laptops for producers

Lynne Desrochers · October 23, 2012, 09:42:23 AM

Someone just made the suggestion to get the producers laptops so they can use them here, take them on the road and use them at home. Does anyone have this kind of setup? I understand how I would set them up for here. What would I do for the access from home? Terminal Services? Right now we use citrix for our remote offices, but we are considering moving away from that.
Are there pros / cons to this?
Thanks for any input. Yes Bob, even the quick answer, upgrade to 11.xx.

Charlie Charbonneau · October 23, 2012, 11:16:42 AM

I guess it depends on whether or not the producers would actually use them if out and about? Do they need full functionality and access to TAM? Physical Keyboard? Or just access to internet and email? If so save some $ and try out an ipad or some similar tablet with internet or wifi access.

We push all voicemail to email and all of our producers have a smartphone to receive their email, so they are very accessible. One or two have iPads and have their email set up for use on them, but none have shown interest in having access to TAM out of the office. It's easy enough to have a CSR send them a pdf via email. (not that that's the preferred method of the CSR!)

Ian Blundell · October 25, 2012, 09:44:46 AM

Our producers have iPads which gives them access to email as well as TAM (through Terminal Services although GoToMyPC and LogMeIn both work). They can also scan documents, take pictures ,etc. although they have iPhones as well so they can use whatever is most convenient at the time. Their iPads all have keyboards as well.

Jeff Zylstra · October 25, 2012, 11:19:04 AM

Quote from: Lynne Desrochers on October 23, 2012, 09:42:23 AM
Someone just made the suggestion to get the producers laptops so they can use them here, take them on the road and use them at home. Does anyone have this kind of setup? I understand how I would set them up for here. What would I do for the access from home? Terminal Services? Right now we use citrix for our remote offices, but we are considering moving away from that.
Are there pros / cons to this?
Thanks for any input. Yes Bob, even the quick answer, upgrade to 11.xx.

If you really, really need full TAM access from an outside laptop, there's only a couple of ways to do it. One is from either a Citrix or Terminal Server, and the other is to remotely control another computer that runs TAM on your network. If you're on TAMOnline, of course, this would be a moot subject as they could reach it remotely that way, as TOL is essentially a Terminal Server environment hosted by Applied.

Also, didn't there use to be some functionality for producers to electronically "take the file" out of the office on a laptop? I have no experience with this, but as I remember it, it included all of the activities, applications, documents, etc.... I also think that no one could edit the customer file when this was "out of the office". It's been years, and I'm sure I have this substantially wrong, but does anyone else remember anything like this?

Billy Welsh · October 25, 2012, 11:41:59 AM

You are correct. There was (and maybe still IS) a process where you "checked out" a client to a floppy(!) disk (the 1.5MB non-floppy variety) for editing/input in the field, then checked it back in upon returning to the office.

We never used it either (the concept scared the crap out of me, quite frankly - not from a technology perspective, but from a personnel one

), so I don't know what happened if someone tried to access a checked out client.

Quote from: Jeff Zylstra on October 25, 2012, 11:19:04 AM
Quote from: Lynne Desrochers on October 23, 2012, 09:42:23 AM
Someone just made the suggestion to get the producers laptops so they can use them here, take them on the road and use them at home. Does anyone have this kind of setup? I understand how I would set them up for here. What would I do for the access from home? Terminal Services? Right now we use citrix for our remote offices, but we are considering moving away from that.
Are there pros / cons to this?
Thanks for any input. Yes Bob, even the quick answer, upgrade to 11.xx.

If you really, really need full TAM access from an outside laptop, there's only a couple of ways to do it. One is from either a Citrix or Terminal Server, and the other is to remotely control another computer that runs TAM on your network. If you're on TAMOnline, of course, this would be a moot subject as they could reach it remotely that way, as TOL is essentially a Terminal Server environment hosted by Applied.

Also, didn't there use to be some functionality for producers to electronically "take the file" out of the office on a laptop? I have no experience with this, but as I remember it, it included all of the activities, applications, documents, etc.... I also think that no one could edit the customer file when this was "out of the office". It's been years, and I'm sure I have this substantially wrong, but does anyone else remember anything like this?

Jeff Zylstra · October 25, 2012, 12:22:52 PM

What's a "floppy disk"?

Billy Welsh · October 25, 2012, 12:44:34 PM

During Isaac, the Jesuits were initially undeterred in their mission to educate my 13 year old son, and we had to pull down assignments via dial-up

. You should have seen the look on his face when I explained that this is how we used to do it, and it was cutting edge. I also pointed out that this was DOUBLE the original speed, which when it happened was a BIG DEAL. He could not believe it.

/soapbox

I wish I could also say "What's a textbook?" but alas, the institutions supposedly preparing my kids for the future are stuck in the past. The 13 year old is still buying and lugging paper textbooks, and the younger ones have to share community paper texts. Would be so much easier and cheaper to put them on a jump drive. Love them or hate them, I am so glad that Apple is pushing to change this STUPID model. And I hope they succeed.

/soapbox

Hans Manhave · October 25, 2012, 01:07:18 PM

Quote from: Billy Welsh on October 25, 2012, 12:44:34 PM
During Isaac, the Jesuits were initially undeterred in their mission to educate my 13 year old son, and we had to pull down assignments via dial-up . You should have seen the look on his face when I explained that this is how we used to do it, and it was cutting edge. I also pointed out that this was DOUBLE the original speed, which when it happened was a BIG DEAL. He could not believe it.

/soapbox

I wish I could also say "What's a textbook?" but alas, the institutions supposedly preparing my kids for the future are stuck in the past. The 13 year old is still buying and lugging paper textbooks, and the younger ones have to share community paper texts. Would be so much easier and cheaper to put them on a jump drive. Love them or hate them, I am so glad that Apple is pushing to change this STUPID model. And I hope they succeed.

/soapbox

Part of the reason (home schooling) why I'm pushing further for these paperless solutions. Still have to consider off-line access, but a podcast is nothing new either and I don't understand why they are not being used. It's not that hard to push two weeks of schooling to subscribers I would think. I have also noticed that I have lost at least one family member in this automation effort. She even gets upset by the fridge beeping if left open for more than 60 seconds, or that lovely Progressive car device.

Jeff Zylstra · October 25, 2012, 01:24:26 PM

I'm going to guess that the reason that not more textbooks and/or lessons are in digital form is because of copyright laws, and the need or desire for copyright protection. Everyone is trying to get their money and trying to protect their "stuff" from copying and sharing. Those kinds of things haven't changed over the years from the original VHS movies coming out.

Hans Manhave · October 25, 2012, 04:34:36 PM

Copyright probably is the reason, but they forget that a "book" is not a requirement to gain the knowledge. Previously we would be looking for a master tradesman to attach to for five or ten years and produce a master piece and go into business for ourselves. I learned a lot in one year working with a master pastry chef/baker for example. Paying more than $100 for a book for one semester that isn't even completely studied does upset the students. They may not have a voice in this, but they cannot file bankruptcy, and some do start to wonder about the need of such material. The prospect of future earnings paying for all the incurred debt has been wiped out by the last few years.

Jeff Zylstra · October 26, 2012, 09:55:13 AM

Agree on the cost of books, and limited prospects for finding jobs to repay those student loans. What I can't figure out is why electronic books are often times MORE expensive than paperbacks and the like. I've never received a satisfactory explanation of that.