KnowledgeSync News http://www.vineyardsoft.com Leading the Way in Active Alerts

January 6, 2006

Happy New Year from Vineyardsoft!

Contents: 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6)

KnowledgeSync 2006 Pricing -- Same as 2005 KnowledgeSync V6.0: SQL Server Version KnowledgeSync for Salesforce.com KnowledgeSync "Implementation Guide" & Updated Reference Guide Welcome New KnowledgeSync Clients KnowledgeSync Version 6.0 Enhancements

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KnowledgeSync 2006 Pricing -- Same as 2005

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Vineyardsoft is pleased to announce that there will be no pricing changes for KnowledgeSync in 2006; all current price levels to Resellers and to OEM Partners will remain the same for calendar year 2006. Other Pricing & Licensing Reminders: 1) Promotion Extension -- Through January 31st, 2006, every KnowledgeSync order includes one (1) free KnowledgeSync Client License (including one year's M&S on that license). This is a $594 value ($495 license + $99 M&S) and is open to all purchasers of KnowledgeSync. To get this free license, make sure to add the comment "Free Client License" to every KnowledgeSync order that you place with Vineyardsoft. 2) Vineyardsoft's "OEM Referral Compensation Plan" continues to be in effect through 2006. This program compensates Resellers on efforts to recruit additional KnowledgeSync OEM Partners. For details on this program and compensation benefits, please contact Don Farber at [email protected]. 3) Every KnowledgeSync customer (past, present, and future) is entitled to the "Event WatchDog" EventPak. This EventPak is filled with over 60 pre-configured KnowledgeSync events that allow KnowledgeSync to monitor itself, such as identifying failed alert deliveries. This EventPak does NOT require an additional KnowledgeSync "connection" license as it is free to all KnowledgeSync clients. To receive this EventPak, please contact Don Farber at [email protected].

4) Are you keeping on top of your clients' M&S renewals for KnowledgeSync? Vineyardsoft publishes a monthly status report to each of our Resellers showing the M&S status of your KnowledgeSync clients. If you'd like to sign up to receive this report, or if you'd like to request that a report be sent to you, please contact Tricia Cate at [email protected].

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KnowledgeSync V6.0: SQL Server Version

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It's here!!! KnowledgeSync Version 6.0, which includes many new features, includes the long-awaited option to host (or migrate) the KnowledgeSync database to Microsoft SQL Server. This version of KnowledgeSync will be available for downloading starting on January 12th, 2006. Customers who do not wish to upgrade their KnowledgeSync database to SQL Server or who do not have a SQL Server license available will still be able to upgrade to V6.0 (and its other new features) but will keep their database in the existing Microsoft Access format. KnowledgeSync V6.0 SQL Server requires either MS SQL Server 2000 (Enterprise or Standard) with Service Pack 4 or above, or, SQL Server 2005 (Longhorn) no service packs required. KnowledgeSync V6.0 SQL Server does not support MSDE. Version 6.0 will allow customers to choose whether they wish to host the KnowledgeSync database under Microsoft SQL Server instead of the current Microsoft Access format. Although many more functional and user interface enhancements are planned for release in 2006, the fundamental change of database structure in V6.0 makes it imperative that this version be allowed to run through its paces in the KnowledgeSync partner and client community before more enhancements are released. Please Note: All KnowledgeSync customers who wish to upgrade to the V6.0 (MS Access or MS SQL Server edition) will require a NEW KnowledgeSync license code in order to do so. And only those customers who are current on their KnowledgeSync M&S will be provided with a new license code. Please make sure you have received a client's new V6.0 license code before instructing them to upgrade their KnowledgeSync installation. Note also that no new KnowledgeSync license codes will be issued to Business Partners who have outstanding Accounts Receivables balances with Vineyardsoft that are over 30 days old. If you have any questions about your A/R status with Vineyardsoft, please contact Tricia Cate at [email protected]. All Version 6.0 license requests should be emailed to Vineyardsoft's Licensing department at [email protected].

