dec. 24 - 8am to 12pm (Emergency Cover Only*)
Thursday, Dec. 25 - CLOSED
Friday, Dec. 26 - CLOSED
Wednesday, Dec. 31 - 8am to 1pm (Emergency Cover Only*)
Thursday Jan. 01 - CLOSED

* Emergency Cover Only means that we will have less personnel manning the support desk during that period, so please only call if it is important. Available staff will be focusing on customers who are in need urgent assistance. Thank you for your co-operation.

Remember, if your local support office is closed, you can contact any of our offices at the the email addresses or telephone numbers shown below.

Corporate Office
11 Cushing,
Irvine
California, 92618
Tel: +1 949 458 1234
Fax: +1 949 206 6949
Support: +1 800 797 4321
sales@oneilsoft.com
support@oneilsoft.com

European Office
6 Joplin Court, Crownhill,
Milton Keynes MK8 0JP,
United Kingdom
Tel: +44 1908 635320
Fax: +44 1908 635328
eusales@oneilsoft.com
eusupport@oneilsoft.com

AustralAsia Office
Ground Floor, Logan House South,
25 Donkin Street
South Brisbane QLD 4101
Australia
Tel: +61 7 3255 1333
Fax: +61 7 3255 1444
ausales@oneilsoft.com
ausupport@oneilsoft.com
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2009 Classroom Training Schedule now available

2008-12-03T16:58:00.001-08:00

If you haven't taken advantage of our classroom training, now may be a great time to consider it. Sharing a class gives you the opportunity to discuss the course content with others, but also to discuss the industry. Also, you get time to meet a member of the O'Neil training team and, if attending a course at one of our offices, meet other team members. This is a great opportunity to ask questions, network and learn more about RS-SQL, RSWeb.NET or RSMobile.

You can read more about classroom training and download the 2009 schedule from our website or from our User Forum

RS-SQL, RSWeb.NET and the Microsoft .NET Framework

2008-12-02T09:21:00.000-08:00

In looking ahead to what the new year holds, be aware that there are changes coming to Microsoft and the O’Neil technology that you can actually begin preparing for today.

One important change is the introduction of .NET Framework version 3.5.

Here are some things you should know:

With the first release of RS-SQL and RSWeb.NET after ver. 3.07, .NET Framework ver. 3.5 SP1 will be required in order to install RS-SQL, RSMobile and RSWeb.NET. This is because we will be utilizing functions of this version of .NET for features in our software. These features would not be available if we developed on lower versions of .NET Framework.

Per Microsoft, .NET Framework 3.5 cannot be installed on Windows 2000 or Windows 2000 Server. For full information on system requirements see the Microsoft site at http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=333325fd-ae52-4e35-b531-508d977d32a6&DisplayLang=en#QuickInfoContainer

MS SQL Server 2008 installs .NET Framework 3.5 as part of the SQL Server installation if it does not exist on the computer.

.NET Framework 3.5 and SP1 can take several to many minutes to install, depending on your computer and your internet connection. In our tests it took anywhere from 10 to over 30 minutes per workstation. A computer reboot is also required.

So what does this mean to you?

1. If the OS of any of your servers or workstations is Windows 2000 or Windows 2000 Server, begin planning for an OS upgrade. Doing so in the first half of 2009 will put you in a good position for a smooth and timely RS-SQL upgrade path. Remember to consider your RSWeb.NET, RSMobile and backup servers, if you have these, as well as your production database server when analyzing OS versions.

2. If you are running MS SQL Server 7 or MSDE 7 you should begin moving to a more current version of SQL Server. Anyone running MS SQL Server 7 or MSDE 7 will not be able to install any version of RS-SQL, RSWeb.NET or RSMobile above ver. 3.07.xx.

3. You can begin installing .NET Framework ver. 3.5 SP1 on your computers now. Doing so will not interfere with the version of RS-SQL you are currently running. You will also save yourself a lot of time and effort when it comes time to upgrade beyond version 3.07.xx.

So the message is that, at some point, a version beyond RSSQL version 3.07 will inevitably require .NET Framework 3.5 (or later) so we can take advantage of the new functionality it brings.

As always, if you have questions about this or any other issue, the O’Neil support desk is available to assist you and you can discuss this topic over on our forum at: http://www.oneilsoft.com/forum/index.php?topic=190.0

Sad news from Mumbai

2008-11-29T07:21:00.000-08:00

As the Police and military finally regain control of the Taj Mahal Hotel in India, I have received some very sad news from another of our customers.

After reporting that all their staff are safe and the work situation is returning to normal, his email continued: "I lost my cousin... at Hotel Oberai on 26th Night's terrorist attack, he was staff member of Hotel Oberai. On 1st Nov. he had submitted his resignation and tomorrow i.e. Nov.30, 2008 was his last in that Hotel. In the next month was to fly to Australia for new job."

Words are never enough to express the deep sadness when a family member is lost, especially in such a terrible and needless way.

All our thoughts are with him and the many other families that have suffered over these last few days.

Troubled times...

