When a document needs to be reviewed, how is it passed around the office? Is it printed and handed out, or maybe sent via email to everyone for commentary? There is an easier way – use eNotify to send everyone a link to the PracticeMaster record!
How does eNotify work? By clicking the eNotify button when viewing any PracticeMaster record (e.g., document management, calendar, client, fee, journal, etc.), a new Send eNote window is displayed that includes some basic information regarding the linked record, depending on the file from which it was created. The Send eNote window also automatically contains a link to the record. This feature provides a simple way to notify other users of additions or changes to their PracticeMaster records (e.g., address changes, rescheduled meetings, newly scheduled events or tasks, etc.).
When the recipient views the eNote, a link at the bottom of the eNote window can be used to open the referenced record. In the opened record, all fields will be available for review.
eNotify has several other uses, such as making attorneys aware of a new client by eNotifying them with a link to the new client record, or eNotifying a group of users regarding a change in the location, date, or time of a calendar event that is moments away. Using eNotify in these situations can make users aware of changes that they might otherwise find out about too late if they depend solely on email for communication.
eNotify is a fast and easy way to notify users of changes and additions to the PracticeMaster files. Making eNotify part of your daily routine can guarantee that everyone is in the know!
For more information about Platinum features, see Knowledge Base Article R11379, “Platinum Overview.” If you have any questions regarding Platinum features, contact your Tabs3 Software consultant, or call Support at (402) 419-2210.
When determining the best Platinum license for your firm, whether you are looking into a first-time purchase or upgrading, you must take into consideration the required overhead connections that are necessary. But what exactly are overhead connections? We’re glad you asked!
Note: Subscription users do not need to specify a number of connections.
When the Tabs3 Software “talks” to the Platinum server across the network, it requires a “connection” to do so. Although connections are required by the Tabs3 Platinum Software, some connections can be enabled or disabled, and some are dependent upon how many users are in the software and what they are doing.
The following list provides a breakdown as to when connections are needed:
Licensing and pricing is based on a per connection basis. The Platinum Server is available in 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, 256, 512, and 1024 connection increments.
For more information about Platinum features, see Knowledge Base Article R11379, “Platinum Overview.” If you have any questions regarding Platinum features, contact your Tabs3 Software consultant, or call Support at (402) 419-2210.
You can take your firm to the next level with the top-of-the-line Platinum edition of Tabs3 Software! With mobile access, extensive security features, faster reports, accelerated filtering, and automated backups, Platinum will help save you time while ensuring reliability.
Tabs3 Connect is one of Platinum’s most powerful tools. Using Tabs3 Connect gives you the freedom to enter and track data from anywhere you can access the internet. Simply open a browser window from any device and log in.
Tabs3 Connect not only makes adding fees and costs easy, but also provides access to client information, a billing summary, and any related contacts, all from the Matter Manager. You can even open documents to be printed or emailed, depending on your device’s capabilities. Tabs3 Connect also provides access to calendar features for you and your firm, allowing you to add events and tasks and link them to a specific matter.
All of the data accessed by Tabs3 Connect is stored on your server, not your mobile device, so there is no risk of losing or compromising your data in any way. Since all information is connected to your server, changes or additions made in Tabs3 Connect are available for all users instantly.
Along with reliable mobility, Platinum also includes many features to help secure your firm’s information and prevent data corruption.
One of the most useful features is the ability to schedule a backup. A HotBackup can be created automatically throughout the day and you can choose to receive email confirmation when a backup has completed. Best of all, you no longer need to wait until everyone has logged out of the software to create a backup. A HotBackup can be created while users continue to work in the software, which makes securing your data hassle-free.
Platinum’s Auto Recovery feature helps prevent loss of data due to power outages or network loss. If you are interrupted for any reason, such as when running Update Statements, the software will roll back to a safe point, allowing you to pick up where you left off instead of having to restore from a backup. After the interruption, you can simply restart the process.
Platinum also includes report and filtering accelerators for Tabs3 Billing and PracticeMaster, which speed up report generation and list filtering by up to 30 times. This is the perfect solution for firms with a lot of data or for anyone looking to speed up their software experience.
Mobile access, data security, and accelerators only scratch the surface of Platinum’s capabilities. You can find more information about all of the features that the Platinum Software has to offer by checking out Knowledge Base Article R11379 “Platinum Overview.”
If you are more of a hands-on user, try a free 30 day trial of Platinum! KB Article R11261, “Platinum Net 30 Trial Plan,” provides information regarding how to get started. Contact your local consultant, or contact our Sales Department at (402) 419-2200 today! You are just one phone call away from experiencing the many benefits and features of Platinum!
