August 2002

onTOPS

Welcome to onTOPS, an e-zine produced by TOPS to keep you informed about our products and services. In this issue, we will be talking about TOPS Community Web Sites, a panel discussion that we will be participating in at the upcoming CAI conference, our new training center, and more!

We look forward to hearing your feedback about the e-zine. Please let us know what things you liked, what you would like to see, and any suggested articles by e-mailing us at Ezines@TOPSSoft.com

by Andrea Drennen  

onSoftware

The heat of the summer is upon us, and during the hot month of August, the best way to keep cool is to stay indoors in the cool air conditioning. Your owners are staying inside too, engaged in the age-old pastime of surfing the net. Why not give them a summer to remember with a new community web site?

TOPS Community Web Sites are now better than ever with a plethora of information being uploaded from TOPS 2000™, including owner balances and last payment information, CC&R records, ACC requests, and Work Orders.

One of the newest features we have added is the ability to upload reports from TOPS directly to your web site. Do this simply by printing financial reports in TOPS using the "Export to Web" function. TOPS 2000™ provides a simple-to-use web report interface that allows you to choose which reports to upload, and what attachment to include. Reports are exported into an HTML format and uploaded to your web site right from the web reports screen. Finally, your Board members can access important information anytime!

Another feature that board members will love is the new "View Account Info" option. Board members can look up any owner in the address book, click View Account Info, and instantly see the owner's current balance, and more. This feature can also be used by on-site managers to quickly access owner information.

So what are you waiting for? With all of these reasons to have a TOPS Community Web Site, the only thing holding you back is you! Contact Matt Meiklejohn at WebSales@TOPSSoft.com to get a TOPS Community Web Site today, or visit http://www.TOPSHome.net for more information and to see a live demo.

by Andrea Drennen 

onSales

A number of trade shows and user events are coming up in the near future. If you are in the area for any of the events below, please stop by and see us.

Bruce Gran and Ryan Allen will be traveling to Anaheim, CA to exhibit at the California Association of Community Managers (CACM) trade show. The show is August 14 through August 15, 2002, at the Disneyland Hotel Convention Center, booth #99. We will be giving away a Palm Pilot at this show, so if you are in California for the show, come by and visit us. The theme for this year's show is "See the USA". You can read more about the show at the CACM web site: http://www.CACM.org

A relatively new forum is TOPS User Groups. Monday, August 19, 2002 Ryan Allen will be participating in an user group to be held in Las Vegas, NV. Bruce Gran will be participating in a user group to be held in Phoenix, AZ Tuesday August 20, 2002.

Bruce Gran will be exhibiting at the Orlando CAI Day, September 24, 2002. Our booth assignment will be announced on our web site shortly. Additionally, Bruce Gran may be a presenter at this conference. We will announce further information as it becomes available on our trade show page: www.TOPSSoft.com/sales/trade_shows.htm.

Mark your calendar to join us at the CAI Community Leadership Forum in Orlando, Florida. The show is scheduled for October 24 through October 26, 2002 at the Walt Disney World resort. Visit CAI's web site for further information on the conference: http://www.CAIOnline.org/events/conference/index.cfm. In addition to a booth on the trade show floor, we will be participating in a panel discussion on October 26 at 9:00 am. Bruce Gran, Susan Sanders from AtHomeNet, and William Owens, CPA will be the speakers for the panel. The topic is "Getting the Most Out of Technology". Our key points will include information on how to use your current technology more effectively through the use of software automation, web sites, and e-mail. We will also be discussing what the future holds for the property management industry, specifically online community management.

by Bruce Gran  

onSupport

The Clearwater Training Center is now open on the west coast of Florida. We are offering individual training for up to 4 people at a time in our new center. We will customize the program to suit your needs and answer questions that you have. We can even create additional reports, set up a new community, or review a community you are struggling with on your own.

This opportunity is available to any TOPS 2000™ clients. We offer a full day session for $800, or a half-day session for $500 for all 4 people. If you want to use your data, all you have to do is zip the files and e-mail them to us prior to your visit. Any specific questions or issues you want examined can be emailed to us one week prior, and the training materials will be custom designed to deal with those problems.

We are conveniently located in Clearwater, Florida and training is available Monday through Friday. If you would like more information or wish to check on date availability, e-mail Training@TOPSSoft.com, and we will be happy to answer any questions you have. we look forward to meeting you, and finding specific ways to make your job easier and more efficient. If you can get things done faster, you will have more time to do the other things that you need to get "a round tuit"!

by Cathy Flynn  

onSpecial

Upgrade your support plan and receive a 20% discount for the first month. This offer only available until October 1, 2002.

With summer coming to an end, the busy season will be soon upon us. There are many functions in TOPS 2000™ that are often done once a year, such as creating coupon books, entry of budget information, and year-end closing. Don't get caught off guard!

If you have high overage times, upgrading your support plan to a longer allowed time can actually help lower your monthly support costs. Upgrading to the premium level support plan can eliminate overage costs altogether! Premium level support customers also receive preferred callbacks, ensuring a quick response to your support needs.

TOPS is offering a special on support plan upgrades. Receive 20% off the first month if you upgrade your current support plan by October 1st. You can't go wrong with this offer. Upgrade your support plan today to take advantage of this great offer!

by Ryan Allen  

onLine

Some of the new items online at wWW.TOPSSoft.com:

• New Press Releases Added: We have added three press releases to the Articles section. Learn all about TOPS 2000™ version 3.1, Job Streaming, and The New Training Facility.
• System Requirements Updated: We have updated the system requirements on our web site for both TOPS 2000™ and TOPS On-Site™. The new requirements reflect all of the new technologies now available in TOPS.
• New Training Facility Opened: In response to customer demand, TOPS has opened a training facility in our Clearwater, Florida office. The new facility is available for customized training of up to 4 individuals at a time. Read more about it on our Training Page.
• In the Spotlight: We have added two new bio's to the Spotlight section. Learn all about Julia Noalis and Martin Klueck. You can also see what they and our other employees look like in our Employee Gallery.
• E-zines Added to Articles: The July issues of the TOPS Home and onTOPS e-zines have been added to the Articles section.
• Customer Survey Added: We want to know your opinions of our products and services. Please take a few moments to complete our new online customer survey. Your answers will be used to help us improve our products and services. Results will be tallied in a future version of The TOPS News.
• TOPS Forums Added: Our new Message Board Forums will enable you to communicate with TOPS employees, dealers, trainers, and other customers. Sign up for a local account to join our online community.

by Andrea Drennen  

onTopic

Did You Know:

"scot-free," as it turns out, has absolutely nothing to do with Scotland or the Scottish people. The "scot" in question comes from the Old English word "sceot," meaning a tax or penalty. As long as there have been taxes there have been tax evaders, and anyone who managed to avoid the tax collector got away "scot-free." Gradually the term came to mean one who escapes any rightly deserved payment or punishment.

From www.word-detective.com