2008-11-28T10:00:00.000-08:00

I am sure that you all share the same concerns as me, when you watch the news and see the terrible events unfolding in India. Growing up in the UK during the 70's and 80's, I am all too familiar with the fear of just simply going about your daily business. From driving to work to shopping for groceries, there is always a worrying thought in your mind, but we must never give in. The terrorists always think they will win but the strength of the human spirit will never allow that.

Once I read the news, I emailed our customers, who have operations in Mumbai, and was delighted to hear back from two, who many of you have met at our Strategic Partner Conferences. I am sure they won't mind me sharing their emails...

"We have faced a very disturbing & a trying time as a Country. This horrible event right at our door step changes our prospective to Life. All our Staff members and our families too are safe and secured. Yesterday the 27th Nov, we had to more or less stay put at home but life is slowly coming back to normal and all of us are at work today. Everybody is very supportive and understanding. Thank you all for just being there.
Rgds. Vinesh & All of us at NAX [Navbaraht Archive Express]"

"We are all fine here and appreciate your concern about our safety.
Yes, it is indeed a hopeless situation here in Mumbai, and is almost compared to WTC situation. However, Writer [Corporation] is not affected as all our main offices/facilities are no where near the place of action. Thanks for all the support and well wishes.
Kind Regards, Dinesh Rao"

Knowing these companies well, I am so relieved that all their family, colleagues and friends are safe and well. Our thoughts will remain with them during these troubled times.

If I get more updates, I will share them with you all.

Internet Explorer 8 & RSWeb.NET

2008-11-25T13:53:00.001-08:00

Many of you may have seen the push by Microsoft to get acceptance for it's next version of Internet Explorer. Effectively they have invited any users, who is willing to give it a try, to use IE8 but do remember that they are inviting you to take part in testing. The release is definitely not ready for the general public yet and has some way to go.

Dean Hachamovitch, General Manager for Internet Explorer, published a post that shows he wants to be clear about the plan for IE8:

"We will release one more public update of IE8 in the first quarter of 2009, and then follow that up with the final release. Our next public release of IE (typically called a “release candidate”) indicates the end of the beta period. We want the technical community of people and organizations interested in web browsers to take this update as a strong signal that IE8 is effectively complete and done. They should expect the final product to behave as this update does. We want them to test their sites and services with IE8, make any changes they feel are necessary for the best possible customer experience using IE8, and report any critical issues (e.g., issues impacting robustness, security, backwards compatibility, or completeness with respect to planned standards work). Our plan is to deliver the final product after listening for feedback about critical issues."

So what does this all mean to you and your customers using RSWeb.NET?

Simply put, the current IE8 Beta 2 release should not be used in a live environment. As there will be at least one more public update in Q1 of 2009, you can see that the first "release candidate" is probably not due until the end of Q2, at the very earliest. We have undertaken some initial testing but we have found many issues, even in the IE7 compatibility mode which isn't fully compatible! So, until there is a release candidate that we can fully test, it is likely that there will continue to be compatibility issues between IE8 and RSWeb.NET. You may wish to communicate this information to any of your clients who are using RSWeb.NET to place orders or look up records. It is also a good opportunity to remind them that RSWeb.NET will support IE8, so patience is the key.

Also, be aware that many people are playing with a new browser named Google Chrome, which is also a beta product. We have not undertaken any testing of this browser with RSWeb.NET and, at this stage, have no plans to do so.

When we are satisfied that IE8 and RSWeb.NET are fully compatible you can be sure that you will be the first to know.

You can comment on this topic over in our User Forum.

Windows Mobile: Confusing Messages?

2008-11-12T16:10:00.000-08:00

OK, as you all know, I am fairly easily confused but Microsoft aren't helping my trip to early dementia.

I mentioned in an earlier blog entry that Motorola were moving to the support Windows Mobile 6.1 but didn't mention that Microsoft had already announced the upcoming release of Windows Mobile 7.0, although it is now looking like that is due much later than expected.

Well now Steve Ballmer, CEO of Microsoft, has begun talking about Windows Mobile 6.5, which looks like an interim step to fend off people critical of the delay for WM 7.0.

So, with all this confusion what sort of messsage are they sending us software developers and what additional costs do we incur as we try to support all the versions? I think Microsoft needs to set a positive roadmap so we can plan how to adopt and leverage new features, rather than continually realeasing versions because Apple and Google are threatening them.

My guess is that Motorola are thinking the same and we won't see WM6.5 on the Mobile Computers that are supported for RSMobile.

Upgrade to 3.06.21 now available

2008-11-12T14:48:00.001-08:00

Today we posted a new RS-SQL 3.06 patch for download. Known as patch 21, this will take you up to version 3.06.21. This is a fairly small patch as it fixes a problem where details in invoice summaries were not printing in alphabetical order. As the release notes say, they are now!

If this is important to you, or you are running RS-SQL 3.06.20 or lower and always want to be on the latest version, you can download all the necessary instructions, new feature documents and patches from our website at: http://www.oneilsoft.com/support/downloads.shtml or directly from our user forum at: http://www.oneilsoft.com/forum/index.php?board=15.0.

As always, please read the release notes carefully before commencing any upgrade and remember that our support teams are here to help you.