The Platinum edition of Tabs3 Software provides a multitude of benefits when working with reports. If reporting is important to your firm, take a look at the following reasons to upgrade now!
Platinum Report Accelerators
Platinum accelerators make processing reports and statements an average of 10 – 30 times faster. The reason for the speed boost is that all of the processing is done at the server instead of sending data back and forth across the network. This significantly affects the time it takes to run reports.
Take a look at actual benchmark numbers in Knowledge Base Article R11142, “Tabs3 Performance Comparison.” You might be surprised!
For more information on how accelerators work and a list of accelerated reports, see Knowledge Base Article R11182, “Tabs3 Billing and PracticeMaster Accelerators.”
Platinum Exclusive Report Options
When you upgrade to Platinum, you get bonus reporting options in Tabs3 Billing:
For more information on the Accounts Receivable by Timekeeper Report and Enhanced Detail Accounts Receivable Report, see Knowledge Base Article R11379, “Platinum Overview.” If you have any questions regarding Platinum features, contact your Tabs3 Software consultant, or call Support at (402) 419-2210.
Do you often find yourself clicking No when prompted to make a backup in Tabs3 Software? If so, is it because you don’t have time to wait for a backup to complete, or because other people are currently working and they don’t have the time to log out and wait?
The HotBackup feature in Tabs3 Platinum Software alleviates the issue of making everyone log out because your data is backed up while others continue working in the software. Additionally, thanks to Platinum’s Transaction Processing feature and server processing capabilities, you are prompted to back up less often, and backups are completed in significantly less time.
HotBackup provides the ability to schedule backups throughout the day. Backups can be set up to run at a specific time on weekdays, every day, or on specific days. This means there will always be a recent restore point if the need arises, and less data (if any) to reenter. You can configure automatic notifications so that once a scheduled HotBackup has been run, an email will be sent to a designated recipient upon completion or failure of the HotBackup. This gives you added security of always knowing that the existing HotBackups are solid. You can select multiple email addresses for messages to be sent to, select whether a message is sent if the HotBackup succeeds or fails, and even customize the message as desired.
The standard built-in Back Up Data Files program is limited to storing a maximum of three backups with a maximum of 2GB in size for each backup. However, with HotBackup, you can store up to 198 backups, and the only size limitation is the amount of free space on your hard drive. You can select how many backups you want to keep at any given time, and you can even choose where you want your HotBackups stored!
It is important to note that the built-in backup in the Tabs3 Software only back up data files. They do not back up program files, nor do they back up every file in the Tabs3 Current Working Directory. You will need to use a third-party backup to back up the Current Working Directory for the purpose of recovering from a catastrophic failure, such as fire, flood, theft, server hard drive failure, etc.
Having viable data backups is important in any business. Stop daring fate by clicking No when prompted for a backup.
For more information on backing up the data, check out Knowledge Base Articles R11193, HotBackup Overview,” and R11213, “Backup Strategy.” For more information about Platinum features, see Knowledge Base Article R11379, “Platinum Overview.” If you have any questions regarding Platinum features, contact your Tabs3 Software consultant, or contact Technical Support at (402) 419-2210.
QuickViews provide a powerful way of organizing and finding information. QuickViews combine a filter, column layout, and sort option into a tab at the top of the window. When you change from one QuickView to another, you quickly change which records you see, the columns that are displayed, and the order in which records appear. In PracticeMaster, QuickViews can also include Smart tabs at the bottom of the list to further sort records into groups based on the selected indexed field. You can customize the colors used for QuickViews and Smart tabs. You can share QuickViews for all users as needed or define them for yourself. Once created, you can select a QuickView at the top of the window, or via the Quick Clicks pane.
QuickViews are available for both Platinum and non-Platinum editions of the software; however, they run faster in the Platinum edition of Tabs3 Billing and PracticeMaster.
Why are QuickViews faster in Platinum? Filters are processed at the server computer, similar to how the Accelerator processes reports. Rather than having to filter the records once they have been received from the server, the workstation receives only the records that have been pre-filtered by the server. This reduces network traffic and allows filtered lists to display considerably faster. Additionally, column sorting is processed at the server, which also improves the speed at which lists are displayed.
For more information about Platinum features, see Knowledge Base Article R11379, “Platinum Overview.” If you have any questions regarding Platinum features, contact your Tabs3 Software consultant, or call Support at (402) 419-2210.
