April 2012 Newsletter

AGDATA has always provided a variety of extensive support aids for clients free of charge in the form of the program manuals, the in-built Help system, as well as the support resources available in the Customer Login area on the AGDATA website (www.agdata.com.au).

Despite this, the tech support team receives many technical support queries where the answer is readily available in supporting documentation.

Consequently, we believe that the most equitable way to manage client needs is to have each user only pay for the support they really need or use.  This will maintain and improve what we feel is already industry best customer support.

To aid our clients, AGDATA now offers an expanded range of support options. 

The Signature Service Plan (SSP) is an all-encompassing support and maintenance service which includes:

• Unlimited Technical support on the Phoenix Software
• Any Upgrades released are sent out automatically for no extra charge
• Regular update CD’s sent out to you automatically. No more downloads and you will always be operating on the very latest version
• Priority support access on an exclusive 1800 free-call number
• Special offers exclusively available to SSP members
• 15% discount on the Phoenix Warehouse Service

Pricing is dependent on the Phoenix products that you own, however an SSP subscription starts at just $195 per year with the option to pay annually or monthly. This option offers the best value for money with the additional extra services included in the plan.  If you would like further information on an SSP please ask one of our support people next time you call.

We have not followed the lead of some of our competitors where they won't talk to their clients unless the client has taken out a support contract. In fact they do not even offer their clients casual support options!

We still offer one-off Casual Support Incidents on a flat fee per support incident basis. Clients on the current version of the software (V5) without a support contract will pay $44 per incident.  

We have also implemented an intermediate level of support where clients have the opportunity to purchase Multiple Support Incidents for a discounted rate.

Please be aware that if you call for technical support and you do not have a current support contract, support charges may apply for your call.For more information please see the AGDATA Technical Support Policy which can be viewed on the support page of our website (www.agdata.com.au/Support.html).

Phoenix on smartphones is on the horizon! While it’s too early to give too much away, for the first release we have tried to isolate the parts of Phoenix that would be the most useful to have at your fingertips. We anticipate there will be a dozen or more utilities available in the initial release spanning Financials, Cropping, Livestock and Grazing. Further capabilities will also follow in subsequent releases.

While we are currently unable to commit to release dates due to our focus on V6, we hope to have further news hot on the heels of the V6 release. Those on Phoenix Live and Phoenix Multi User will be the first recipients of this new Phoenix capability.

Phoenix on slate computers has been available for quite some time. Those on Phoenix Live and Phoenix Multi User have access on iPads and Android slate PCs as well as traditional Windows based slates. 

Version 6 development is continuing apace with a large number of big ticket items already completed and the remainder not far away. One area that has been given a great deal of consideration has been automation. A number of areas within Phoenix have benefited from this work and we feel will be well received. 

This has only been possible by employing the latest in technologies for the underlying components and development tools used in Phoenix. In addition to ensuring longevity, it also provides us the opportunity to develop further industry first technologies which you will see from us over the course of the next 12 months.

V6 will also see the release of some features that have traditionally only been found in corporate class systems and will mark a first for the market sector. Stay tuned for more details on these.

With Windows 8 due in 2012, testing is already underway to ensure Phoenix V6 will be fully compatible and take advantage of Windows 8 features. All indications so far are positive with a V6 Beta already running on the pre-release Windows 8 here at our office. For those that will be stepping up to Windows 8, expect some big changes from the Windows you have been used to with XP, Vista and 7.

Look for another newsletter very shortly announcing the release of V6 with a full wrap-up of features and enhancements.