The User Forum hits 800 members

2008-11-05T16:09:00.001-08:00

When I launched the User Forum at our 2008 Strategic Partner Conference on September 25th, I can honestly say that I had agonized about it for many months. Why, I hear you ask. J Simply put, I wasn't sure if our users were ready to share ideas, help answer questions from other users, and even be brave enough to admit that maybe, just possibly, there was a question lingering about how to apply the software to a business challenge. All of this made me fear that the forum would be a dead space, with no activity.

At the conference, I discussed collaboration and why this was important to all our futures. I also discussed that this involved breaking new ground and facing unknowns. With all this in mind, I launched the forum and I am delighted to say that my fears have proved to be false.

As I write this blog entry we have just added our 800th member (congratulations David Buchanan) and broke through the 230 posts mark. This is a great number and shows that people are starting to get involved. The reason I say starting to get involved is that although there were 200 posts, there were over 18,000 views in November. That is a staggering amount of activity on the forum, and we have more members joining daily, but a low percentage of post compared to views.

So let us go back to why did I start the forum? My goal was to break away from the single channel of communication that the website previously offered. OK, we could post a database patch for you to download but could you ask a question about it? You can now. Also, could you ask question of other O'Neil users? You can now.

So, now we need you to overcome your fear of the unknown and actually post a question or a reply. It really is easy, I promise. J

Windows 7 unveiled at PDC

2008-10-28T18:19:00.000-07:00

Today Microsoft officially showed off Windows 7 (the successor to Vista) to the outside world at their Professional Developers Conference (PDC) in Los Angeles.

My first impressions are, I think, what a lot of people will say; this is what Vista should have been. It looks very much as if this is an evolution of Vista to it's next stage. The most obvious change is the "touch" capabilities, such as those found on the iPhone. This will be interesting as I am not sure that I am that willing to spend my day "poking" my monitor with my fingers??? In fact, my monitor is far enough back on my desk that I am not sure I can actually reach it easily.

The change that I like is the "fix" to User Access Controls (aka UAC), which annoyingly uses lots (and lots and lots) of pop-ups to warn you of a potential security issue. One screen shot I have seen (see below) appears to give the user greater control on UAC. The user controlling the PC? What a novelty.

As I get more information on Windows 7 I will share it with you but you can get a quick peek from PDC by visiting one of my favourite sites: The BBC - http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7695933.stm

Receipt Printing... Dead or Alive?

2008-10-27T13:44:00.001-07:00

Our former sister company, O'Neil Product Development Inc (now a Dover Corporation company) has recently released a new printer to its MicroFlash 2 range. Known as the MF2te, it is the eighth generation of the MF2 range and comes with some additional benefits. Firstly, this printer is smaller than the MF2t, about 33% smaller, and it comes with Bluetooth printing capabilities. What this means is that, if you have a Bluetooth enabled mobile device, such as the Motorola MC909x with our RSMobile software, you can now print wirelessly using Bluetooth rather than the current 802.11 technology. Our internal testing also suggests that this printer is faster than the older MF2t printers.

Now, all that aside, this leads me to the question: Is mobile receipt printing still important today, or will it be superseded by email? This topic has stirred up quite a discussion within O'Neil Software, and so I thought I would see what your thoughts are. I have taken the view that an email is a more satisfactory way for me to get a receipt today. I have noticed a change in other industries, such as car rental. When I used to drop off my car at Avis, I used to only receive a paper receipt (have you noticed Avis uses the MC909x range of mobile devices?) but now I also receive an email receipt. MY thought is, how long will it be before I only receive the email receipt. Of course, the advantages of this is that I could (probably) get the email receipt sent to several different people simultaneously, but only I get the paper receipt.

In RS-SQL Version 3.07, we are adding Event Notification, otherwise known as the ability to send automatic emails based on certain events. This feature will start with web activity but why couldn't it lead all the way to drivers and delivery/pickup receipts? So, in commercial records management today, is the paper receipt still required or are its days numbered?

If you are a customer of O'Neil Software, drop in to our user forum and join in the discussion or simply place your comments here.

Windows Vista SP 2 Update

2008-10-24T18:47:00.000-07:00

You may have heard that Microsoft is readying Service Pack 2 for Windows Vista, especially after the success of Service Pack 1 in the spring. Well, it looks as if they are going to start providing a small group of Technology Adoption Program customers with Windows Vista SP2 Beta for evaluation next Wednesday, October 29. The final release date for Windows Vista SP2 will be based based on customer and partner feedback from the beta program, so there is no final date for the release for now. Windows Vista SP2 Beta contains previously released fixes focused on addressing specific reliability, performance, and compatibility issues.

A little worrying is that Microsoft says "We expect Windows Vista SP2 will retain compatibility with applications that run on Windows Vista and Windows Vista SP1 and are written using public APIs." I quite agree it should, but what if it doesn't?

From what I have read, Windows Vista SP2 contains changes focused on supporting new types of hardware and adding support for several emerging standards:

• Windows Vista SP2 adds Windows Search 4.0 for faster and improved relevancy in searches.
• Windows Vista SP2 contains the Bluetooth 2.1 Feature Pack supporting the most recent specification for Bluetooth Technology.
• Ability to record data on to Blu-Ray media natively in Windows Vista.
• Adds Windows Connect Now (WCN) to simplify Wi-Fi Configuration.
• Windows Vista SP2 enables the exFAT file system to support UTC timestamps, which allows correct file synchronization across time zones.