Want to know if Platinum is right for your firm? Try out Tabs3 Platinum risk free for 30 days! This offer allows you to use all of the Platinum features with your own data for 30 days before determining whether Platinum will be a permanent upgrade.
Key features in the Platinum software include:
For more information on the 30-day trial offer, visit Knowledge Base Article R11261, “Platinum Net 30 Trial Plan,” and then contact your local consultant or contact our Sales Department at 402-419-2200 to take advantage of this great offer!
What is the best way to communicate and share records between users in PracticeMaster? Send an eNote! eNote is a blend of the best features of instant messaging and email to provide a remarkably easy-to-use tool that streamlines communication, facilitates workflow between users, and enhances your current case management procedures.
The eNote feature is available in the Platinum edition of PracticeMaster, and allows you to communicate instantly. Not only can you send text, but you can also link PracticeMaster records to the eNote, providing quick access to the information you need. You can even send and receive eNotes while away from the office with Tabs3 Connect! You can easily reply to, forward, or dismiss eNotes, as well as add them to the Journal, Calendar, and Fee files.
Working on a project and don’t want to be disturbed? Select Do Not Disturb to minimize interruption. When Do Not Disturb is selected, the eNote window will remain minimized so that the user is not interrupted by eNotes. Select Away to let others know you are not at your desk. The sender will receive a message of the receiving user’s status, letting the sender know that the eNote may not be received right away.
You can specify how eNotes are shown upon arrival. Click the button to open the eNote Preferences window. Select to open the full eNote window (Pop up for new eNotes) or to show a balloon notification (Balloon for new eNotes). You can also select to Play sound for new eNotes using a sound file on your computer.
When sending an eNote that needs immediate attention, select the Urgent check box. Urgent eNotes will appear on top of the recipient’s Windows desktop, regardless of recipient’s selected status.
eNotes can be dismissed or deleted. Dismissed eNotes are removed from the eNote window, but are available in the eNote List (in the Quick Launch, search for and select “eNote List”). Only users with the Permanently Delete eNotes access right can delete their eNotes, thus leaving a record of correspondence. Click the (eNote List) button to open the eNote List, displaying a list of your eNotes. Filters in the eNote group of the Quick Clicks pane let you select whether you want to include all of your eNotes, your unread eNotes, your sent eNotes, or your received eNotes. If you have rights to Access All Users’ eNotes, you can also include all users’ eNotes, deleted eNotes, or a specific user’s eNotes.
For additional information on eNote, see Knowledge Base Article R11246, “PracticeMaster eNote Frequently Asked Questions.” If you have any questions regarding Platinum features, contact your Tabs3 Software consultant, or contact Support at (402) 419-2210.
Network and hardware failure can cause data corruption in any firm, regardless of preventative measures. Auto-Recovery helps provide peace of mind when faced with these issues.
For example, if you are updating statements and you lose network connectivity in the middle of the update, without Platinum you would have to restore your data and potentially lose many hours of work. Not so with Auto-Recovery! Auto-Recovery monitors the software. When it recognizes a transaction has not completed properly, it rolls back the database to its previous state before the database transaction began.
In the case of Update Statements being interrupted, Auto-Recovery means that if the interruption occurs during the update to client 1240.00’s statement, then all statements prior to client 1240.00 will remain updated, while client 1240.00 will be “rolled back” to the state before you started Update Statements. You will simply receive a message indicating that Update Statements needs to be run again.
This is a powerful feature that can save your firm time and money. Power failures, computer crashes, and network failures can occur on even the best networks. Auto-Recovery helps greatly reduce the impact of these issues.
For more information about Platinum features, see Knowledge Base Article R11379, “Platinum Overview.” If you have any questions regarding Platinum features, contact your local consultant, or call Technical Support at (402) 419-2210.
Time is money, and how long it takes for your firm to complete tasks affects the bottom line. So how will Platinum software speed things up for your firm?
For more information about Platinum Accelerators, see Knowledge Base Article R11182, “Tabs3 and PracticeMaster Accelerators.” For more information about Platinum features, see Knowledge Base Article R11379, “Platinum Overview.” If you have any questions regarding Platinum features, contact your local consultant, or call Technical Support at (402) 419-2210.
