To:        All WinTOTAL Aurora (version 5) users
From:    Adam Calvery, VP Appraisal Products, a la mode, inc.
Re:        Aurora:  August 8th update is ready

Today’s WinTOTAL update includes numerous enhancements and improvements, as you can see by the list at the end of this e-mail.  It also is the update containing our new Marshall & Swift “SwiftEstimator.com” integration.  To download and install this update, click the “Get Updates” button on the toolbar in your Appraisal Desktop.

Our integration allows you to launch the SwiftEstimator.com site within WinTOTAL and then transfer the completed cost estimate back into your report directly.  To find out more about SwiftEstimator and start using it, click here to visit the Marshall & Swift page on our website. 

As always we have other “irons in the fire” that I want to make sure you know about: 

·        We’re still revising the methods by which contacts and contact synchronization occur between your XSite and WinTOTAL (net.X Connect was only the beginning), so you’ll hear more out of us about this over the coming weeks.  Net.X Connect had a huge positive impact on the number of sync-related tech calls we take, so we expect this next generation of changes to further improve the handling of even more scenarios.

·        We had our first public alpha release of Desktop Billing available on July 24^th to anyone who wanted to download it from the Aurora Status webpage.  (Thank you to those that have.)  The release for the next major stage in the billing module’s development will be available next week.  This is a great opportunity to make your opinions heard early and help shape the final product. 

·        So we can help ensure you get paid for your work, our XSites team has released a highly requested feature into beta testing that allows you to prompt for payment before a report can be downloaded from your XSite.  You can of course configure it on a client-by-client basis, so it’s perfect for those ad hoc clients with whom you have no relationship.  Look for it, and several other new XSite tools that help you get paid faster and in full, starting next month.  Of course, don’t forget all of the existing features, like credit card billing right at the door.

Before I go, I wanted to address something else that’s come up.  I made a mistake in the last update e-mail by focusing the message on the new marketing plugin that we released (wanting to help you stave off a downturn), without emphasizing the exceptionally long list of fixes which were in the same update, and I received several e-mails from customers voicing a concern that we’ve taken our eye off the ball.  Oddly enough, the last update contained one of the longest lists of fixes yet released, but that wasn’t apparent because we only showed the list on the update history page and not in the e-mail.  At the same time, since the plugin was an XSellerate and XSite component, the perception was that we had somehow not been working on WinTOTAL.  But with dedicated development staff for each individual product, we’re able to run multiple projects and release improvements to one without slowing down at all on anything on the others.

Regardless, perception is reality, and I need to do a better job of making that apparent.  I’ll make sure we do not take our eye off the ball of focusing on your needs very closely, and that we make that crystal clear. 

As proof, you’ll see several announcements and releases from us in the coming weeks which will underscore our commitment to offering you not only a rock solid product, but one which offers you the most individual choice and flexibility, while being the most affordable at the same time. 

This SwiftEstimator.com release is just the first example of that flexibility within WinTOTAL.  Those who choose to use it can do so easily, and those who don’t aren’t affected by its inclusion at all.  It’s a win-win solution, and you’ll see more and more of that.

Thank you for your time today, and as always, thank you for your business.

Adam Calvery
VP, Appraisal Products
a la mode, inc.

WinTOTAL Aurora (version 5) – August 8^th Update
This update also contains the new Marshall & Swift SwiftEstimator integration.

Forms engine

• Apex integration has been updated to better handle timeout errors that may occur when opening Apex on slow network connections, specifically the “12126” integration handle error.
• Previously, in some cases when merging from a report that contains multiple pages of the same form the form data would become scrambled.  This has been corrected. 
• When leaving the Forms PowerView and then coming back, your cursor will be where you left it. 
• Contact phone numbers are now displayed correctly within the forms of your reports.
• When multi-selecting fields with CTRL + click, applying locks will now apply to all fields selected.
• The cursor no longer jumps to the top of page 1 after inserting a number from the calculator into the Actual Age of the URAR.
• When calculations for data in a multi-line field of a form are automatically applied to another field within the same form, printing the form will no longer show square symbols after the data.
• Using QuickLists within the URAR, filling in the 'Pool' field now advances the cursor to the correct field.
• You now have the ability to merge data from reports that do not contain a major form.
• When selecting a report to merge from, you can now resize the width of the folders window to view folders with longer names.
• When signing a report and enabling the 'Send Client Notification', the client's email address will now automatically populate the 'To:' field.