SP1 was a huge leap forward. If SP2 delivers the same progression, I think Vista will be what we all wanted it to be in the first place.

I will report back on progress and don’t forget, for now, RS-SQL is tested and runs on Vista SP1 (just not the home editions).

Strategic Partner Conference Survey Complete

2008-10-21T13:32:00.000-07:00

With 60% of the votes now in, I think we can declare the Conference Survey officially closed, as at October 21, 2008.

The results are always very interesting and this year and they have indicated the following headlines:

97% of attendees voted the conference as excellent or very good
90% found the networking to be good, very good or excellent
95% said the knowledge gained was very good or excellent
100% said they increased their knowledge by the end of the show
100% said they would use the information gained

All customers can read/download the complete survey from our user forum. Don't forget, you can also download all the conference materials, both the speaker presentations and the O'Neil Software support presentations.

Thank you for taking the time to provide the feedback we need to continue to improve the conference each year. We are delighted that you enjoyed the conference and look forward to hsoting our next one in Spring 2010.

Motorola Expands Windows Mobile Support for Mobile Computing Customers

2008-10-20T19:37:00.000-07:00

Motorola today announced the availability of the Windows Mobile 6.1 operating system on its rugged mobile computers and enterprise digital assistants to better manage and deploy devices throughout the enterprise. Initial products to support the new platform will include Motorola’s flagship MC9000 rugged mobile computers.

Support for Windows Mobile 6.1 provides Motorola mobile computer customers with enhanced security features including data encryption and support for Microsoft’s System Center Mobile Device Manager 2008 (SCMDM) to simplify security policy creation and deployment to mobile devices. Windows Mobile 6.1 will also provide users with greater access to standardized off-the-shelf applications; improved mobile messaging; increased device control with a variety of device management solutions to wirelessly administer and deploy software upgrades. Windows Mobile 6.1 combined with Motorola mobile computers help to enhance the user experience and improve workforce satisfaction inside the retail store, on the loading dock or on a delivery route.

Support for Windows Mobile 6.1 is expected to be available in the fourth quarter of 2008.

Posted On http://www.motorola.com/mediacenter/news/detail.jsp?globalObjectId=10338_10267_23&pageLocaleId=2026

So what does this mean? Hopefully not too much as this is not the big upgrade/change seen when Microsoft changed from PocketPC to Windows Mobile. However, O'Neil Software will test Windows Mobile 6.1 with it's award winning RSMobile software over the coming weeks, to ensure compatibility.

I will, of course, keep you updated.

An Update from Jim Brennan, CEO, CUSP

2008-10-16T15:51:00.000-07:00

I receive an email from Jim today, giving an outline of what has happened. I am sure that he won't mind me sharing extracts from it with you, to especially show how sudden this all was...

"On Friday we were told by both of our potential Venture Capital investors that they were not prepared to invest in CUSP at this time given the current economic crisis and the uncertainty that a global recession would have on discretionary IT spending, such as PaperTrail. With this information, the Board decided that it could no longer fund CUSP on its own without long term funding in place.

Needless to say I am gutted at this outcome. Over the last two months I have done everything possible to complete this funding. Up to last week the reactions were all very positive and the prospect for one of the two options providing funding very real. Time and circumstance played against all of this and the recent global crisis has takes its toll on CUSP with this result.

The Board has decided to put the software up for sale to attract the best offer over the coming weeks. - Jim Brennan, CEO"

So there it is, the first casualty of the current economic crisis in our industry. Building software and services is an expensive and risky operation, and investors are clearly managing that risk much more carefully now.

I am sure you will all join me in wishing all the team at CUSP the very best of luck in any new ventures they enter.

CUSP Update

2008-10-15T11:39:00.001-07:00

We have all known for some time that the economy is tough, especially in Europe and Ireland, but I have just learned about a casualty in the industry.

It appears that CUSP Point Software notified its partners that it ceased operations and began the process of liquidation, on Monday October 13, 2008. This comes as quite a shock after they just attended our Strategic Partner Conference and all conversations with them were positive. It looks as if the money must have dried up?

As at this moment, their website is down with no information. I will let you know if I hear anything else.

Conference Group Photo Now Available for Download

2008-10-14T12:51:00.001-07:00

What a great time was had by all at the 2008 Strategic Partner Conference ! Entitled, Partnerships, Pacesetters and the Pacific, we certainly managed to encompass all three during the show. If you did not attend, you really missed out. Just look at this excerpt from a comment posted today on our new user forum:

"This years conference was the best yet...I loved the networking and the sharing of ideas."

But don't worry, you can still soak up all the fun by looking at the photo gallery or you can click the following link to enjoy the group photo, shown below. Either way, it was a fabulous experience and we thank each and everyone who was involved.

I love this photo...

Windows 7 to be named...

2008-10-13T18:21:00.000-07:00

Before I tell you, I should share some background... Some while ago, Microsoft announced the successor to Windows Vista was "in development" for an anticipated 2010 release. Now we are all used to Microsoft giving the products codenames in the development phase (for example, Vista was codenamed "Longhorn") so everyone has been waiting to get the announcement of the successor to Vista and I have it... Announced today, the successor will be called: Windows 7 !!