We added a brand new synchronization option for the Microsoft 365 Exchange Connector. This new feature is specifically designed to simplify the setup and improve the reliability when synchronizing with Exchange Online / Microsoft 365. This new synchronization option provides the following advantages:
Additionally, using the Exchange Connector with an Exchange Online / Microsoft 365 server provides the following advantages over other types of Exchange servers:
For more information on the Microsoft 365 Exchange Online, see Knowledge Base R11898, “Configuring the PracticeMaster Platinum Exchange Connector for Exchange Online / Microsoft 365.” For more information about Platinum features, see Knowledge Base Article R11379, “Platinum Overview.” If you have any questions regarding Platinum features, contact your local consultant, or call Technical Support at (402) 419-2210.
There are many great features in Tabs3 Platinum, but when you want more information, where do you start? Whether you are looking into Platinum, have just purchased a license, or have had it for a while, we provide many great resources to help you learn more about Platinum.
Knowledge Base Article R11406, “Platinum/SQL Resources,” provides information on accessing the Platinum Product Page, Platinum SQL white paper, Platinum Server Guide, and Platinum Help topics. Additionally, a list of more than 30 Knowledge Base Articles are grouped by general information, Platinum feature information, technical and troubleshooting information, and Platinum SQL information.
If you have any questions regarding Platinum features, contact your local consultant, or contact Technical Support at (402) 419-2210.
When you need to perform an exclusive task, such as running the Data File Integrity Check, it’s not always a simple task to get everyone out of the software. Phone calls you make and emails you send may not be answered or returned, so that leaves you running around the office to close the software on each computer. Resetting users isn’t recommended because resetting users while they are working in the software can cause corruption in the data. But there’s a better way! With Platinum, you can safely log off users from your computer via the Log Off Users feature.
The Platinum edition provides users with the opportunity to save their work and close the software themselves, or to be safely logged out automatically. When a Conflicting Activities window is displayed, click the Request Log Off button.
Clicking the Request Log Off button opens the Request Log Off window, allowing you to enter a reason for the log off and the number of minutes before users will be automatically logged off. Clicking the Send Request button then sends a message that will be displayed on each user’s computer informing them how long they have to save their work before being safely logged off.
Once all users have logged out, the Conflicting Activities window is replaced with the window of the task you need to perform.
For more information about Platinum features, see Knowledge Base Article R11379, “Platinum Overview.” If you have any questions regarding Platinum features, contact your local consultant, or contact Technical Support at (402) 419-2210.
If you haven’t reviewed your HotBackup schedule, notification preferences, and storage settings in a while, now is a great time to do it! These settings can all be accessed in System Configuration via the Platinum | Platinum Server Configuration menu options, and are summarized below. Although the built-in data recovery that Platinum’s Transaction Processing provides in the event of interruption minimizes data loss, HotBackup helps minimize the amount of data you will have to reenter in the event a restore becomes necessary.
HotBackup Schedule
Do you have regular HotBackups scheduled throughout the day? When scheduling HotBackups, keep in mind that users do not have to exit the software.
A schedule can be added or edited via the HotBackup Schedule tab in the Platinum Server Configuration window.
HotBackup Folder
Where are your HotBackups stored, and how many do you keep? We recommend storing your HotBackups outside of the Tabs3 Software directory. When first setting up your HotBackup preferences, we provide a default storage threshold of four recent and two archive HotBackups. This means that a total of six HotBackups are stored at any given time. When deciding how many to keep, remember that you can store up to 198 HotBackups, provided enough space is available.
Storage settings can be updated via the HotBackup Folder tab.
Notification Center
How will you know if something happens and a HotBackup fails? Setting up a notification when a HotBackup fails helps give you peace of mind. You can set up the notification to send to one or more addresses. This helps ensure that all parties who need to know are notified. Notifications are not limited to just failures; you can also set up notifications to be sent for successful HotBackups, if desired.
Once you have this in place, it’s a good idea to regularly verify the current recipients. If you’ve switched IT companies, and/or someone is no longer employed, you may be sending failure messages to an email address that is no longer checked.
Note: Outgoing Email Configuration settings (Settings | Outgoing Email Configuration) must be set up before HotBackup notifications can be added.
Notifications can be added, edited, or deleted via the Notification Center tab.
Don’t let your HotBackup preferences become dated! Review these settings regularly to make sure you have everything in place should a restore become necessary.
For more information about Platinum features, see Knowledge Base Article R11379, “Platinum Overview.” If you have any questions regarding Platinum features, contact your local consultant, or contact Technical Support at (402) 419-2210.
You may already be set up to synchronize your calendar and contacts between PracticeMaster and Microsoft Outlook via your Exchange server, but using the Platinum Exchange Connector has so many more great benefits!
What makes the Exchange Connector a better option?
