We are very please to announce the release of the ConnectIT-WebCart beta. This utility links an online web shop to QuoteWerks, Sage 50, Sage MAS and Microsoft Dynamics RMS (retail management solution).
Over the years, we have created several bespoke software development utilities which link a businesses web shop to their back office system. Utilities for QuoteWerks, Sage and Microsoft Dynamics CRM. When we were approached to create a link for Microsoft Dynamics RMS as well it was a natural extension of these utilities. Plus, in a market place where high street shops are increasingly moving their business' online for the cost-saving and globalisation opportunities, strategically it was a good project to take on.
With our culture of constantly innovating and looking forward for new opportunities, rather than tackle the project as just another bespoke utility, we took the decision to wrap up all the previous work into one ConnectIT product. Followers of the blog will remember that we had a prototype version of ConnectIT-WebCart back in the early part of the year. With focus drifting onto other projects, this got put to one side, but we felt that with this project it was time to pick it back up again.
This first beta release focuses on the Microsoft Dynamics RMS link in order to satisfy the requirements of this particular project. However, given that this is built on the same data structures and code base as the other bespoke projects, then links for QuoteWerks, Sage 50, Sage Instant and Sage MAS won't be too far behind!
For more information on the ConnectIT-WebCart product, please direct your query through your QuoteWerks or ConnectIT partner. If they are unable to help, then please don't hesitate to contact the ConnectIT development team direct: development@connectit-online.co.uk
Monday, May 18, 2009
Thursday, May 14, 2009
SAGE50: Sage 50 Accounts 2009 Update 1
Sage 50 Accounts 2009 Update 1 service release was pushed out today. This wraps up several minor enhancements and issue resolutions.
For further details, please contact your Sage reseller or Sage Customer Services directly on 0845 111 5555.
For further details, please contact your Sage reseller or Sage Customer Services directly on 0845 111 5555.
CONNECTIT: ConnectIT-Sage v1.10.1 released
This new release of ConnectIT-Sage QuoteWerks to Sage 50 Accounts link includes the following updates and bug fixes:
UPDATE: replaced the files for the SDO (Sage Data Objects) which allow ConnectIT to integrate with Sage 50 Accounts 2009 for the revised ones released by Sage 12/5/2009. This revision allows up to 6 simultaneous SDO connections without the need to purchase additional Sage licenses.
FIXED: discrepencies seen in the Tax on Sage Purchase Order line items - ConnectIT was using the selling price tax value, not the cost price tax value when writing Purchase Order information to Sage.
FIXED: a tax amount for Carriage may show on a Purchase Order even though the ConnectIT Configuration had the Purchase Document Carriage Tax Code set as "T0" - ConnectIT was ignoring this setting when creating Purchase Order documents, the QuoteWerks document tax rate was always applied to Purchase Order carriage.
FIXED: Conversion from string "" to type 'Boolean' is not valid error when running ConnectIT - this could occur if the user had not opened ConnectIT Configuration to check the new settings added in version 1.10.0 and pressed "Save".
After more than 2 years of having no bugs in a production release, the ConnectIT development team were mortified to find out that a bug had been found in the software. As is stereotypically the case, the ConnectIT software development team have a love for fast food (second only to their love for programming!). By way of self-inflicted punishment for the bug (which was ultimately a school boy error in the code) they are banning themselves from fast food for 1 month!!! (I just hope they survive! - Ed.)
For more information on ConnectIT-Sage and the other products in the ConnectIT suite of time and labour saving products, please see the ConnectIT website here, contact your QuoteWerks / ConnectIT reseller or email info@connectit-online.co.uk
UPDATE: replaced the files for the SDO (Sage Data Objects) which allow ConnectIT to integrate with Sage 50 Accounts 2009 for the revised ones released by Sage 12/5/2009. This revision allows up to 6 simultaneous SDO connections without the need to purchase additional Sage licenses.
FIXED: discrepencies seen in the Tax on Sage Purchase Order line items - ConnectIT was using the selling price tax value, not the cost price tax value when writing Purchase Order information to Sage.
FIXED: a tax amount for Carriage may show on a Purchase Order even though the ConnectIT Configuration had the Purchase Document Carriage Tax Code set as "T0" - ConnectIT was ignoring this setting when creating Purchase Order documents, the QuoteWerks document tax rate was always applied to Purchase Order carriage.
