| Q: |
Can I turn my
existing Website's SQL or MySQL database into a WiredContact
Database? |
| A: |
Yes, but it must be
on a Windows Server. |
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| Q: |
Can I setup a
password protected Customer Portal, so my customers and
add/edit their own information into WiredContact? |
| A: |
Yes! You can do
this yourself, or we can build it to your specifications
quickly. Ask us to quote your needs! |
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|
| Q: |
Can you import data
from other CRM Systems directly into WiredContact? |
| A: |
Yes, ACT! versions
4.0 through 2010 can all be directly imported with full
conversion of all contacts, notes, histories, sales
opportunities, activities, field dropdown lists, etc.
however, layouts must be recreated in WiredContact (straight
forward HTML). Excel spreadsheets, text files and almost any
database can be imported or "hooked up" directly to
WiredContact. |
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| Q: |
Can we link
WiredContact to other enterprise data, such as our
Accounting and ERP software? |
| A: |
Yes! This is
just one of the many advantages of WiredContact over
"closed" CRM systems. |
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| Q: |
How long does it take
to get setup? |
| A: |
Depending on your
requirements for Data import and layout conversions, etc.,
anywhere from a half hour to several hours, depending on
your needs. |
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|
| Q: |
Can we include custom
Javascript, PHP or VBScript programming to enhance our
functionality in WiredContact? |
| A: |
Yes!
WiredContact is TOTALLY Flexible and customizable beyond
what you can do with ordinary contact management software!
You can do this if you have the skills, or ask us to do it
for you - your need is our command! |
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| Q: |
What is the practical
size limit of a WiredContact Database? |
| A: |
With MS SQL Server
Express the limit is 4GB before needing to either buy their
Standard or Enterprise version OR move it to MySQL!
MySQL has no limits! Because WiredContact supports all
of the latest Relational Database platforms, there are no
practical limits - scalability becomes a hardware issue, |
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|
Q: |
What other database
systems do you support? |
| A: |
Almost anything!
Oracle, AS400, SAP, Firebird, Delphi, Access, whatever you already
have can be integrated to work with WiredContact, providing
it has an "open" back end! |
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|
| Q: |
What are the pros and
cons of using MS SQL Server Express vs. MySQL? |
| A: |
MS SQL Server Express
only supports a single CPU core, so it's performance will
generally not be as good as MySQL on installations with more
than a few users or slow hardware. MySQL will support as many CPU cores
as your operating system supports. Both have similar
Admin. applications and are generally pretty equal in
capability.
Keep in mind that there are many factors that affect
performance:
Your client computer's performance and connections speed.
Your Server's CPU(s) performance, memory, hard drive
configuration and connection speed.
Number of concurrent users making requests to the server,
etc.
And of course, what you have
experience with will also affect your decision! |
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|
Q: |
Is there a user's
manual? |
|
A: |
Yes!
The help file is a context sensitive manual.
Simply put the focus on the control you want to know
more about and hit the F1 key and e-Pilot will
display the help for that item. There is also
a Hypergraphic in the Getting Started Section that
allows you to click on any control to navigate
around the help by function. There are also
tooltips (which can be turned off in User
Preferences) that give you a quick description of
what to do with each control. |
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|
Q: |
Does e-Pilot have to
reside on the WiredContact server? |
|
A: |
No! It can connect
to the server from any computer accessible via the
web or your local area network. |
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|
Q: |
Can you put the SMTP
Express Server Component on one computer on the
network and have every user send via that one
computer? |
|
A: |
Yes!
This is easy to configure in e-Pilot's User
Preferences on the Alt Server Tab. |
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|
Q: |
Can we send emails using
our Exchange Server instead of SMTP Express? |
|
A: |
Yes!
This is easy to configure in the SMTP Express
Properties dialog on the routing tab check "enable
fixed route", enter * for domain and the address of
the Exchange or other server you want to use to
deliver your messages. This server must not
require a user name and password to allow you to
send email. (ie. it knows who you are, because
you are on an authorized IP on the same network.) |
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|
Q: |
Are there any extra
charges by volume for using
e-Pilot? |
|
A: |
No! You can send
as many emails as you like without limitations,
beyond what your computer and bandwidth can handle! |
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|
Q: |
How many emails per hour
can e-Pilot create and deliver? |
|
A: |
This depends on a host
of factors. The speed of your computer, how
many CPUs it has, how fast your hard disk is, the
available resources upstream of your computer on the
receiving end and everywhere in-between and most
importantly, how fast the UPSTREAM speed of your
connection is. A simple rule of thumb
calculation is:
Size of message in KB x
9 x # of messages / Connection Speed Up in Kpbs / 60
/ 60 = hrs to deliver.