All a bit of an anti-climax really.

Anyhow, if this does interest you, or you simply cannot sleep at night and need some help, you can read more about why it is called this at:

http://windowsvistablog.com/blogs/windowsvista/archive/2008/10/13/introducing-windows-7.aspx or simply keep up-to-date at http://windows7news.com/

PS I should point out that my wife finished her half-marathon in 2 hrs & 1 minute which, I have discovered, is equivalent to 4.5 cups of tea and one Danish pastry !!

Update: From Mike Nash, Windows Vista Blog

"The very first release of Windows was Windows 1.0, the second was Windows 2.0, the third Windows 3.0.

Here's where things get a little more complicated. Following Windows 3.0 was Windows NT which was code versioned as Windows 3.1. Then came Windows 95, which was code versioned as Windows 4.0. Then, Windows 98, 98 SE and Windows Millennium each shipped as 4.0.1998, 4.10.2222, and 4.90.3000, respectively. So we're counting all 9x versions as being 4.0.

Windows 2000 code was 5.0 and then we shipped Windows XP as 5.1, even though it was a major release we didn't' want to change code version numbers to maximize application compatibility.

That brings us to Windows Vista, which is 6.0. So we see Windows 7 as our next logical significant release and 7th in the family of Windows releases.

We learned a lot about using 5.1 for XP and how that helped developers with version checking for API compatibility. We also had the lesson reinforced when we applied the version number in the Windows Vista code as Windows 6.0-- that changing basic version numbers can cause application compatibility issues.

So we decided to ship the Windows 7 code as Windows 6.1 - which is what you will see in the actual version of the product in cmd.exe or computer properties."

Sunday, Starbucks and the Long Beach Half-Marathon

2008-10-12T09:15:00.000-07:00

Now don't get too worried, I haven't changed my habits that much. It's actually my wife who is currently pounding along around Long Beach Harbour competing in their annual half-marathon. And while she is enjoying hearing her feet stamp the pavement (for 13 miles) I thought I would wave her off and then pop into Starbucks to get a cuppa tea and check out how the new on-line user forum is going.

For being active just a couple of weeks, there is already a great amount of information being gathered. Discussions on potential new features, workarounds and enhancements are all under way from our regular members. This is a great way to learn about how others are using RS-SQL, but also to ask others how, or why, they do certain things.

So don't be afraid... why not ask a question today and also see if you can answer or comment on a question about RS-SQL, RSWeb.NET or RSMobile?

Well that took 20 minutes, so I guess I will have time for another cuppa (or two... or three...)

Strategic Partner Conference Photos Now Available

2008-10-10T14:00:00.001-07:00

It's taken a long time to select the best photos (from over 1,000 taken) but I finally did it. You can now enjoy an overview of the entire Strategic Partner Conference, as a slide show, on our website at:

http://www.oneilsoft.com/news/conference/2008/Gallery.shtml

There are 500 photos' so make a coffee, sit back and enjoy!!

Windows XP downgrade deadline extended to July 31, 2009

2008-10-08T18:44:00.000-07:00

Microsoft wasn't quite ready to comment when rumors about yet another reprieve for Windows XP first starting circulating late last week, but that now seems to have changed, with a spokesperson for the company reportedly confirming in an email to InformationWeek that it is indeed pushing the cut-off date back six months, all the way to July 31st, 2009.

According to the spokesperson, that's being done to ensure that customers moving to Vista are "making that transition with confidence and that it is as smooth as possible," adding that, "providing downgrade media for a few more months is part of that commitment."

Or, you know, it could have something to do with the fact that some folks don't want to move to Vista at all. Take your pick.

From Engadget.com. Posted by Donald Melanson, posted Oct 8th 2008 at 5:51PM

RS-SQL, 64-Bit Windows & Vista and my new laptop!

2008-10-06T16:32:00.001-07:00

Last Friday I "inherited" a new laptop. It's a long story related to our Corporate Controller, an urgent Microsoft Great Plains meeting in Las Vegas, and the local Best Buy store... but I will save that for another day.

Needless to say, the new laptop wasn't specified by our support group and so, as I was planning to get a new laptop, it ended up with me. The challenge was that it was running Windows Vista Home Edition and was also a 64-Bit edition. Some changes and loving attention were required over the weekend, if I wanted to use this for future demonstrations...

First thing I did was upgrade the Vista Home Edition to Vista Ultimate. We support RS-SQL on the Ultimate, Enterprise and Business editions of Vista but the price difference was so small (about $20) it made sense just to go straight to the full featured Ultimate Edition. If at all possible, make sure any PC comes with this edition pre-installed because, although it was painless, it took a long time to complete the upgrade.

Next I downloaded the RS-SQL/Vista notes and the 64-Bit Server notes from our website. The most important point for me, at this stage, was checking the SQL Server 2005 installation. My previous laptop, that I use for demonstrations, was running SQL 2000. It was clear that I needed to have at least SQL 2005 to run with Vista. As I am using this for demonstrations only, I felt comfortable downloading the SQL 2005 Express edition from the Microsoft website. I wouldn't recommend using this in a live environment, as it does not come with SQL Server Agent, but it is okay for demonstrations. This downloaded included Service Pack 2 (SP2) so met the minimum specifications for RS-SQL.

