Here you can find answers to
many of the questions we get asked frequently. If you’ve got a
question you don’t see here, let us know by sending an e-mail to
debug@alamode.com.
1. When will you have a
desktop billing module for Aurora?
You can enable it as a public Beta in your copy of WinTOTAL Aurora now. For details, check out the dedicated billing page.
2. Can different appraisers
in the same office use different versions of WinTOTAL?
It’s possible, but not
recommended. Aurora has the ability under the File menu on the
toolbar to save the current report in Athena format, and can then be
opened on a PC using Athena (WinTOTAL version 4). Reports done in
Athena can be opened in Aurora without any extra steps.
3. Why did you decide to
support WinTOTAL version 4 (Athena) indefinitely?
After Aurora’s release, we
got a lot of feedback showing that people basically fell in to three
unique camps: (1) Those who use Aurora and our entire product line
and like the automation, (2) those who use Aurora but don’t like the
change and would prefer Athena, and (3) those who have never used
Aurora and don’t want to switch. (That’s the “we don’t need bells and
whistles, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” Athena people – and that’s
a quote, as many of you know.)
We decided to break with what
we’ve done in the past, which was to continue to support the old
version of WinTOTAL for six months or so, giving people time to
upgrade. For many, Athena has everything they need, and they don’t
feel the need to upgrade. As a result, we’ve decided to support
Athena indefinitely as the “little brother” of Aurora in our product
line. It may be helpful to re-read the e-mail message sent to our users explaining this decision.
4. I’d like to get involved
in testing the software. How can I do that?
We’re frequently looking for
beta testers. If you’re interested in learning more about it, click here.
5. What’s with the recent
talk about The Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLB)?
GLB compliance is something
that’s coming up more and more across the real estate industry,
especially as it applies to mortgage brokers and appraisers. It’s
definitely something you should be aware of, so we’ve put together a
“Best Practices” guide that explains what GLB compliance means in
plain English. Learn more
6. Should I go ahead and upgrade to Aurora? I keep hearing about "Armstrong".
WinTOTAL version 6, Codenamed "Armstrong" is already under development in it's standard edition. Standard edition won't have the bells & whistles that an enterprise version of the software will, so if you're ready to upgrade from Athena there's no reason not to go ahead and move to Aurora. We fully expect Aurora to be the main version of WinTOTAL in use for at least 2 more years.
