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From the President: Evolving into the Future

The future of all software applications, including TOPS, is changing to adapt to the ever-changing workplace environment. People are no longer restricted to their workstations in the office, they are working at home, in their cars, in hotel rooms and conference rooms, walking around the communities they manage, or even via WiFi at the downtown deli or in the park.

Several years ago, TOPS Software recognized this trend, and began to implement a plan to accommodate this new global work environment. Our new TOPS v3.2.1™ contains many new components developed especially to respond to this new breed of user, such as Attachments, Batch CC&R Processing, PDF Exporting, Phone Messenger, Task Manager, Job Streaming, Global AP, and Email Functionality.

TOPS Software has actually been offering several web-based applications for quite some time now. TOPS was the leader in offering the association management industry an interface between community web sites and their accounting software. Our Interactive Web Site Service allows board members and residents have access to important TOPS data 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Of the more than 60 features available through this service, several stand out:

• Our new Live Updates feature pushes real-time TOPS owner data to the web sites as users perform their day-to-day tasks in TOPS v3.2.1™.
• Using the Online AP Approval feature, board members can review and approve accounts payable bills before authorizing them for payment.
• With Online Dues Payments, residents can authorize a direct debit or credit card charges online to pay their association dues. When transactions have been processed, they can be downloaded into the TOPS v3.2.1™ lockbox program for posting to the homeowners account.

The TOPS Internet Backup Service is another example of a vital service that TOPS provides. Subscribers to this service can automatically have essential TOPS data backed-up to our dedicated web server automatically, on a set schedule. This is the easiest, most foolproof way to make sure you have an off-site backup of your data. A good disaster recovery plan is a critical part of any good business plan.

As you will read in this issue's feature article, we will soon be releasing an addition to our Internet Backup Service. The new Files and Folders Backup will provide all of your users the ability to backup any files and/or folders along with to your TOPS data files. Now you can store all of your important documents and spreadsheets on a secured off-site server that may be accessed and downloaded from any computer via the Internet.

We also interface with several third-party web-based services that allow our customers to outsource repetitive functions such as preparation of resale disclosure packages, sales of community legal documents and referring delinquent owners to collection attorneys. We are always looking for exciting new third-party products with which to interface, look for more great time-saving and revenue generating plug-ins in the future. Contact these companies to find out how their TOPS product interface can benefit you:

Finally, we're working on a brand new version of TOPS, a project code named TOPS Viper, that will allow our customers to use it either as a Windows based software like the current version of TOPS, use it as a web-based software hosted on our servers, or setup an intranet and host it as web-based software on your own servers. It will take more time and effort on our part to rewrite TOPS this way, but you'll have maximum flexibility in how you want to use TOPS Software in your organization. Read more about the exciting technology behind this new product in this issue's Web 2.0 article.

Sincerely,

Jeffrey S. Hardy, President

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