Then, I followed our standard instructions to install RS-SQL version 3.06.20, and everything went smoothly. I had fully functioning RS-SQL Operations and Administration programs, but I wasn't finished yet. I was used to my demonstration database, so I wanted to restore it from my old laptop to the new.

To make it easier, I used the database move functionality that was added in RS-SQL version 3.05. I hadn't used this before, although I had read the release notes. The challenge with moving databases is that the users in RS-SQL must exist in the Microsoft SQL Server database. As we encrypt the passwords, in the past, it presented a problem but not now as this is facilitated using the RSSQL Utility program, found in your RSSQL program directory. The steps are detailed in the New Features document for version 3.05. Simply put, on my old laptop I ran the RS-SQL Utility and selected the Prepare RS-SQL Database Move. This saved all the login and user information to a special table, which would be moved with a backup. I then created a full back up of my RS-SQL database, using the SQL Server Management Studio, and copied it to my new laptop.

On the new laptop, I needed to add one more tool. SQL Server Express, by default, doesn't come with the Management Studio component but you can download it directly from Microsoft. This makes a database restore easy. Once installed, I opened the Management Studio, and restored the database from my old laptop. Finally, I ran the RSSQL Utility program and selected the Finalize RS-SQL Database Move option. This ensured that all the login credentials for all my RS-SQL users were now transferred into my new SQL Server database.

All in all, this went very smoothly and was a quick way to setup and get all my RS-SQL data from my old laptop to my new one. Windows Vista did not present any significant challenges and it was also a great way to practice "moving" a database from one server to another, which would be invaluable in a disaster recovery situation.

Conference Wrap...

2008-10-03T11:38:00.001-07:00

Sorry for taking so long to get back to you with the latest news at O'Neil Software. This week has been crazy busy, following up with everything from the Strategic Partner Conference. So let me bring you up-to-date with all the goings on...

The biggest news relates to the final tally on the sponsorship and silent auction amounts for the Share Our Strength Charity. Thanks to everyone involved, I was able to mail out a check today for $23,006.81. This far exceeded our initial goal of raising $10,000 and the charity has asked me to thank everyone. Just by participating in the Record Center Challenge, you contributed to this worthy cause. Your enthusiasm in the Cook-Off, the Tortilla Toss, the Relay Race (have Leo and Ian found the shore yet?) and the "Cheer" was fabulous.

Talking of the Record Center Challenge, I still haven't stopped laughing from Jason's "wiggle-lo" dance. We all wished we had video taped that one but we do have over 1,000 photos from the conference and yes, we have the wiggle-lo. We will post up a gallery shortly on the forum.

Talking of the forum, if you haven't yet noticed, we introduced a new, user forum at the conference. This replaces the Strategic Partner section of our website and creates a more interactive method of communication. This is where I will be posting all our future downloadable content and already available are all the speakers sessions and support info-breaks from the conference. In the spirit of the forum being designed to share information, this year we are making them available to all O'Neil Users, not just the conference attendees. This new forum will allow you to ask questions and discuss how you use the software with other O'Neil Software users. You can reply or comment on almost every topic you find, and there are already 89 topics, so if you haven't taken a look yet, I encourage you to look around and get involved. If every O'Neil User posts just one question and participates in answering one question, that would be a lot of useful information immediately available to everyone.

Finally, the conference survey results are coming in with just over 40% completed. I have posted an interim document that shows the results as at today. I will update this document, as further results come in. If you attended the conference but haven't yet completed the survey, please take 5 minutes to do so. Your feedback is valuable. You can also post additional comments on the Survey Topic on the forum.

Normal service should resume next week but, in the meantime, thanks again for a fabulous conference.

What a Great Three Days...

2008-09-27T06:47:00.000-07:00

WOW!! What can I say. You guys blew me away. This is the 5th Strategic Partner Conference and your enthusiasm made it the best. Not only did I see some of the funniest antics in the Record Center Challenge (I need to record those "cheers") but the networking interaction was simply awesome.

But most importantly, I cannot forget your generosity. We hoped to raise $10,000 for the Share Our Strength charity but, with the final count still to be completed, I know we are over $20,000 !!! I think the huge round of applause for Uncle Bill, when he stepped up and offered $4000 for the golf trip to Ireland, said it all. Worth over $8,000, and very generously donated by CUSP Point Software, he got a bargain but also contributed to a fabulous cause. I would like to extend a huge thanks to each and every one of our Silent Auction winners and, especially all our other Sponsors for their donations:

If you attended, you should have received the Conference Survey via email. Please take the time to complete this and also don't forget to post your first question and/or answer on the new O'Neil Software User Forum. If you had a Strategic Partner Username & Password, it should have been transferred over. If you cannot remember your password, you can simply enter your email address by clicking on the Forgot Your Password link on the login screen. This will allow you reset it.

Only 5 Days, 4 hours and 30 minutes to go...

