onTOPS EZine

Best Fit Solutions, LLC provides TOPS v3.2.1™ training & accounting services. On-site or Internet-based training services available. Learn more at www.bestfitsolutions.net, or call 281-870-0404.

Use www.ReadyDOCS.com to sell documents online and turn Process into Profit. Contact us at (888) 497-8832 to find out how!

ReadyCollect integrates with TOPS Software to provide a complete collections process when accounts are turned over to your attorney. Visit www.ReadyCollect.com for more information on this money-saving program.

TOPS Corporate Trainer now provides training on your site or via the Internet! Our corporate trainer, Dave Black, has years of experience training in TOPS Software products. To schedule a training session:
Toll-Free: 1-800-760-9966
Email: davidb@topssoft.com

The TOPS Internet Backup Service allows you to automatically back up your important TOPS Community Data from right inside TOPS v3.2.1™! For More Info, see www.topsbackup.com.

If you have not yet checked out TOPS' Online Customer Care Center , do it today! You can purchase add-ons, see your current support usage minutes, review past tickets, see what tickets are open for your organization, and even pay your support bill online! All you need to do is know your TOPS Client ID and fill in a one-time sign-up form.

Helpful Links:

TOPS v3.2.1
TOPS On-Site
Internet Backup
TOPS Web Sites
Web Site Support
TOPS Corporate
Customer Care Center

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The onTOPS Ezine is published by TOPS Software, LLC., 364-C Christopher Avenue, Gaithersbug, MD 20879.

Articles from TOPS Software:

Welcome to onTOPS!

Welcome to the 50th issue of the onTOPS Ezine! Our online email magazine has now spanned 5 years of helpful articles about the products and services from TOPS Software. You can review past issues of the onTOPS Ezine on our web site: www.topssoft.com.

This occasion also marks a new chapter in the history of TOPS Software. For the past 12 years we have published a quarterly printed newsletter, The TOPS News. Over the past 5 years, this newsletter has been printed in addition to the regular articles and monthly updates that are released via the onTOPS Ezine. One of the main challenges we have faced with the printed format is that due to the amount of time it takes to get a newsletter printed and then into the hands of the customer, the news is already stale by the time it reaches the reader. The online format, on the other hand, is more quickly distributed and more easily updateable as information changes, making it the ideal format for disseminating timely information. Therefore, we have decided to take the final step to fully move into the digital age. The TOPS News printed newsletter will now be merged into the monthly onTOPS ezine. Welcome to the next chapter of TOPS Software.

We hope you enjoy reading this issue. Please send your feedback to: insider@topssoft.com

Chicago User Group Report

I am sitting on the tarmac in Chicago during a near blizzard trying to get back to sunny Florida after our first User Group of the year, which was held on March 1st. Unfortunately, some folks from Minneapolis and Milwaukee could not make it due to the snow storms. But despite the weather, we had upwards of 63 people who were able to attend.

Because of the reduction in the number of attendees, it was a cozy atmosphere with all of our attendees getting to know each other and our presenters. A great time was had by all!

[More]

CAI's National Conference and Exhibition

Mark your calendars! The CAI National Conference and Exhibition is April 25 to April 28, 2007 in Las Vegas. TOPS Software is proud to be the longest exhibiting vendor; please visit us at booth #304. Besides a new booth design, we are going to be showing a sneak peak of our Viper project, which will be the next generation of TOPS Software products. TOPS is also a co-sponsor, along with The Flood Company, of the PCAM Reception on Thursday evening just prior to the Nevada Chapter Party. For more information, please visit www.caionline.org.

April Course at TOPS U

Our course for April will be ACCNT-303, The Collections Process, on Wednesday April 11, 2007. In this course we will review the collection process and cover the steps needed to set up the collection module parameters. In addition we will highlight items that should be considered when setting up the collection process.

[More]

Registration is due by April 04, 2007, so respond now to register! The registration form and additional details are available at www.topsuniversity.com

From the President: High Tech or High Gloss?

You hear this mantra all the time; you need to employ the latest technology to be successful in business. To be cutting edge is good for business. Is this true or is it a myth? Let's explore this idea a little further to see if we can put the technology question in perspective...

[More]

7 Reasons Why Your Business Bank Should Have a Local Presence

Many associations are being solicited by "national" banks that offer services to community associations, but do not have a local presence in their community. They are interested in signing up customers for the specialized services, like lockbox, ACH, and loans.

But do these banks understand the business conditions and localized needs of the management business and their associations?

[More]

Eve 'n You Can Export Reports to Excel Format

TOPS Love, LOVE, LOVES Excel

Once upon a time, there was a mean tech Eve. She was a BAD tech, who only said NO to clients calling in asking how to send our TOPS reports to Excel. Now we at TOPS know you all adore our available reports but sometimes you just wanna... create. Right???

Ok, so here's the scoop: I honestly don't know how long I was unaware of this ability, but one day a little Greek bird, who we will call, um, Eros (the God of Love), to protect his identity, told me a secret.

