 February 2010
Hitech Not Attending ISS Expo
Software as a Service
Previous Newsletter Topics - Follow up
RentPlus 2.0 Tips and Tricks
RentPlus Online Tips
Learn more about RentPlus 2.0
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The Official Newsletter for RentPlus Self Storage Software |
| HITECH not attending Inside Self Storage Expo March 1-3 |
| HITECH will not be attending the Inside Self Storage Expo in Las Vegas |
After 20 years in a row, we have decided not to attend this year's event for a variety of reasons. One reason is our focus at this time on helping our customers get upgraded to RentPlus 2.0 to make sure that they are PCI compliant. Another reason is our decision to switch all of our advertising budget to the Internet for one year to test its marketing effectiveness for us compared to traditional media and trade shows. It is very odd to not be going after so many years, and we will miss the opportunity to meet (professionally and socially) with our existing customers who will be there. We do hope that anyone attending the show who was hoping to have the chance to speak with us will call instead. |
| SaaS - Software as a Service |
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RentPlus Online matches Industry Trend
The Software Industry is turning more and more to online solutions for business productivity software and RentPlus Online is a part of that trend. Termed 'Software as a Service' or 'SaaS', the business model offers benefits to both software providers and consumers over the traditional 'purchase a license and maintenance' model.
With SaaS, vendors have control over the environment where the software has to run (did you know there are about 25 versions of Windows that RentPlus has to be able to run in?), complete control over software updates and corrections, and can better ensure data security. The vendor also has greater responsibility - one of our key investments over the past few years has been in our data center and in the professionals to run it.
With SaaS, consumer benefits include little or no capital investment in software and new computers (a monthly fee is charged instead), removal of responsibility for software installation, updates, and daily backups, and the knowledge that their data is cared for safely and professionally. Most SaaS agreements are for limited terms so there is no long term commitment (RentPlus Online is a month to month commitment) so you are not as tied in to one vendor as you would be with a considerable capital investment.
Of course one of the main benefits of SaaS solutions is the ability to access your information from anywhere, anytime.
Salesforce.com was one of the first successfully implemented business solutions to be offered as a SaaS solution. Today there are many others. This newsletter is being created using a SaaS program called Constant Contact. QuickBooks is now available online. Google Docs offers online word processing and spreadsheets and Microsoft will soon be offering many of the Microsoft Office programs online. RentPlus Online is HITECH's SaaS solution for the self storage industry.
Learn more about Software as a Service here.
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| Previous Newsletter Topics > Follow Up and More Information |
| Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) |
 By July 1, 2010, all merchants that accept MasterCard and Visa (and other) credit cards will be required to be certified as PCI DSS Compliant. Certification means that you have taken the appropriate steps to ensure that credit card information you process and hold on behalf of your customers is adequately secured. Only RentPlus version 2.0 will be certified. Earlier versions of RentPlus (1.0 to 1.8) will NOT be compliant. |
RentPlus and WebPayments |
 Every month, more and more RentPlus users are adding the ability for their customers to pay online. It is very easy to get started. Click here for more information about WebPayments and to see the easy steps to getting started.
Free Online Training every Wednesday |
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Each Wednesday at 3:00 p.m. Eastern, Hi-Tech offers a free, online "webinar" about RentPlus 2.0. A webinar is given online so you can see the screen of the Presenter on your monitor and you can hear and speak on a conference call that includes all the attendees. The webinars are free, but you must register.
To register for a webinar or for additional information on any of these topics, please contact Joyce Dunwell at sales@hitechsoftware.com or call 800-551-8324. | |
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New! RentPlus Online Tips |
End of Day Procedure
With RentPlus Online, your end of day procedure for closing out RentPlus consists of two simple steps. First EXIT RentPlus, then LOGOFF the server.
Improve the Screen Resolution
If your RentPlus screen looks 'fuzzy' it is usually because the display setting in your connection software is set to 256 colors instead of a higher resolution. To correct, Edit your connection settings, go to the Display tab, change the settings to the highest possible, go to the General tab and click Save as... and save the new setting, then click Connect. Click here for the latest instructions and to download the latest version of the connection software.
The Printer Properties Popup Window
Some users may find a Printer Properties dialog window popup every time they print something, or perhaps you would like it to (to have the convenience of switching between multiple printers, for example). To turn this feature on or off, double-click the Connection icon shown in the system tray, and check or uncheck the item marked 'Apply additional printer properties'. For detailed instructions see page 5 in the RentPlusOnlineConnection document. |
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RentPlus 2.0 Tips and Tricks |
Folder Right-Click Menus
 In the RentPlus Folders View, you may click on any item using the right-side mouse button to display a menu of choices (image at right). These choices vary from folder to folder, providing two types of functionality. The first type provides tasks that you can do with the specific item that you clicked on, for example, make a payment for that customer, or move them in our out. The second type provides various filters that you can apply to the list of items shown in the folder, for example, only show vacant units. This turns the folder view into a quick and easy reporting tool.
When you send e-mail messages from RentPlus they are sent out through HITECH's e-mail web service. If you do not have an e-mail address entered in your system, the messages will appear in the recipient's inbox as coming from 'donotreply@hitechsoftware.com'. Naturally, you want this to show as coming from your e-mail address. This can be set up by going to Setup, Your Company Information.
Find customers by E-Mail Address
It is easy to find a customer using their e-mail address - just type all or part of the e-mail address into the phone number area of the Customer Search box and click Find. RentPlus will display a list of any matching customers. |
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| Learn more about RentPlus 2.0... |
See RentPlus 2.0 in action at one of our weekly on-line live webinars, try the self-guided on-line demonstration, or contact us for further information.
A short list of just some of the new RentPlus 2.0 features...
- New 'web-site' look and feel
- SQL Server database
- Updated accounting engine
- Driver license scanning
- E-mail without using 3rd party software
- Fast customer search
- More interactive folder listings
- Enhanced data security
- Advanced task management
- Save or export to PDF (Adobe Acrobat)
- On-screen self-storage industry news
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