Any customers whose KnowledgeSync M&S has expired but wish to upgrade to V6.0 will need to renew their M&S before receiving their new license code. For cost details on the M&S renewal of expired clients, please contact Tricia Cate at [email protected]. KnowledgeSync V6.0 SQL Server uses the "standard" Microsoft SQL Server database engine; it does not utilize the SQL Server "desktop" engine (MSDE). Also note that each of KnowledgeSync's servers (e.g., the application event server, the email server, the fax server, etc.) will use its own SQL Server login, so the V6.0 SQL Server version is best utilized by those organizations that license SQL Server per "server" and not per "user". Customers who do wish to upgrade will be provided with a one-click "Data Migration" utility that automatically takes a client's existing KnowledgeSync data and migrates it into the new SQL Server format. Note that once this migration is complete, the data may not subsequently be migrated back into an Access format, so it is essential that every organization backup and save their KnowledgeSync Access databases before proceeding with the migration. No re-configuration of existing KnowledgeSync events will be necessary. All of the core data components in the KnowledgeSync application will be available in the new SQL Server format. This includes the KnowledgeSync "object" and "triggered" data sets, the "field-level changes" data set, and the Email Response System's "Inbox" data files. For flexibility reasons, the KnowledgeSync Data Extractor function will continue to extract data files to a Microsoft Access format.

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KnowledgeSync for Salesforce.com

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Vineyardsoft is pleased to announce KnowledgeSync's integration with (and an EventPak for) the Salesforce.com CRM application. This EventPak includes over 80 pre-configured queries and events, including: -- Marketing Campaigns that are 'x' percent over their budgeted cost -- Customer Support Cases that are in an escalated state or have had their priority changed to 'High' -- Customer Contracts that are due to expire within 'x' days -- Leads that have been assigned but are unread, or when too many or too few leads are assigned to an individual salesrep -- Opportunities that are due to close, are awaiting installation, or have been open for more than 'x' days These are just the pre-configured events, and Partners and Clients are welcome to both modify these events as well as create an unlimited number of additional events of their own. As a hosted application, Salesforce.com requires a special ODBC driver for applications like KnowledgeSync to access its database, and a company called "OpenAccess Software"

(http://www.openaccesssoftware.com) has created a driver to meet this need. In trying out different configurations with this driver and with the Salesforce.com database, Vineyardsoft decided that the most efficient (and flexible) way to use this driver is to use it in conjunction with a Microsoft Access "linked" database. This method uses the OpenAccess ODBC driver to read the salesforce.com data and then a Microsoft Access "linked" database reads the corresponding salesforce.com database values from the OpenAccess driver. Note that no Salesforce.com data is actually being stored in an Access database; KnowledgeSync simply uses the Access toolsets to read data through the OpenAccess driver which itself retrieves data directly from the salesforce.com database in real-time. Vineyardsoft will shortly be releasing a KnowledgeSync Utility that creates this link automatically, so it will be a one-step process to set up the connectivity between KnowledgeSync and Salesforce.com. However, this configuration can be manually configured without this Utility right now, in just a few minutes. (Contact Vineyardsoft for instructions.) Note that you can download an evaluation version of the OpenAccess ODBC driver for Salesforce.com from: http://openaccesssoftware.com/support/SalesF-Files-Index.asp Also note that you will need access to a "Developer Edition" Salesforce.com database. You can get trial access to this as well as more information on this edition by contacting Salesforce.com directly. To receive the KnowledgeSync EventPak for Salesforce.com, please contact Don Farber at [email protected]. If you have any questions about this integration or EventPak, please contact Vineyardsoft's Technical Support staff at [email protected] or at 800-850-8055.

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***** KnowledgeSync "Implementation Guide" & Updated Reference Guide ***** Vineyardsoft is pleased to announce the updating of the existing KnowledgeSync Reference Guide (for KnowledgeSync version 6.0) as well as a new "Implementation Guide" for KnowledgeSync Partners and new clients. The updated Reference Guide contains information on newly-added KnowledgeSync features as well updates based on extracts from the "top 50" KnowledgeSync Support calls received by Vineyardsoft's Customer Support staff. Additionally, sections have been added to the Reference Guide on common error codes and frequently asked questions submitted by KnowledgeSync users.

The Reference Guide continues to be available in Microsoft Word format so that both you and your customers can add your own custom notations to the guide for future use. The new guide is downloadable from: http://knowledgesync.com/lit/ks_manual_v60.zip A new document, the "KnowledgeSync Implementation Guide" will also be available to KnowledgeSync Partners and clients. Designed to walk people through the initial steps of installing and configuring the application, the Implementation Guide focuses on such frequently asked questions as: -- How do I configure a KnowledgeSync client? -- How do I configure the KnowledgeSync Service account? -- How do I configure the email account that KnowledgeSync will use? Vineyardsoft's "Tech Doc" department created this document based on questions submitted to Vineyardsoft Support from KnowledgeSync partners and clients, and it is anticipated that this guide will resolve over 80% of all configuration questions that are submitted to the KnowledgeSync Support staff. This document is approximately 20 pages long, and is designed specifically for the persons who will be installing and initially configuring the KnowledgeSync application. It also details the causes of (and resolutions to) commonly-received error messages that can be encountered in the KnowledgeSync set-up process. The Implementation Guide will be available by January 31st, 2006. If you have any questions about either of these documents, please contact Don Farber at [email protected], or at 800-850-8055 x113.

