What is the XSites Desktop?

Sometimes you just can't beat a desktop application for speed and functionality. We know that XSites are far more than your billboard on the web. They're sophisticated business tools. But to use any of these features, you have to log into the admin area on on the web to get start using them. We know that keeping a web page open all the time isn't practical, so you need a tool that gives you quick and easy access to all the timesaving features your XSite offers.

XSites Destkop is that tool. It's a "shell" that houses a variety of "plugins" specifically designed to do other tasks. Initially, we built the XSites Desktop as a utility for our Mortgage XSites customers. The shell enabled instant access to the tools in their XSite. It's just another example of how our work in other markets (mortgage in this case) benefits our bread and butter in the appraiser market.

So, now that we understand that XSites Desktop is simply a gateway into the much larger XSites Network and that various plugins can enable just about any kind of functionality you can think of, let's talk about plugins.

What are "Plugins"?

The easiest way to think about plugins is to imagine that they are tiny little self contained programs that do one specific task. These tiny little programs then "plug in" to the shell we talked about above, the XSites Desktop.

Plugins can be designed to do a variety of things. For example, the Loan App plugin allows a Mortgage XSite user to see and manage all the loans on their XSite right from their desktop and has a direct integration with Calyx Point, their loan origination system.

So, what plugins are we currently planning for the XSite Desktop for appraisers? We've actually got two already under development:

• 
  The Collaborator - For years WinTOTAL has supported collaboration in its simplest form via our e-mail delivery mechanism. Sharing files via the Internet so that two or more appraisers can work on a file together. The problem is that this method is quite outdated today, and e-mail as a whole has become somewhat unreliable as a delivery tool due to various issues like file size limitations, firewall restrictions, SPAM rules, and in general paranoia by users about what they get in e-mail. Enter the Collaborator plugin for XSites Desktop. Using it, you'll be able to chat in real time with other XSite users and XSite visitors, and share files with your associates.
  Learn more about the collaborator plugin.
  
  
• My XSite Files - This plugin is designed to allow you to temporarily "Park" files on your XSite so that you can get to them from any PC where you have XSites Desktop installed. There are a ton of useful applications for this, such as moving a file you created in DaVinci on your tablet PC to your desktop PC so that you can work on it in WinTOTAL. The My XSite Files plugin will automatically create a folder in your Appraisal Desktop making it easy to drag working files to storage from within WinTOTAL or DaVinci.

We have more ideas for plugins, but if you have any of your own feel free to send them in!

Conclusion

XSites Desktop makes it easier than ever to leverage the tools and features built into your XSite to improve your business. Tell us your thoughts. Send ideas and feedback to labs@alamode.com and let us know.

Thanks,

Paul E. Stansberry, III
WinTOTAL Product Manager
a la mode, inc.