[More]

Use Your Community Web Site Address Book as a Management Tool

Did you know that, along with all the other great features included in the TOPS association web site service, you can use your community web site "Address Book" of owner information as an excellent resource and tracking system for your homeowners?

[More]

New Login Request Matching Feature

We have a brand new feature for customers who receive a large number of login request forms. This feature allows the web site administrator to review login requests online, and automatically match them to existing records preloaded onto the web site from TOPS v3.2.1™.

[More]

New Way to Prevent Bouncebacks on Community Web Site Mass Emails

With SPAM reaching seemingly limitless levels, new technologies are being developed in order to control the amount of SPAM end users receive. One of these new technologies is Sender Policy Framework (SPF). SPF allows software to identify and reject forged addresses, a typical nuisance in e-mail spam.

[More]

New Corporate Partners

TOPS Software is proud to announce the addition of three new corporate partners: Optimal Outsource, Rockland Trust, and eReserves. Read on about these quality Association industry service providers.

[More]

Daylight Savings Time

As you should have discovered by now, this year daylight savings time commenced on March 11th 2007 and lasts through the first Sunday in November. This is a new starting date and as such most time sensitive devices such as: computers, cell phones, hand helds, etc. will not know that there has been a change in this date. This does NOT APPLY to any products from TOPS Software. However, you may need to update your operating system. Microsoft has put out a software update for this, so we suggest visiting their website at http://support.microsoft.com/gp/cp_dst for more information. As for your other devices you will have to manually set them or contact the manufacturer for more information regarding the changes to Daylight Savings Time.

TOPS Program Updates:

How to Update Your Files

TOPS v3.2.1™>

- Corrected an issue in Form Letter that would only allow a printer to be chosen once per letter.

- Corrected the Owners Summary and Collection report to print over 120 different accounts with yearly accounting turned on.

- ReadyResale now allows the user to elect to upload to a single community

- Updated the import and export utility to perform better both to and from TOPS v3.2.1™ and TOPS On-Site™.

- Corrected a very rare issue that would cause owner notes to incorrectly save to a different owner when the user clicked the back and next note buttons repeatedly, then edited a note, then saved, then continued to go back and forth between notes.

- When printing for prior years, the GL trial balance report will now show the correct beginning balance as of that year.

- Moved the Direct Debit totals field to the top of the screen for easier readability.

- Improved communication between Architectural and Accounts Receivable modules for customers using yearly accounting.

- Corrected Balance column in statements, tear off 8.5 X 11.

View More Updates >>

BETA Products >

Calendar

- Added 5 reports to Calendar: Daily, Weekly, Monthly, Detail, and Task Log.

- Added the ability to import and export calendar events in the CSV standard format to or from Outlook or any other calendar program.

- Added ability to print a single event.

- Added column sorting to Task Log.
Added Holiday settings to preferences.

- Users may now choose between a range of holiday calendars.
Added at-a-glance color coding and icons to preferences for Cancelled and Completed events.

Unlimited Flex Data

- Added the new Unlimited Flex data fields to Form Letter.

The above products are available in Public Beta format for our customers. If you are interested in testing a new TOPS product, please complete the sign in form here.

TOPS MaintCo>

- Added code to check for new WO in communities after initial upload to MaintCo.

- Added new format for invoices in MaintCo.

View More Updates >

TOPS Interactive Web Sites>

- Added a new Login Request Matching Feature that allows administrators to match and approve login requests from the web site and automatically send an email to the requestor with their login name and password. [More]

- Added a new tab to the Account Info screen: "Visitor Passes". This tab allows users of the Gate Security module of TOPS v3.2.1™ to upload visitor gate passes for owner review. The "Vehicle Pass" tab has also been renamed to "Vehicles"

- A new email method is available to help prevent bouncebacks on mass emails sent from the eBulletins feature on the community web site. [More]

- The First Name and Last Name fields on the "Forgot Login" feature may now be disabled, leaving only the email address field. Please send an email to websupport@topssoft.com if you would like these fields disabled.

- The primary phone number on the User Profile is now synchronized back into TOPS v3.2.1™ when an upload is performed.

- Updated the Online AP Approval so that the vendor name is now included on the Pending Invoices, Fully Approved Invoices, and the Disapproved Invoices tabs on the web site.

- Made an adjustment to the way an owner's 12-month history is displayed on the web site so that items spanning multiple lines do not display a .00 balance.

- Checkboxes will now be displayed as checkboxes in the email received by eform recipients. (as opposed to the words True or False)

- Corrected some formatting on the FAQ feature.

View More Updates >>

Contact TOPS Software:

Software Sales - 800.760.9966
Web Site Sales - 800.556.7852
Tech Support - 800.899.5689 ext1
Web Support - 800.899.5689 ext2
Backup Service - 800.899.5689 ext2
Billing Questions - 301.869.8144

onTOPS eZine - an email magazine about TOPS Software's products and services.

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