FIXED: Conversion from string "" to type 'Boolean' is not valid error when running ConnectIT - this could occur if the user had not opened ConnectIT Configuration to check the new settings added in version 1.10.0 and pressed "Save".
After more than 2 years of having no bugs in a production release, the ConnectIT development team were mortified to find out that a bug had been found in the software. As is stereotypically the case, the ConnectIT software development team have a love for fast food (second only to their love for programming!). By way of self-inflicted punishment for the bug (which was ultimately a school boy error in the code) they are banning themselves from fast food for 1 month!!! (I just hope they survive! - Ed.)
For more information on ConnectIT-Sage and the other products in the ConnectIT suite of time and labour saving products, please see the ConnectIT website here, contact your QuoteWerks / ConnectIT reseller or email info@connectit-online.co.uk
DEVELOPMENT: meeting users expectations and easing frustration
A few tips from Justin James at TechRepublic on ways that developers can meet users expectations and ease frustration.
Introduction
It’s no surprise that users have expectations that, if not met, make those users angry and frustrated. User-friendly applications are much more likely to generate revenue, from sales of the software, sales enabled by the software, or some other revenue model. Yet for whatever reason, a significant portion of applications don't meet user expectations in a number of areas. Here are 10 common user expectations and what you can do to meet them so that you'll have a happy group of users.
See the full article here: http://i.techrepublic.com.com/downloads/dl_10_user_expectations.pdf
Introduction
It’s no surprise that users have expectations that, if not met, make those users angry and frustrated. User-friendly applications are much more likely to generate revenue, from sales of the software, sales enabled by the software, or some other revenue model. Yet for whatever reason, a significant portion of applications don't meet user expectations in a number of areas. Here are 10 common user expectations and what you can do to meet them so that you'll have a happy group of users.
See the full article here: http://i.techrepublic.com.com/downloads/dl_10_user_expectations.pdf
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
BLOG: Vistage Regional Group meeting
Today (13th May 2009), I (Steve Siggs) had the privilege of attending the Vistage Regional Group meeting at the Forest of Arden Country Club along with approximately 140 other Vistage group members. It was a very well organised and thoroughly enjoyable event. The focus for the day was "Outside In - New Thinking for Extraordinary Times". Primarily ways and benefits of taking a look at your company from your customers' point of view, plus looking at yourself from both your customers' and your employees' point of view.
With keynote presentations from some of the countries leading business experts - Peter Fisk, Dale Williams, Roger Martin-Fagg, Jeff Grout and Marcus Child - plus group discussion and networking opportunities. As is always the case with Vistage: it was an exhausting, but thoroughly invigorating day. And again - as always - I left with another list of things to think about and implement to help build Hilltops IT's success!
Onwards and upwards! :-)
If you'd like any more information on Vistage, how it works and the benefits I feel that I have attained from membership, please don't hesitate to get in touch: steve@hilltopsit.co.uk
With keynote presentations from some of the countries leading business experts - Peter Fisk, Dale Williams, Roger Martin-Fagg, Jeff Grout and Marcus Child - plus group discussion and networking opportunities. As is always the case with Vistage: it was an exhausting, but thoroughly invigorating day. And again - as always - I left with another list of things to think about and implement to help build Hilltops IT's success!
Onwards and upwards! :-)
If you'd like any more information on Vistage, how it works and the benefits I feel that I have attained from membership, please don't hesitate to get in touch: steve@hilltopsit.co.uk
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
CONNECTIT: now offering increased user support
We've just been notified by Developer Services that now more ConnectIT-Sage users can link to Sage accounts without having to upgrade or purchase additional Sage licenses.
From Sage Developer Services:
With exception to Sage 50 Accounts Professional, all connections to the Sage 50 Accounts database via the software development kit (Sage Data Objects (SDO)), are currently limited to the number of licensed Sage 50 Accounts users.
Given that Sage 50 Accounts and Sage 50 Accounts Plus are only available with single user or 2 user licences, the opportunity to accommodate multiple third-party add-ons and integrated multi-user applications, can prove restrictive. For example - with a 2 user licence, only 1 x Sage 50 Accounts user login and 1 x SDO connection may be established. With a single user licence, an SDO connection will not be permitted if a Sage 50 Accounts user is already logged in, and vice versa.
