August 2002
onTOPS
Welcome to onTOPS, an e-zine produced by TOPS Software to keep
you informed about our products and services. In this issue, we
will be talking about TOPS Community Web Sites, a panel discussion
that we will be participating in at the upcoming CAI conference,
our new training center, and more!
We look forward to hearing your feedback about the e-zine. Please
let us know what things you liked, what you would like to see, and
any suggested articles by e-mailing us at Ezines@TOPSSoft.com
by Andrea Drennen
onSoftware
The heat of the summer is upon us, and during the hot month of
August, the best way to keep cool is to stay indoors in the cool
air conditioning. Your owners are staying inside too, engaged in
the age-old pastime of surfing the net. Why not give them a summer
to remember with a new community web site?
TOPS Community Web Sites are now better than ever with a plethora
of information being uploaded from TOPS 2000™, including owner
balances and last payment information, CC&R records, ACC requests,
and Work Orders.
One of the newest features we have added is the ability to upload
reports from TOPS directly to your web site. Do this simply by printing
financial reports in TOPS using the "Export to Web" function.
TOPS 2000™ provides a simple-to-use web report interface that
allows you to choose which reports to upload, and what attachment
to include. Reports are exported into an HTML format and uploaded
to your web site right from the web reports screen. Finally, your
Board members can access important information anytime!
Another feature that board members will love is the new "View
Account Info" option. Board members can look up any owner in
the address book, click View Account Info, and instantly see the
owner's current balance, and more. This feature can also be used
by on-site managers to quickly access owner information.
So what are you waiting for? With all of these reasons to have
a TOPS Community Web Site, the only thing holding you back is you!
Contact Matt Meiklejohn at WebSales@TOPSSoft.com
to get a TOPS Community Web Site today, or visit http://www.TOPSHome.net
for more information and to see a live demo.
by Andrea Drennen
onSales
A number of trade shows and user events are coming up in the near
future. If you are in the area for any of the events below, please
stop by and see us.
Bruce Gran and Ryan Allen will be traveling to Anaheim, CA to exhibit
at the California Association of Community Managers (CACM) trade
show. The show is August 14 through August 15, 2002, at the Disneyland
Hotel Convention Center, booth #99. We will be giving away a Palm
Pilot at this show, so if you are in California for the show, come
by and visit us. The theme for this year's show is "See the
USA". You can read more about the show at the CACM web site:
http://www.CACM.org
A relatively new forum is TOPS User Groups. Monday, August 19,
2002 Ryan Allen will be participating in an user group to be held
in Las Vegas, NV. Bruce Gran will be participating in a user group
to be held in Phoenix, AZ Tuesday August 20, 2002.
Bruce Gran will be exhibiting at the Orlando CAI Day, September
24, 2002. Our booth assignment will be announced on our web site
shortly. Additionally, Bruce Gran may be a presenter at this conference.
We will announce further information as it becomes available on
our trade show page: www.TOPSSoft.com/sales/trade_shows.htm.
Mark your calendar to join us at the CAI Community Leadership Forum
in Orlando, Florida. The show is scheduled for October 24 through
October 26, 2002 at the Walt Disney World resort. Visit CAI's web
site for further information on the conference: http://www.CAIOnline.org/events/conference/index.cfm.
In addition to a booth on the trade show floor, we will be participating
in a panel discussion on October 26 at 9:00 am. Bruce Gran, Susan
Sanders from AtHomeNet, and William Owens, CPA will be the speakers
for the panel. The topic is "Getting the Most Out of Technology".
Our key points will include information on how to use your current
technology more effectively through the use of software automation,
web sites, and e-mail. We will also be discussing what the future
holds for the property management industry, specifically online
community management.
by Bruce Gran
onSupport
The Clearwater Training Center is now open on the west coast of
Florida. We are offering individual training for up to 4 people
at a time in our new center. We will customize the program to suit
your needs and answer questions that you have. We can even create
additional reports, set up a new community, or review a community
you are struggling with on your own.
This opportunity is available to any TOPS 2000™ clients.
We offer a full day session for $800, or a half-day session for
$500 for all 4 people. If you want to use your data, all you have
to do is zip the files and e-mail them to us prior to your visit.
Any specific questions or issues you want examined can be emailed
to us one week prior, and the training materials will be custom
designed to deal with those problems.
We are conveniently located in Clearwater, Florida and training
is available Monday through Friday. If you would like more information
or wish to check on date availability, e-mail Training@TOPSSoft.com,
and we will be happy to answer any questions you have. we look forward
to meeting you, and finding specific ways to make your job easier
and more efficient. If you can get things done faster, you will
have more time to do the other things that you need to get "a
round tuit"!
by Cathy Flynn
onSpecial
Upgrade your support plan and
receive a 20% discount for the first month. This offer only available
until October 1, 2002.
With summer coming to an end, the busy season will
be soon upon us. There are many functions in TOPS 2000™ that
are often done once a year, such as creating coupon books, entry
of budget information, and year-end closing. Don't get caught off
guard!
If you have high overage times, upgrading your support
plan to a longer allowed time can actually help lower your monthly
support costs. Upgrading to the premium level support plan can eliminate
overage costs altogether! Premium level support customers also receive
preferred callbacks, ensuring a quick response to your support needs.
TOPS is offering a special on support plan upgrades. Receive 20%
off the first month if you upgrade your current support plan by
October 1st. You can't go wrong with this offer. Upgrade your support
plan today to take advantage of this great offer!
by Ryan Allen
onLine
Some of the new items online at wWW.TOPSSoft.com:
- New Press Releases Added: We have added three press
releases to the Articles section. Learn all about TOPS 2000™
version 3.1, Job Streaming, and The New Training Facility.
- System Requirements Updated: We have updated the system
requirements on our web site for both TOPS
2000™ and TOPS
On-Site™. The new requirements reflect all of the new
technologies now available in TOPS.
- New Training Facility Opened: In response to customer
demand, TOPS Software has opened a training facility in our Clearwater,
Florida office. The new facility is available for customized training
of up to 4 individuals at a time. Read more about it on our Training
Page.
- In the Spotlight: We have added two new bio's to the
Spotlight section. Learn all about Julia Noalis and Martin Klueck.
You can also see what they and our other employees look like in
our Employee Gallery.
- E-zines Added to Articles: The July issues of the TOPS
Home and onTOPS e-zines have been added to the Articles
section.
- Customer Survey Added: We want to know your opinions
of our products and services. Please take a few moments to complete
our new online customer
survey. Your answers will be used to help us improve our products
and services. Results will be tallied in a future version of The
TOPS News.
- TOPS Forums Added: Our new Message
Board Forums will enable you to communicate with TOPS employees,
dealers, trainers, and other customers. Sign up for a local account
to join our online community.
by Andrea Drennen
onTopic
Did You Know:
"scot-free," as it turns out, has absolutely nothing
to do with Scotland or the Scottish people. The "scot"
in question comes from the Old English word "sceot," meaning
a tax or penalty. As long as there have been taxes there have been
tax evaders, and anyone who managed to avoid the tax collector got
away "scot-free." Gradually the term came to mean one
who escapes any rightly deserved payment or punishment.
From www.word-detective.com
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