2008-09-19T11:21:00.001-07:00

All the planning and preparation is coming to a head as the countdown timer on our website relentlessly ticks down to the start of the 2008 Strategic Partner Conference. With over 125 attendees so far, this is going to be a a great fun event and there are lots of changes based on your feedback from previous years. There are still a few spaces open so if your last minute travel plans allow, come join us at the Hyatt Regency, Newport Beach.

Some things to look out for this year include:

The Charity focused "Record Center Challenge"
The Silent Auction, with an amazing prize donated by CUSP Point Software
The Awards Dinner at the Beach
The Networking Opportunities
Seven fabulous Strategic Vendor Partners (our "friends")
Our revised Business Development Strategy: Defend, Extend, Attack!
Triple education tracks on Friday
And, eight wonderful volunteer speakers, who show the true spirit of partnership by volunteering to share their success stories with you.

I almost forgot... did I mention the weather?

Looking forward to seeing you there.

Blogs -v- Newsletters

2008-09-15T13:45:00.001-07:00

If you are visiting this blog, the chances are that you read about it in this month's O'Neil eNewsletter, which I have been writing for the last 90+ months. The eNewsletter has been one of our most successful methods of communication with over 3,000 people on the mailing list. The list is controlled through a 3rd party software (http://www.cooleremail.com/) to ensure that we meet all the requirements of the CAN-SPAM Act of 2003 and we use a double opt-in method for inclusion.

Although the eNewsletter is a great communication tool, it does have its disadvantages:

The first, and probably biggest, is that it is often out-of-date by the the time I distribute it. A piece of news happening at the end of a month will not make it into the eNewsletter until the middle of the following month. This can make some of the content obsolete or, as I prefer to call it, Dead on Arrival.

The second, and probably most difficult to overcome, is the increasing amount of SPAM emails that hit all our in boxes. This means the eNewsletter has to contend with these to get through but also to get your attention. SPAM filters are becoming more aggressive and, as a result many words are considered banned and will block the email. A simple example was the issue where I explained you could get a cigarette lighter adapter to charge your MicroFlash printers while on the road. Due to the amount of tobacco spamming several years ago, the word cigarette is on many black lists in spam filters and, therefore, that newsletter had a very low read rate, as people simply didn't receive it to be able to read it. By changing the name of the part to a printer in-vehicle charging adapter, I could have avoided this issue. With over 90% of emails in the system being SPAM, the eNewsletter will always have its challenges being heard over all the noise.

The third problem is that the eNewsletter is very much a one-way street. With a blog, issues raised can be commented upon directly on the topic raised. This creates a much more inter-active medium.

So this is where the blog, and soon to be announced other tools, come into play. By addressing these three issues I hope to be able to get information to you faster and give you the opportunity to comment on that information. The fact that you are reading this means that we are heading in the right direction. So subscribe to the RSS feed or visit regularly. Over time it will be interesting to see if the Blog will replace the eNewsletter entirely? What do you think?

Instant Information for your drivers with the MC9094K

2008-09-09T15:37:00.000-07:00

When your drivers are out on the road, they won't have access to many of the tools that you have available from your PC. What are local traffic conditions? Where is the nearest gas station? What is the name of the street I need to turn on?

All this can change, however, if you have the Motorola MC9094K, Windows Mobile device in the hands of your drivers. This device is as powerful as a desktop PC and can be used for many other tasks, not just for our award winning RSMobile software.

For example, did you know that you can download and install "Live Search" from Microsoft? Designed to provide you the information that matters most when you’re mobile, and to make it quick and easy to access. This is a fabulous add-on and, best of all, it's free. With this application you can:

Find local businesses, and click to call them
Get turn by turn driving directions
Explore interactive maps with satellite imagery
View current traffic information and find cheap gas stations

All of this without an additional GPS unit and you can use the new speech recognition feature to just say what you are looking for. Interested? You can get this application in 2 ways:

Firstly, visit http://livesearchmobile.com/windows_mobile.htm on your PC and type in your mobile phone number. This will send a link to download the program or just type wls.live.com into your phone's browser and download the program immediately.

Please remember that this application may be data-intensive so ensure you have a suitable data-plan (usually unlimited is the best) with your phone carrier. In the US, AT&T provides an unlimited plan starting at $35.00 per month per device and RSMobile is an AT&T certified solution. Talk to an O'Neil Business Development representative to find out more about the MC9094K and/or the AT&T service.

New On-Line Presentations Now Available

2008-09-08T13:24:00.001-07:00

Education is definitely one of our biggest challenges, especially with so many features in RS-SQL®, RSWeb®.NET and RSMobile® and every year we invest over US$1.4 million in new research and development, so its probably not going to get easier anytime soon. As we continue to look at new ways to get content to you, we have included on our website some internal PowerPoint documents, mostly used to train our staff on new features in RS-SQL Version 3.06. Our thought is that we should share as many of these presentations as possible, so you can undertake training internally or just brush-up on features you are already familiar with.

The presentations added this month cover the following topics:

Barcode Lengths
Model Users
The Prefix & Suffix Feature
Priority Services
Unit Volume Billing
Workorder Close Feature

You can download the presentations from the Education section of our website at: http://www.oneilsoft.com/express/internet.shtml Please note that these are not instructor-led courses, such as the O'Neil EXPRESS courses available from the same section of our website. These are documents for self-study.