Now you can manage up to 6 simultaneous SDO connections
In response to feedback from our customers, Business Partners and of course our Developer community, SDO has been enhanced to manage up to 6 simultaneous connections to the Sage 50 Accounts 2009 database. For example - if 1 x Sage 50 Accounts user is logged on, a maximum of 5 x SDO user connections will be permitted.
So what does this mean for ConnectIT users?
Once this SDO update has been installed, Sage will allow you to have more users accessing the accounts files through ConnectIT. So there's no need to buy additional licenses for Sage and no need to log out of Sage in order to transfer documents.
For existing users: contact Sage support, they will be able to supply you with the updated SDO installation files with instruction on how to install them.
For new users: we will be releasing a new version of the ConnectIT software later this week which will have the updated SDO files included as part of the installation.
And what about partners?
This means new opportunities for ConnectIT-Sage sales! For any companies that you may have spoken to in the past that rejected ConnectIT due to the expense of an upgrade to Sage, now here's the answer!
More information
For more information on the updates, please contact your ConnectIT or Sage reseller or email us: support@connectit-online.co.uk
For more information on the increasing range of ConnectIT products and how they can help deliver efficiencies to your business, please see the ConnectIT website here.
From Sage Developer Services:
With exception to Sage 50 Accounts Professional, all connections to the Sage 50 Accounts database via the software development kit (Sage Data Objects (SDO)), are currently limited to the number of licensed Sage 50 Accounts users.
Given that Sage 50 Accounts and Sage 50 Accounts Plus are only available with single user or 2 user licences, the opportunity to accommodate multiple third-party add-ons and integrated multi-user applications, can prove restrictive. For example - with a 2 user licence, only 1 x Sage 50 Accounts user login and 1 x SDO connection may be established. With a single user licence, an SDO connection will not be permitted if a Sage 50 Accounts user is already logged in, and vice versa.
Now you can manage up to 6 simultaneous SDO connections
In response to feedback from our customers, Business Partners and of course our Developer community, SDO has been enhanced to manage up to 6 simultaneous connections to the Sage 50 Accounts 2009 database. For example - if 1 x Sage 50 Accounts user is logged on, a maximum of 5 x SDO user connections will be permitted.
So what does this mean for ConnectIT users?
Once this SDO update has been installed, Sage will allow you to have more users accessing the accounts files through ConnectIT. So there's no need to buy additional licenses for Sage and no need to log out of Sage in order to transfer documents.
For existing users: contact Sage support, they will be able to supply you with the updated SDO installation files with instruction on how to install them.
For new users: we will be releasing a new version of the ConnectIT software later this week which will have the updated SDO files included as part of the installation.
And what about partners?
This means new opportunities for ConnectIT-Sage sales! For any companies that you may have spoken to in the past that rejected ConnectIT due to the expense of an upgrade to Sage, now here's the answer!
More information
For more information on the updates, please contact your ConnectIT or Sage reseller or email us: support@connectit-online.co.uk
For more information on the increasing range of ConnectIT products and how they can help deliver efficiencies to your business, please see the ConnectIT website here.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
QUOTEWERKS: free example report
A recent post on the QuoteWerks Support Forum reminded me of an example report we have which illustrates the difference between counting line items and documents. If anyone would like a free copy, then please email support@hilltopsit.co.uk
We use the report as part of our QuoteWerks Reporting training course which we have successfully delivered to QuoteWerks users both in person and worldwide over the internet using gotomeeting screen sharing software. If you are a new user to QuoteWerks or would like some advanced training to unleash the power of QuoteWerks business intelligence reporting, then please get in touch now on +44(0) 1782 564252, +44(0) 844 357 7360 or email info@hilltopsit.co.uk
We look forward to hearing from you!
We use the report as part of our QuoteWerks Reporting training course which we have successfully delivered to QuoteWerks users both in person and worldwide over the internet using gotomeeting screen sharing software. If you are a new user to QuoteWerks or would like some advanced training to unleash the power of QuoteWerks business intelligence reporting, then please get in touch now on +44(0) 1782 564252, +44(0) 844 357 7360 or email info@hilltopsit.co.uk
We look forward to hearing from you!
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