To set up the Exchange Connector, you must configure the Active Directory Domain Controller, the Exchange Server, the Tabs3 and PracticeMaster Platinum Server, and the Exchange Connector settings. For complete instructions on setting up the Exchange Connector, refer to Knowledge Base Article R11596, “Configuring the PracticeMaster Platinum Exchange Connector.”
For more information about Platinum features, see Knowledge Base Article R11379, “Platinum Overview.” If you have any questions regarding Platinum features, including the Exchange Connector, contact your local consultant, or contact Technical Support at (402) 419-2210.
The Platinum version of Tabs3 and PracticeMaster software provides a multitude of benefits when working with reports. If reporting is important to your firm, take a look at the following reasons to upgrade now!
Platinum Report Accelerators
Platinum accelerators make processing reports and statements an average of 10 – 30 times faster. The reason for the speed boost is that all of the processing is done at the server instead of sending data back and forth across the network. This significantly affects the time it takes to run reports.
Take a look at actual benchmark numbers in Knowledge Base Article R11142, “Tabs3 Performance Comparison.” You might be surprised!
For more information on how accelerators work and a list of accelerated reports, see Knowledge Base Article R11182, “Tabs3 and PracticeMaster Accelerators.”
Platinum Exclusive Report Options
When you upgrade to Platinum, you get two bonus reporting options in Tabs3:
These reporting options are only available with Platinum because they are very data intensive with complex calculations. Processing these reports using the report accelerator allows the reports to be generated much more quickly, making them fully accessible in Platinum.
For more information on the Accounts Receivable by Timekeeper Report and Enhanced Detail Accounts Receivable Report, see Knowledge Base Article R11379, “Platinum Overview.”
Platinum SQL ODBC
Are you looking for a way to compile all of the information you need onto one report, rather than using multiple reports? Do you prefer to manipulate report data using tools you are more familiar with, such as Microsoft® Excel® or Access®? You may find a solution with the ODBC driver.
All Tabs3 and PracticeMaster software is ODBC capable. This means an ODBC driver can be used to export the information into various environments that allow for ODBC. Many users have utilized the ODBC driver to create reports in programs such as Crystal Reports®, Access, and Excel. This can allow for a single report with all of the desired data.
You can purchase individual licenses for the standard 32-bit version of ODBC, but what if you want to increase the processing speed and/or take advantage of 64-bit programs to access the data? Platinum SQL software includes an SQL ODBC driver. The Platinum SQL ODBC driver has the following advantages:
Accelerated SQL Processing – Platinum SQL provides significantly faster reports when using ODBC-capable software. The standard ODBC driver for Tabs3 and PracticeMaster software processes all queries at the workstation, but with Platinum SQL, all queries are processed at the server, thus improving performance and reducing network load.
64- & 32-bit Access – The SQL ODBC driver included with the Platinum SQL software is available in both 64-bit and 32-bit versions. Users with 64-bit workstations can install both drivers and will only need to configure the ODBC data source once.
Firm-wide License Included – The license for the standard ODBC driver is purchased per workstation. However, the ODBC driver included with the Platinum SQL software is licensed for use by the entire firm and is included at no extra charge.
Microsoft SQL Server Access via OLE DB – Platinum SQL supports OLE DB access. In addition to standard ODBC access, Tabs3 and PracticeMaster data is also accessible from OLE DB compatible software using the Microsoft OLE DB Provider for ODBC. This includes Microsoft SQL Server software.
Note: Tabs3 and PracticeMaster data files are ODBC capable as read-only. It is not possible to write to Tabs3 or PracticeMaster data files using an ODBC driver. If you have questions about creating reports using ODBC, contact your local consultant.
For more information on what ODBC can do for you, see Knowledge Base Article R10017, “Working with ODBC.” For more information on Platinum SQL, see Knowledge Base Article R11417, “Platinum SQL Overview.”
For more information about Platinum features, see Knowledge Base Article R11379, “Platinum Overview.” If you have any questions regarding Platinum features, contact your local consultant, or contact Technical Support at (402) 419-2210.
Want to know if Platinum is right for your firm? Try out the Tabs3 and PracticeMaster Platinum software risk free for 30 days! This offer allows you to use all of the Platinum features with your own data for 30 days before determining whether Platinum will be a permanent upgrade.
Key features in the Platinum software include:
For more information on the 30 day trial offer, visit Knowledge Base Article R11261, “Platinum Version Net 30 Trial Plan,” and then contact your local consultant or contact our Sales Department at 402-419-2200 to take advantage of this great offer!