Addenda PowerView

• WinTOTAL is now capable of adding multiple Supplemental Addendum [multi-page] forms while on the Addenda PowerView.

Contacts PowerView

• Customizations made to the column widths in the Contacts PowerView will now be retained.
• If no results exist when selecting a character at the top to narrow down your contact list, the last email address that was populating the details on the left will now blank out.

Maps PowerView

• Deleting symbols from a map will no longer cause WinTOTAL to freeze up.
• When deleting a map, but then selecting 'No' to permanently delete it no longer causes WinTOTAL to freeze up.
• In the map options, the 'Learn more' links now take you to the appropriate documentation.

Files PowerView

• After recovering a report from the recoverable files list, the list will no longer rebuild automatically.
• Adjusting the column width of the XSite column to nothing, it can be widened again by dragging the column to the right of it wider.
• With auto-expand turned on in the Files PowerView, WinTOTAL no longer displays a message "Retrieving photo information" when saving a report.
• The folder lists no longer flicker when clicking on a report in the Files PowerView.
• The DirectFax, History and Workfile tabs will now remember any customizations that are made to the column widths.
• The background color of reports in the expanded view can now be customized in the configuration utility.
• Due to focus issues, F1 wasn't opening Help after you had selected a report or clicked on a menu in the Files PowerView.  This has been fixed.
• Sending a status message from the 'Add new' link of an expanded report in the Files PowerView no longer displays the status message twice.
• The numbers in parenthesis next to your tracking folders will now get updated after downloading new orders from your XSite.
• Renaming a file twice back to back will no longer cause an error.
• When selecting a group of fields in which some fields contain data and some are blank, changing the font for these fields will now change the font of the empty fields along with those that have data.
• When signing a report, the complete status will be placed in the net.X Connect queue if you choose to 'Mark the report as complete' but don't 'Deliver report using XSite Delivery Wizard'.
• The recent response entries will now populate correctly and advance the cursor to the next field when used via keyboard or mouse.

Orders PowerView

• When entering an address on the Order Form within a mile of another subject property in WinTOTAL, the notification at the top right of the screen will now take you to the merge screen when you click on it.
• When WinTOTAL is configured to automatically retrieve IDC data, certain address formats were not being scrubbed correctly, preventing addresses from being geocoded.  This has been fixed.

net.X Connect

• The grid containing the statuses to upload no longer has a second column to click on.
• Editing a status within the net.X Connect screen multiple times will no longer cause an error.
• When syncing multiple statuses, hitting 'Cancel' before it is complete will no longer leave the 'Close' button disabled.
• After removing an item from the net.X Connect screen, check boxes are now functional.

Comps PowerView

• When going to the Comps PowerView, comp 1 no longer flashes white.
• Switching between the detailed and normal view in the Side By Side Comps no longer removes locks from the fields.
• On the Comps PowerView, removing the numbers-only attribute and immediately typing into a field will no longer lose that data when leaving the PowerView.
• The form will now properly scroll on the screen when using the arrow keys on the Side By Side Comps view.
• Right-clicking on the column header of the Comps PowerView and choosing 'Switch to Side by Side' will take you to that view and not switch back to the Comps Database view anymore.

General

• The Tech Support Assistant utility which cleans up temp folders is run once during SafeStart.
• You can now view the End User License Agreement at any time by going to Help and About.  At the bottom of the About screen is a link to 'View EULA'.