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Welcome New KnowledgeSync Clients

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With the number of KnowledgeSync clients continuing to grow, we don't have the time (or space!) to thank each and every new client who has chosen the KnowledgeSync Active Alerts solution. Nevertheless, we'd like to share with you some of the names of recent clients, and to also share with you some of the industries and markets in which the KnowledgeSync solution continues to be adopted. And so, to all of these clients as well as those recent clients whose names do not appear in this list, Vineyardsoft wishes to convey our thanks and appreciation to you and to our Business Partners who successfully brought KnowledgeSync into your organizations: Kantoren Fonds Nederland (Netherlands)

Strategic Energy Oneida Air Systems Petron Pacific Hotel Okura Amsterdam (Netherlands) Peek Traffic Limited (United Kingdom) Lifetime Television Network Edmonton Valve And Fitting (Canada) H.E.Koch & Co Pty Ltd (Australia) Counter Culture Coffee Ceramica Italia (Colombia) Dockwise Yacht Transport

Keep up the great work!

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KnowledgeSync V6.0 Enhancements

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KnowledgeSync Version 6.0 includes more than the ability to upgrade your KnowledgeSync database to Microsoft SQL Server. The following enhancements were added to V6.0 and are available to clients who are current on their KnowledgeSync Maintenance and Support. (Note that these enhancements are available to clients who are running KnowledgeSync under either the Microsoft Access database system or are running KnowledgeSync under Microsoft SQL Server.) 1) KnowledgeSync embeds Version 11 of the Crystal Reports runtime engine. KnowledgeSync will continue to support (generate and deliver) reports that were created in versions 8, 8.5, 9, and 10 of Crystal Reports as well as in V11. Please note that Crystal allows only one (1) version of Crystal Reports (either the Reports Designer or the Runtime Engine) to be installed on a server. If you install KnowledgeSync on a server that already contains a different version of Crystal Reports, the version that is embedded within KnowledgeSync will overwrite the existing version on that server. 2) KnowledgeSync's embedded Visual Basic (VB) Scripting technology (referred to as the "Enable DLL") has been updated to eliminate display difficulties when being used in conjunction with web and VNC "desktop sharing" technologies such as WebEx. In previous versions of KnowledgeSync, the VB Script Editor could appear blank when being used at the same time as commonly-used commercial desktop sharing utilities. This conflict has been addressed in V6.0 of KnowledgeSync. 3) KnowledgeSync's ability to export Crystal Report data to a Microsoft Excel format has been enhanced to address fields with null or blank

values. Previously, report fields with null or blank values were causing the report data to incorrectly shift column data one column to the left for each blank or null column value. The Excel export has been modified to check for blank or null column values and pass those values into the correct column. 4) The User Interface window for Table Selection in the Query Designer has been re-designed so that tables with long names will display the full table name. This change was accomplished by re-positioning the "available table" list above the "selected table" list so that both lists can display up to approximately 60 characters of the table name. 5) (Also available in KnowledgeSync V5.7E) Specifically for users of the SalesLogix CRM application, KnowledgeSync will automatically translate date and time values that are stored in UTC format in the SalesLogix database into the corresponding "regional" date and time values as determined by the Regional Settings of the KnowledgeSync server. Note that the translated values will be available for use in KnowledgeSync alert messages, as Crystal Report parameters, and as values to be passed in any of KnowledgeSync's "Action" APIs. This date translation will be performed only if the "Use Coordinated Universal Time" option is checked "on" within the corresponding application's "Connection Properties". If you have any questions about the KnowledgeSync V6.0 enhancements, please send your questions to Don Farber at [email protected].

=== END === Back Issues: "KnowledgeSync News" is a monthly e-mail newsletter that is sent out to all KnowledgeSync Business Partners. The first issue of KnowledgeSync News was June 2004. If you would like to receive one or more backissues (to get Technical Tips, Partner Offerings, Sales & Marketing Materials, etc.), send an e-mail to Don Farber at [email protected] and specify the back-issues you would like to receive. How to Unsubscribe: You have received this message because you are registered as a KnowledgeSync Partner with Vineyardsoft Corporation. To remove yourself from future e-mailings, please reply to this email message with the word REMOVE in the message text.