IT (information technology) Person
The installation of both the server and workstation software is straight forward and very standard. We also provide terrific documentation that is step-by-step. That does not mean that you can necessarily do it yourself. You may need the assistance of an IT person. If you invest in the Caller ID option, you will need some knowledge of how analog phone lines work and you will need some basic electric wiring abilities. This is also well documented. Our manufacturer has also been SUPER about helping companies troubleshoot and problems.
The General Requirements or Experience for the Main Bookkeeper
Your main bookkeeper should be an actual trained and experienced bookkeeper. They must have a good working knowledge of the accounting procedures in QuickBooks, PeachTree or some other standardized Windows accounting software.
IMPORTANT: We strongly recommend that your company employ what the accounting industry calls a "full charge bookkeeper". This is a fully trained professional with no less than three (3) years of quality experience using a modern Windows accounting software program. Their experience should include a full range of features including A/R, A/P, General Ledger, Banking, Journal Entries, Annual Reporting, and problem solving.
Please understand that five or even ten years of data entry experience will not be enough to handle Total Office Manager. To avoid frustration and aggravation, your company needs a qualified full charge bookkeeper.
Your full charge bookkeeper will be your company's main trainer and the "go to person" when your staff has questions about bookkeeping policy, procedure, and software how-to. A full charge bookkeeper will be able to call Aptora for technical support without the need for ongoing training. They will be able to have quick efficient conversations with our support staff and get answers to their problems without the frustrations common with unqualified bookkeepers.
Desktop (workstation system) Requirements
Total Office Manager will be installed on each computer that you plan to use the software with. The following are the requirements for each desktop computer (e.g.: workstation).
| System Device | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|
| Operating System | Windows XP (with all updates) | Windows 7 Professional |
| Processor | Pentium 4 or Celeron or equivalent | Intel Core i3 - i7, Core 2 Quad, Intel Xeon or equivalent |
| Hard Disk Space | 300 MB free | 25% of the total partition size |
| RAM | 256 MB
(128 MB available)* | 1 GB Available* (4 GB on the computer) |
| Video | 1024 x 768
16-bit video driver | 1280 x 1024 or higher
Dual-monitor for Dispatchers (compatible when running multiple instances) |
| CD-ROM | Required For Installation | 48x CD-ROM Drive |
| Network Adapter | 10/100 mbps
(if networking ability is desired) | 10/100/1000 mbps |
| Printer | Compatible with most | Laser or high-speed ink jet printer |
| Software | Internet Explorer 7.0 with latest Root Certificates | IE 8, Firefox or Chrome
Microsoft MapPoint 2010 |
| Other | Mouse or pointing device | Optical/Laser Mouse
Standalone email client if email features are desired |
| Internet Connection | Dial-up/Satellite (used for updates) | Broadband (Cable, DSL, Fiber, etc.) |
| Email Client | Local client software is required to email appointments, Invoices/Sales/Receipts, phone messages, work orders and other information | Microsoft Office Outlook 2007 or equivalent |
| * We recommend that you install all of the memory your system can handle. It's currently very cheap and will generally offer the largest performance increase of anything else you do. |
Server System Requirements
| Specification | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|
| Operating System | Windows 2000 Professional Service Pack 4 or higher | Windows Server 2008 64-bit (Any Edition) |
SQL Server
5 Users or Less | SQL Server 2005 Express Edition
(Free) or Higher |
SQL Server
6 Users or More | SQL Server 2005 Express Edition (Free) | SQL Server 2005 Workgroup, Standard or Enterprise (or higher) |
| Processor (CPU) | One (1) Pentium 4 | Dual- or Quad-Core Server-Grade Processor |
| Hard Disk Space | 1 GB free | 20% or more of the total disk space |
| Total RAM / Allocated to ‘APTORA’ Instance | 1 GB / 512 MB | 2 GB / 1 GB or more |
Caller ID System Requirements
| System Device | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|
| Operating System | See notes above | Windows Server 2008 64-bit (Any Edition) |
| Processor | Pentium 4 | Core 2 Duo, Core 2 Quad, AMD Phenom or equivalent |
| Hard Disk Space | 20 MB free | 25% of the total partition size |
| RAM | 256 MB
(128 MB available)* | 512 MB Available* |
| Video | SVGA (800x600)
16-bit video driver | 1024 x 768 (or higher)
High-Color (32 bit)
65536 colors |
| CD-ROM | Required For Installation | 48x CD-ROM Drive |
| Network Adapter | 10/100 mbps | 10/100/1000 mbps |
| Communications Port | Serial Input | Serial Input |
| Other | Mouse or pointing device | Optical/Laser Mouse |
For more information about our
Caller ID system compatibility please
click here.
Aptora Mobile Server Requirements
The following requirements apply to all Aptora Mobile Server installations. Please contact a technology professional if you need assistance with acquiring any of the following:
A registered domain name (e.g. aptora.com, yourcompany.net, etc.). The domain name or one of its sub-domains must be forwarded to your static IP address from your ISP.
A SSL Certificate from a trusted authority (e.g. GoDaddy.com, Verisign, etc.) that is issued to the domain or sub-domain used to configure IIS bindings on the Aptora Mobile Server computer.
Internet Information Services (IIS) Installed (free and likely already on your server)
Router with Port Forwarding (most modern routers have port forwarding)
Static IP Address (this may require additional monthly fees from your internet provider)
Installation and Configuration from an IT Professional with IIS Experience. They must have experience routing external web traffic to a specific computer, in an office, using a specific port. This is not a do-it-yourself installation. The configuration can get a bit tricky.
Aptora will only be able to provide limited technical assistance with the configuration of Aptora Mobile Server. It is important that you have a technology professional available that understands TCP/IP networking, domain registrations, and IIS configuration. If you do not have a technology professional available to you, Aptora has setup assistance services available for a reasonable fee.
