Technical Information
This page contains all the information your IT department will need to know before installing Trace Solutions property management software.
If you’d like a fuller discussion with our technical team, please contact us on +44 (0)20 7825 1299.
SQL Database
All our property management packages use a single database, based on Microsoft’s robust SQL Server technology.
This handles both the property management data and the financial accounts, so data updates and balances in real time, across all ledgers. This means that rental billing and service charge processing are always up-to-date and accurate.
Unlike the multi-ledger architectures in competitor systems, there’s no posting between ledgers, and no possibility of errors being introduced.
Software Upgrades
Trace Solutions provides regular software upgrades which, in most circumstances, can be applied by clients themselves. However, you can also sub-contract the upgrade process to us.
Please note, this service does not cover installations at new sites.
Basic contract
- General release upgrade
- Software patch upgrades
Plus contract
- General release upgrade
- Software patch upgrades
- Installation of any additional funcionality purchased after the initial contract
- Full re-installation of software after hardware or operating system replacement
- Emergency re-installation
- Upgrade test environments
Both upgrade contracts cover two full remote upgrades per year, in line with the Trace Solutions release schedule, and as many interim “patch” releases as per the client’s specific schedule.
A standard Software Upgrade Service Agreement must be completed.
"in most circumstances, software upgrades can be applied by clients themselves"
Trace Solutions
Cloud Hosting
Access all your property management software and data using the Internet, via Trace in the Cloud.
Trace in the Cloud means you can stop worrying about servers, 3rd party licenses or backups – and you can scale effortlessly, adding new users instantly without additional hardware expense.
Also known as SaaS or ASP hosting, the Cloud version has exactly the same power and functionality as the server version, but is accessed via a browser. The software and all your data are stored externally, in our state of the art data center.
And, unlike some of our competitors, we never charge for time you spend online.
What does Trace in the Cloud include?
- The purchase of the software licences
- Product maintenance
- Hardware and technical environment
- Backups, including a fully functional back up site
- Disaster recovery
Keeping your data secure
You and your team access the software via a secure https connection. Each user has a secure account.
Your database is backed up regularly throughout the day. At night a fully encrypted backup is sent to a secure location.
As an extra backup, your database can be copied every week to any external location you choose.
"we never charge you for the time you spend online"
Trace Solutions
Online Backup
Trace Solutions can offer a fully automated Online Backup Service.
Our award-winning enterprise backup and recovery software is secure, reliable, manageable and affordable data protection. This provides a complete solution to the complexities of backing up and recovering your important data.
Benefits
- No backup hardware required
- No expensive storage management software
- Pay for what you use
- Fully automated process takes away your need to monitor
- Resolves the issue of taking your backups off site
- Reports available confirming data backed up
ESCROW
With Escrow, even if something happens to Trace, your property management software can keep on running.
It’s an insurance policy to ensure you can always get your hands on the source code if necessary. We work in partnership with NCC Group, the world’s leading independent Escrow provider.
How does ESCROW work?
- We give the NCC Group a copy of your Trace software source code.
- The copy is updated regularly, to protect the most recent version.
- If anything happens to Trace, NCC Group will release the source code to you.
- You can maintain and correct your software without disruption.
Web Services
Our web services framework means all our property management systems can share data and processes seamlessly with other ‘best of breed’ applications.
We’ve always prided ourselves on the ease with which we could integrate with other software. Integrations have included corporate accounts; solicitors’ leasehold systems; valuation and asset management tools; third party purchase order management; document management software like Sharepoint; and banking systems.
But the web services framework makes it even easier to set up in future. A first in the property management sector, and the basis for our revolutionary Mojo web apps, it opens all sorts of exciting possibilities for future collaboration.
Ultimately you can now link a whole series of best of breed tools together, to create a truly powerful ‘super application’ that’s guaranteed to function as advertised.
Larger corporations now have a real alternative to the massive bespoke IT projects that all too often end in pain and budget over-runs. And it brings sophisticated tools within the reach of smaller companies, too: for example, it becomes cost effective to run high valuation systems which draw data directly from the property management database.
"We're often involved in projects where we need to get at data held in property management systems. With Trace, projects are significantly easier and quicker to execute, and fundamentally more reliable. This is adding real value to the property and financial data held in PMAS systems."
Bob Marsh, Director, Remaaps