Tabs3 and PracticeMaster software provides multiple features such as secure clients, private calendar records, and assigned timekeepers to help ensure that only authorized users have access to private client data. It is important to remember that these security features only apply within the Tabs3 and PracticeMaster software. When data is accessed using third party programs via tools such as ODBC drivers or the PracticeMaster Export Data function, these security limitations will not apply. Below are security considerations for the primary methods of exporting Tabs3 and PracticeMaster data. With all methods, you will want to consider storing the exported data in a secure location on your network.

Standard ODBC Drivers

The standard ODBC driver, available as an add-on product for $99 per user, allows access to all data files in all of the Tabs3 and PracticeMaster software. Be aware that anyone who uses the ODBC driver has access to all records in all files in all Tabs3 and PracticeMaster software, including secure clients, private calendar records, and clients restricted by assigned timekeepers.

Platinum SQL ODBC Drivers

The SQL ODBC driver is included with the new Platinum SQL version of the software. The SQL ODBC driver provides Manager access to the data files in the Tabs3 and PracticeMaster software, including secure clients, private calendar records, and assigned timekeepers. However you can specify which program data files an SQL user has access to. You can grant SQL access rights to Access Profiles for each software system using System Configuration. For example, you can grant SQL access rights to the Tabs3 data files without granting SQL access rights to the GLS data files. This feature makes it easy to control exactly which users have access to an individual software system’s data files. Keep in mind that users who are granted access rights to an individual product’s data files have rights to all records. To ensure optimal performance and respect security settings, firms that upgrade to Platinum SQL should uninstall the standard ODBC driver.

PracticeMaster Export Data

The Export Data function in PracticeMaster will export all records in the specified file for which the current user has access rights. This includes secure clients, private records, and client information restricted by assigned timekeepers. To ensure all records are exported, have a manager export the data. Additionally, when exporting data containing secure information, you may want to consider storing the export file in a secure location on your network or on a removable drive.

It’s time to get ready for version 16!  Are you ready?  Let’s get the word out!  Now is the time to broadcast all of the great new features to prospects, and even resurrect leads you haven’t worked on in a while.  We’ll do our part by promoting version 16 in free webinars for Tabs3 and PracticeMaster next month.  We’ll market these webinars to leads that you have marked as lost over the last twelve months, and of course, refer them back to you if they express interest. 

A new PDF is available with pricing changes, while a new trifold PDF is ready to help you do your own promoting.  These PDFs are found in eNews, and are located by selecting the Marketing tab, then Brochures. 

What should you do to get ready for Version 16?

• Learn how to use and promote the new features
• Offer to demonstrate new version 16 features to prospects
• Offer to send new version 16 Trial CD to prospects
• Get familiar with new marketing materials as they become available
• Update your web site with pricing changes
• Contact existing Tabs3 clients about PracticeMaster and Platinum
• Share important What’s New bullets with prospects

    http://www.tabs3.com/support/update/v161/v161wn.pdf

We hope you are as excited as we are to provide clients with yet another feature rich, reliable update!

We recently made a change to Version 15.3 that improves the performance of Secure Clients in Tabs3 and PracticeMaster. Previously, non-managers may have noticed reduced performance the longer they had the program open, depending on the number of Secure Clients in the database. With the recent change, performance will be more consistent in all areas throughout the day.

If you know of a firm that utilizes the Secure Client feature, encourage them to download the latest update. You might become their hero. Version 16 also has the same Secure Client performance improvement.

In Version 15.2, we simplified the 1099 output options in Accounts Payable Software (APS). Amounts for 1099s are now retrieved only from the invoice file, thereby eliminating year-to-date timing issues that occurred with using the Vendor Analysis Totals. Because of this program change, it is especially important that you don’t Purge Checks if you print 1099s.

Additionally, if a user has the need to print a 1099 for a particular vendor that only includes a portion of the checks written to that vendor for that year, they should create a 2nd vendor in APS for that entity and transfer the checks that they don’t want to include in the 1099 totals to the 2nd vendor. Alternatively, they can create a new vendor and add a manual check for the amount they want printed on the 1099. 

For more 1099 Tips, refer to our Knowledge Base Article R11278 – Accounts Payable Software Year-End Overview.

In a recent research project, we discovered that many Tabs3 clients are using separate fee and cost payments each time they receive a payment. It may be time for a payment refresher course for some of your clients. In older versions of Tabs3 (i.e., Version 12 and prior), it was necessary to enter separate fee, expense, and advance payments in order to automatically post GLS entries to the desired accounts. It is no longer necessary for your clients to enter separate fee, expense, and advance payments to accomplish this. Helping your clients to start using regular payments will simplify their day-to-day procedures, because regular payments apply to all due amounts, and additionally provide greater flexibility regarding how the payment is allocated. When using a Type 1 (regular) payment tcode, you can click the Edit Payment Allocation button to view, and even edit, how the payment has allocated to fee, expenses and advances. Complete information regarding the benefits of using regular payments is provided in KB article R11297, “Use Tabs3 Regular Payments Instead of Fee, Expense, and Advance Payments.”