To view or download content from our website, you will need a Strategic Partner username and password. You can register at: http://www.oneilsoft.com/support/register.shtml

End of Life Announcements

2008-09-05T08:53:00.001-07:00

I suppose every good thing comes to an end but, fortunately, we often get plenty of advanced warning. That is the case with some of the third-party products we use to add-value to our RS-SQL, RSWeb.NET or RSMobile software packages. This month we received an updated End-of-Life schedule for several of the Motorola (formerly Symbol Technologies) Mobile Devices.

Motorola are constantly updating their range of mobile devices to keep up with technology advancements or legislation. An example of a technology upgrade involved the MC9060 devices, which ceased sales in April 2007 and were replaced by the newer MC9090's. Support for the MC9060 devices will continue, however, until the end of June 2012. A recent example of the introduction of new legislation, was the "Removal of Hazardous Substances (RoHS)" European Directive. This has meant that many of the newer devices have a new designator at the end of their part number. For example, model # MC9090-GF0HJEFA6WW has become MC9090-GF0HJEFA6WR but there is no significant difference to the unit.

You can always keep up-to-date with these announcements, simply by visiting http://www.oneilsoft.com/partner/endofsale.shtml. You will require a Strategic Partner username & password to access this content, which can be obtained at: http://www.oneilsoft.com/support/register.shtml

Google to launch web browser

2008-09-01T18:50:00.000-07:00

Well it looks as if Google are still more than willing to change the way we do things, challenging traditional methods every step of the way. I just learned that they are now launching a browser tomorrow to compete with Microsoft and Firefox. This is interesting as Netscape recently folded up their browser, so maybe Google saw this as the perfect time? "We realised... we needed to completely rethink the browser," said Google's Sundar Pichai in a blog post. Or maybe not quite….

What he didn’t say was that this news wasn’t supposed to be released yet but, as the cat is out of the bag, the official statement will come tomorrow. In a quick follow up to Sundars’ blog post, Google stated: “we hit ‘send’ a bit early on a comic book introducing our new open source browser, Google Chrome. As we believe in access to information for everyone, we've now made the comic publicly available -- you can find it at http://books.google.com/books?id=8UsqHohwwVYC&printsec=frontcover. We will be launching the beta version of Google Chrome tomorrow in more than 100 countries.”

So what will Google Chrome bring? A more integrated approach to web applications, providing a “desktop” experience? I guess we will find out soon.

In the meantime, you can read more at http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2008/09/fresh-take-on-browser.html

Strategic Partner Conference Update

2008-08-28T16:57:00.001-07:00

According to the countdown timer I placed on our website, we have just over 26 days to go until the start of the Strategic Partner Conference. It's a very exciting time and I can assure you that there is a flurry of activity here at O'Neil. Today I was fortunate enough to be able to sit in on some of the preparations for the support info-breaks. For those of you who have not attended a previous conference, the info-breaks are 15 minute sessions that introduce you to features within the software. No tech-speak. No nonsense. Just fast, succinct information. Of course, if you want to know more, you have plenty of time to go to the on-site support desk to get more information, but I digress, as always.... The point I was trying to make is that every support technician is contributing and creating some great content, that will be shared with all attendees. And this is one of the hidden values of attending. You get to come away with some great content that you can share internally with your teams to spread the news about new, and not so new, features.

Spaces are filling quickly (we are over 80% sold) and the hotel needs to receive your registrations by September 2nd in order for you to get the discounted room rate. Contact the Hyatt Regency, Newport Beach, California on: 1-800 233-1234 (International: +1 (949) 729-1234) or online at: http://newportbeach.hyatt.com/. Be sure to mention, or enter online, our Group code "G-Neil" to secure the conference room rate of $189.00.

And don't forget to register for the conference at: http://www.oneilsoft.com/news/conference/registration2008.shtml

Looking forward to seeing you there.

Ian

Welcome

2008-08-25T17:07:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the O’Neil Software blog! I’m so excited to publish this initial post and, especially, to have a place to share my thoughts, ideas, observations and comments. Those of you who already know me have seen my passion for the industry, for our customers and know why I refer to them as Strategic Partners. If I have not had the pleasure of meeting you at one of the industry conferences, then I hope this blog will provide an introduction to me and the rest of the O’Neil team. I also hope to help familiarize you with a particular issue via a monthly topic, or more frequently if the need arises, and give you an opportunity to share your feedback, insights, and experiences on that topic.

Currently I share information through a monthly eNewsletter sent to over 3,800 recipients. For over 90 months this has been my primary vehicle for communicating with you, but it is very one-dimensional. This blog will help change that, as it allows feedback and is more timely, but it is not the only change. At our Strategic Partner Conference, being held at the Hyatt Regency, Newport Beach, California from September 24 to 26, I will be announcing further collaboration efforts that will allow O'Neil Software to include our 1000+ registered, website users in regular discussions.

The message I want to send is clear: I really want to hear from you. Tell me what’s on your mind by commenting on this blog, and I will address your questions, concerns, and issues in future posts (and occasionally by responding directly).

I look forward to a great dialogue with you!

Sincerely,

Ian Thomas