onTOPS

Welcome to onTOPS, an e-zine produced by TOPS Software to keep you informed about our products and services.

First, we want to take a quick opportunity to wish Jeff Hardy a Happy Birthday! He is celebrating his 14th birthday on February 29th.

Boy, do we have news for you this month! By way of this issue, we are officially releasing our new Digital Signature program. Read all about it in Jeff Hardy's article onSpecial. In addition to this new program, Nicole Beal also talks about two other fresh releases in onSales. Next, Cyndi Sanders tells us all about the new online payment interface for TOPS Interactive Web Sites in onLine. Finally, check the onTheUpdater section for a listing of the new features added to TOPS 2000™ program files during February.

On top of all these new products, we have a number of other helpful and interesting articles that are sure to please. So let's get to it! As always, enjoy your reading, and we will see you next month!

TOPS Sales:        (800) 770-9966             Sales@topssoft.com.
TOPS Support      (800) 899-5689             Support@topssoft.com.

by Andrea Drennen 

onSpecial

This Month on Special

Introducing Digital A/P Signatures
Buy Now at Special Limited Introductory Price

TOPS Software is proud to announce the limited release of a new capability—Digital Signatures for A/P checks. Digital Signatures is a quick, easy and secure way to print pre-signed A/P Checks.

How Digital Signatures Work

Set up is easy! TOPS will send you a signature card set, which each authorized signer must sign. You will send the signatures back to TOPS, where we scan and encrypt them and return them to you in a digital format.

Digital signatures are used with the TOPS MICR Check Printing system so the check is produced complete with the authorized signature printed on them, eliminating the need to walk printed checks around to get them signed. It can even handle printing two signatures, where required, or a combination of a digital signature and an actual signature. Checks are printed ready to send to the vendors with the appropriate signatures no matter whether the authorized signer(s) are in the office or not.

No more sending checks to board members to sign and incurring late fees or penalties if they don't sign on time. Simply get their permission to use their digital signature on normal or recurring expenses, like utility bills, and have their signature print right on the checks. Imagine the savings in time, effort, and costs!

Security Measures

The Digital Signatures are secure, with redundant security systems, which help insure that no unauthorized person prints a fraudulent check.

• Digital signatures have graphic encryption algorithms so that no one can "steal" a signature and use it outside the TOPS program. Only TOPS 2000™ can correctly interpret the encrypted signatures.
• Due to our graphic encryption, signature files may not be opened in a graphics program and 'altered' in any way. If files are altered, TOPS 2000™ recognizes this change and marks the signature file as invalid.
• Each person who is authorized to print A/P checks has a Pin # which is required in order to print checks with digital signatures. The Pin # must be entered correctly each time checks are printed in TOPS 2000™. Users who do not have the correct Pin # cannot print checks with the digital signatures.
• Just like regular checks, two Digital Signatures can be printed on a check or a combination of a Digital Signature and an actual signature.

Pricing Format

Digital A/P Signatures is a new product that is being offered at a special pricing. The price includes the new programs plus up to 10 scanned signatures. Additional scanned signatures are available at an additional price. TOPS must scan the signatures for you so we can encrypt them for security purposes and control the exact size and density of the signature bitmap files. The price for this exciting new product is as follows:

• Limited Introductory Price - $395.00
  Limited to the first five customers or March 31, 2004, whichever occurs first.
• Introductory Price - $595.00
  Pricing effective from April 1, 2004 through June 30, 2004
• Regular Price - $795.00
  The full pricing goes into effect on July 1, 2004.

Don't delay! Order this time and money saving new capability immediately to take advantage of this special pricing. Call Nicole or Bruce at 1-800-760-9966 or email sales@topssoft.com.

Jeffrey S Hardy 

onSoftware

Insurance for Your Important Data

If something happens to your computers or other office equipment, you have insurance to cover your loss, but what about the data that was stored in those computers? There's insurance for your health, for your car, your home, your office, theft, fire, flood, liability, so many different kinds of insurance, it's hard to keep count. What about insurance for your data?

If something happens to your important association data, if it becomes lost, deleted, or corrupt, what would you do? That's where the TOPS Internet Backup Service comes in; it's your insurance policy for your key TOPS data. All you need to do, to ensure that a safe, secure copy of your TOPS data is stored for you, is go to www.topsbackup.com and sign up for TOPS Internet Backup Service. The backup that you create using the TOPS Internet Backup Service is your insurance against data loss.

The beautiful thing about this service is that you don't have to stop with one backup. You can backup your data monthly, weekly, or daily, so that should you need to recover it, it will be as current as the data you lost. You can even overwrite old backups, so that you only have the most recent data stored! For more information, or to sign up for the TOPS Internet Backup Service, go to www.topsbackup.com. Don't get caught unprepared. Back up your data.