So on a server with a 45
Mbps connection, sending a 10 KB message to 1
million people would be:
10 * 9 * 1,000,000 /
45000 / 60 / 60 = 33.3 min.
In practice these days,
though, other things happen that are outside of this
calculation. The most notable of these is
servers that "gray list". Gray listing is the
practice of not allowing a message to deliver on the
first attempt then accepting it on the second try.
If a gray listing server receives a bad address from
you, it can block you for a half hour or more.
This slows delivery down to these servers.
In our experience, a
fast server with a fast connection may actually only
use about 30 Mbps of the available bandwidth when
broadcasting emails, due to upstream limitations of
the receiving servers and possibly the dedicated
server provider's DNS servers not being up to the
job. Ask your prospective colo provider the
specifications of their DNS servers and make sure
they are in the same building! |
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|
Q: |
Do you recommend every
sales person having their own copy of e-Pilot or is
one enough? |
|
A: |
This depends on how you
setup your campaigns and the roles and goals of your
team. As a tool for sales and tech support
call centers, absolutely, because one person can
have a complete catalog of emails on every topic
pre-built to deliver to customers while they are on
the phone,
Some customers won't
need that as campaigns can be triggered off of
database entries where the right email can go out
instantly in response to a field entry in
WiredContact or from submission of a form on your
website. |
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|
Q: |
Do I need a static IP? |
|
A: |
Yes! Check the
cost of a commercial connection with a static IP vs.
the cost of hiring a dedicated server that you can
run remotely via Windows Remote Desktop/Terminal
Services or similar desktop sharing applications.
Generally, you get more
bang for your buck with the latter, because you can
hire a server AND a faster connection for the same
price many ISPs want for a "fast" broadband
connection.
Example: A major ISP in
Phoenix charges $239/month with a 3 year minimum
term for a cable connection with "up to" 25 Mbps
down and 3 Mbps upstream. In practice you can
expect about 75% - 90% of that speed. Compare
this with hiring a dedicated Windows 2003 server in
a colocation facility where you can get a fast dual
core server with 3 - 4 GB of RAM and a 100 Mbps
connection that can handle hosting multiple web
sites, your WiredContact site and crank out many
times as many emails all for about the same price.
A no brainer there - get the dedicated server! |
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|
Q: |
What are "reverse DNS"
and SPF records all about? |
|
A: |
Reverse DNS lookups are
designed to authenticate that your server is a valid
server for the domain of the from email address.
There are 2 parts to a
reverse DNS lookup. A PTR record, which must
be set by your ISP that points from your static IP
to a corresponding "A" record that defines that IP
as for example: smtp1.yourdomain.com, in the DNS of
your website server. (Most server environments
allow you to set the A records yourself - if you
need help please let us know!)
An SPF record builds on
this idea with a TXT record in your website's DNS
that defines exactly what servers or IP addresses
are allowed to send email for your domain.
This precludes SPAMMERs from impersonating you.
If you Google "Microsoft SPF Wizard" you will find a
handy to for creating the appropriate string for
your site. |
|
|
Q: |
Is there a user's
manual? |
|
A: |
Yes!
The help file is a context sensitive manual.
Simply put the focus on the control you want to know
more about and hit the F1 key and e-Pilot will
display the help for that item. There is also
a Hypergraphic in the Getting Started Section that
allows you to click on any control to navigate
around the help by function. There are also
tooltips (which can be turned off in User
Preferences) that give you a quick description of
what to do with each control. |
| |
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|
Q: |
Do we have to use MS
Outlook? |
|
A: |
Yes, (Not Outlook
Express!) |
| |
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|
Q: |
Do we have to create a
bunch of rules and folders in Outlook to use
e-Manager? |
|
A: |
No! The rules
are built-in and editable in Preferences. All
required subfolders in your Outlook Inbox and Sent
Folder are automatically created if they don't
already exist! All you have to do is start the
application, Set your user preferences and toggle
the Paused/Processing button to turn it on!
The rest is fully automatic! |
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