Not all software companies are the same. There are many companies that release new versions of their software with minimal testing. Some companies may not even have a department that does formal testing of software enhancements, and instead rely on their customers to report any problems. Tabs3 and PracticeMaster software is different. So different in fact, that our motto is “Reliable Software. Trusted Service.” This means that when we release a new version of the software, or introduce new features mid-version, you don’t have to wait a few months for the bugs to be worked out before downloading and installing it. You can rest assured that you’ll be installing software that’s ready to use. But this is only one of the reasons why you should always be on the latest release.
Here are the top reasons to be on the latest release of the software:
- You always have the newest features! Our current version, Version 19, has many great features that may save your firm time and money. Take a look at the Version 19 Release Notes, or check out R11744, “Introduction to Version 19 Features,” to see what you are missing out on.
- If we find an issue, we fix it, test it thoroughly, and release it as soon as possible.
- Due to the nature of troubleshooting, support issues may require using the most current version of the software. Additionally, when we add or update integration with third-party programs, we only do so on the current version of the software.
- When deciding on software enhancements for the upcoming versions, we take into account feedback we’ve received. If you’ve suggested a feature enhancement in the past, it may already be in the software! We receive suggestions for enhancements a number of ways, including user surveys, suggestions made during support phone calls, consultant feedback, and emails to wishlist@tabs3.com. Although not all suggestions for enhancements can be incorporated, we carefully consider each request.
- Every new feature is thoroughly tested by our Quality Assurance Department.
- Before releasing a full version of Tabs3 and PracticeMaster, both consultants and users perform additional pre-release testing of the software, helping us further refine new features before releasing them to all users.
- Versions 16 and prior are no longer supported. We can only assist with questions or troubleshooting if you are on a supported version. Additionally, we regularly remove articles and information from our Knowledge Base regarding versions that are no longer supported.
Tabs3 and PracticeMaster software allows you to quickly determine if you are running the latest release. To check for updates, open any Tabs3 product or PracticeMaster and select Help | Check for Updates. If an update is available, the Update Notification window will be displayed.
With a paid maintenance plan, there is never an additional cost for updating to the latest version of the software. If you are not on the latest release, now is the time!
My firm currently has an on-site Exchange Server that needs to be updated. Instead of replacing it, we’re considering migrating to a Hosted Exchange server and possibly purchasing an Office 365 license. Does PracticeMaster integrate with these products? If so, does our IT need to do anything special for PracticeMaster when migrating to a hosted Exchange environment?
PracticeMaster can integrate with any local installation of Microsoft Outlook. If you’re using Office 365, you can install Outlook locally. PracticeMaster’s integration with Outlook relies on the local mail profile and therefore should be unaffected by the location of the Exchange Server.
When integrating Calendar and/or Contact records between PracticeMaster and Outlook, Tabs3 recommends having a conversation with your IT Department or whoever will be performing the migration before migrating to a new Exchange Server. In order to plan the migration process, they will need to review our Knowledge Base Article R11731, “Exchange Migration Best Practices,” before migrating to ensure a smooth transition to the new Exchange server.
To assist in your conversation with IT, there are two important questions that need to be asked prior to migrating:
Will we still have Outlook installed locally on the same workstation as PracticeMaster?
Why this is important: PracticeMaster requires a local copy of Outlook installed on the same workstation in order to integrate. A web-based version of Outlook, or an installation on another instance of Windows will not integrate successfully.
Can you configure and include custom fields as part of the Exchange migration process?
Why this is important: PracticeMaster uses custom fields in Outlook to store information relating to PracticeMaster in Outlook records. Examples of this include:
- Whether a calendar or contact record has already been synchronized to PracticeMaster.
- Whether a journal, calendar, or fee (J/C/F) record has been created in PracticeMaster from an email.
- Which journal, calendar, and/or fee record in PracticeMaster is linked to an email (if linking is enabled).
If this information is not passed to the new Exchange server, the first time PracticeMaster is synchronized with Outlook using the new server, duplicate calendar and contact records will be synchronized back to PracticeMaster, and all of the journal, calendar, and fee information for each email will be lost.
Once you have confirmed that “yes” is the answer to both questions, you’ll need to prepare for the migration. There are two main steps you must take prior to migrating:
- Determine a cut-off point where you will stop entering new information in Outlook or PracticeMaster until the migration is completed. This ensures that information does not get added to the old Exchange server after the migration process has begun.
- Disable calendar and contact integration on all workstations prior to the migration process. This will sever the connection to the old Exchange server and ensure that the connection to the new server must be configured once the migration is complete.
Additionally, we recommend that you migrate all of your firm’s users to the new Exchange server at once rather than individually or a few at a time. This prevents problems caused by users on different Exchange servers entering calendar records for each other in PracticeMaster.
Note: It is important to review our Knowledge Base Article R11731, “Exchange Migration Best Practices,” prior to migration, as this article provides complete instructions for successfully migrating your Exchange server.
Have you customized the My Actions page on the Home tab yet? My Actions can be customized to only show the features you use the most, providing quick access to everything you use on a regular basis. If you’re not yet familiar with using or customizing My Actions, let us show you how easy it is!
The Using and Customizing My Actions video walks you through the following:
- Accessing My Actions
- Adding and removing features
- Adding, removing, and editing groups
Watch this four-minute video here:
Training Videos can be accessed at Tabs3.com/videos. You can also access the videos while in the software by selecting Help | Training Videos.