Nicole Beal 

onTheUpdater

TOPS 2000™ Updates

Please be advised that the Internet Updater is restricted to customers on a current maintenance support agreement. If you are interested in our support plans, please go to http://www.topssoft.com/Support/MSA_plans.htm.

The following updates were added to the TOPS 2000™ Internet Updater in February:

1. Added new detail or summary option for consolidated group owner statements.
2. Service Request will now fill in missing close dates.
3. A utility has been added to the TOPS Mobile PDA to allow users to set the master Palm folder.
4. Form Letter Manager has been altered to correctly display letter names when multiple letters are copied to multiple letter slots.
5. More than two form letters may now be associated with actions in the CCR module.
6. Options for Digital Signatures, and Windows Payroll have been added to the TOPS 2000 menu structure.
7. Added new scheduler that encompasses all Internet Services, including web sites, Internet backup, and Internet Updater.
8. Updated the uploader for web site service to give better reporting and keep logs of the files.
9. Upload options for web site service have been made simpler and easier to manage (more user friendly).
10. Added the ability to define a separate IP address for each community in web site service.

How to Update Your Files

1. Make sure you are logged into the computer that will be performing the update. (If you are updating in a networked environment, update the server first, as a workstation, and then run the update on each workstation.)
2. If it is open, close TOPS on your computer.
3. Connect to the Internet and navigate to www.topssoft.com/Downloads.
4. Under "Program Updates" click the GO button.
5. Click Open, to run the update from the current location.
6. When the TOPS Web Updater appears, click the down arrow next to 'Select Module to Check' and Choose TOPS 2000.
7. On the bottom right, ensure that the "Workstation Only" option is selected.
8. Click the "Begin Update" button. (The system may prompt you for a User ID. If so, enter in your TOPS Customer ID)
9. Once the update is complete, you can close this window and re-open TOPS 2000T.

TOPS Programming Department 

onSales

New products! New products!

New Scheduler

We have a brand new scheduler for the TOPS Internet Services. This scheduler is so smart; you can program it to update your TOPS Community Web Sites, backup your data using the TOPS Internet Backup Service, upload data to CondoCerts, or update your TOPS 2000™ program files automatically. With the new scheduler, if you don't want to upload the data for all of your associations in one shot, you don't have to. You can schedule which associations' data gets uploaded on which dates and times. You can even use the scheduler to reboot your computer between uploads, or at a certain time every night!

Payroll for Windows

Payroll for Windows!!!! That's right; Payroll for Windows is here. Our programmers have been working diligently on the Payroll for Windows module and it is finally complete. If you have not previously been using the DOS Payroll you can purchase Payroll for Windows now. If you are an existing TOPS customer and have been using the DOS Payroll module, you will receive Payroll for Windows at no charge! Programming is putting the finishing touches on the data conversion utility. Once that is complete we will be sending out the Windows Payroll module update to all DOS Payroll users.

2004 Trade Show Schedule

The following is our current trade show schedule for 2004. The events below are subject to change, and a number of events will likely be added as the season gets under way.

• Feb 29: CAI Washington Metro Chapter (WMCCAI); Washington D.C.
• Mar 5: CAI Suncoast Chapter; Clearwater, FL
• April 27: CAI Rocky Mountain Chapter; Denver, CO
• May 14: CAI Goldcoast Golf Event; West Palm Beach, FL
• May 20-22: CAI's 53rd National Conference & Exhibition; San Diego, CA
• Aug 12: CAI Dallas Chapter; Dallas, TX
• Oct 15: CAI Houston Chapter; Houston, TX

Nicole Beal 

onSupport

Invoicing for Charges: Invoices or Statements?

Invoicing for charges in TOPS 2000T can be done several different ways. You may choose from payment coupons, invoices, statements, or a combination of the three. When using the invoices and statements options, there is the need to show the charges on the owner's account prior to the charges being actually applied to the account. This article will explain how this is done.

Charges can be shown on the invoice or statement with out the charge being applied to the account. When printing invoices or statements through the AR, Bills and Coupons, Bills section of the program there are two options, 'Statements' and 'Invoices'.

Using Statements

The statement will show a beginning balance as of a start date, and include all activity on the account until the end date. There is an option to "Include future charges". This feature will look at the recurring charge table and include the upcoming charges on the statement.

Using Invoices

Invoices always include the future charges. The invoice will show a homeowners balance as of a cut off date. Then include next period's charges. It is important to use this function and not apply assessments in advance.

Applying assessments in advance can cause problems in the accounts receivables. If changes are applied in advance, and cash receipts are then made on that account prior to the future date that the assessment was applied for, negative amounts will appear on the delinquency report. Using the 'Include future charges' or 'Invoices' options will help prevent this type of problem.

Ryan Allen

onTheSpot

Premier Community Management; Tarpon Springs, Florida

Premier Community Management was created to provide a full slate of services to the Association Industry. Premier provides Management, Server based Accounting, Consulting and Web site development, Real Estate sales, Mobile Home sales and Seasonal Rentals. Premier specializes in providing these services to Common Interest Developments. Our primary growth has been specializing in Cooperatives i.e.: resident owned retirement communities.

There were numerous reasons for choosing the TOPS Interactive Web Site Service. For example, the format is easy for the customer and the staff to learn and navigate within the site and provides them with the tools to make changes and keep the web site current without waiting for a web-master to make the requested changes. Some of the more valuable features include the residents account history and balance information, CC&R violation records, Architectural approval requests and the various e-forms, which have assisted us in reducing overhead and improving efficiency in the community operations.

The web sites have improved our ability to communicate to the residents and are an important service for the seasonal residents to stay informed about current events within the community and to voice their opinions while they are away. We have found the web sites are another effective way to create more involvement in the community through the various features that are available to the residents on the web sites.

The TOPS Interactive Web Site Service is assisting in the growth of our company by enhancing our image and providing us a competitive advantage in the marketplace as well as demonstrating our commitment to provide state of the art services to our customer base.

Brett Schroder,
Premier Community Management 
http://www.premiercm.com

onLine

Online Payments Now Available

TOPS now offers the ability for clients to accept online payments on their company and community web sites! You'll be able to collect association dues, payments for renting the clubhouse, fees for clubs and social events, and even payments from vendors for classified ads!

The system accepts ACH/E-Checks and Visa/Master Card, and is accessed through a secure server to protect the homeowner's privacy. The payment system will interface directly with your TOPS 2000™ software, so payments can be easily loaded into the TOPS 2000™ Accounts Receivable module. This service is offered in partnership with eRentPayer and has no set-up fees, no monthly fees and no minimum amounts that have to flow through the account.

Once an application is signed with eRentPayer - it takes about two weeks to process it and get set up. When the application is approved, TOPS takes care of adding a payment interface to the client web site. This agreement will establish a merchant account for your company or association. What is nice about this application is that there are no personal guarantees needed!

How it works:

Anyone can pay you by going to your web site and clicking on the Make Payment link. They will then be prompted to create a profile. As part of their set-up, they'll be prompted to enter information such as their address and what credit card / bank account they'll be using to pay their bills. They can enter more than one account so they'll have flexibility in making payments and even have the ability to sign up for recurring charges!

They will also enter in an email address because each time they use the system, they will receive a transaction confirmation via email.

You are notified of transactions by:

• logging into your eRentPayer account and viewing history
• email each time a transaction occurs
• itemized direct deposit statements for reconciliation
• electronic delivery of "lock box" style transaction file

Pricing:

• Set Up Fee: $0
• Monthly Maintenance Fee: $0
• Minimum Monthly $ Amount of Transactions: $0
• Transaction Fees: (can be charged to payer or absorbed by company/association)
  • ACH / Direct Debit - $2
  • Credit Card - $2 plus 3%

If the monies need to be paid to an association bank account, (i.e., clubhouse rentals, dues, etc.) then in addition to the management company, each association needs to fill out an application so they too can have a merchant bank account set up. To sign up now, contact us at websales@topshome.com or fill out the applications, located on our downloads page:
www.topshome.com/topshome/Administrators/downloads.htm.

NOTE: This new online payment system will only work with the TOPS Interactive web site service. If you are interested in getting a TOPS Interactive Web Site for your organization, please contact Cyndi or Susan at 1-800-556-7852 or via email at websales@topshome.com.

Cyndi Sanders

offTopic

You Never Know What You'll Find on Ebay: 

Some of the really strange things people have put up for auction on Ebay:

• A Book that teaches one how to knit with their dog's shed fur
• The meaning of Life
• A jar with a ghost in it
• Hughes AIM-4D Falcon Missile
• Vials of pool water from the TV show, Melrose Place
• A link to the buyers web site
• 50 pound PDA sculpture, made of butter
• A pile of naked barbie dolls
• A glass eye

www.WhatTheHeck.com 

onCall

Here is a list of some of the most common contact data for TOPS Software:

Designed by Property Management Systems Inc., d.b.a. TOPS Software. Copyright© 2001-2004 Property Management Systems, Inc., 364-C Christopher Ave, Gaithersburg, MD 20879. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

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