President's Blog

The TRACS Webpage link is now working today. .. DT.

For what ever reason, the TRACS Webpage is not accessible today. This includes accessing Secure System Sign-in and the TRACS Discussion Forum. If you're trying to access the TRACS webpage from our LINKS page and are getting a "Page cannot be displayed" message, it's not you. TRACS is probably updating their webpage and has temporarily disabled it. Just keep trying. .. DT.

Just got done with a TRACS Vendor Conference call. It looks like the iMAX System ( that replaces the dial-up method of connecting with TRACSMAIL ) will be implemented around October 2008, but the new 202C MAT file layout and new HUD-50059 & HUD-52670 forms will be delayed until January 2009. This is due to the forms not yet being approved by OMB. Most all other software vendors had major programming issues with this schedule. We don't have any problems with it. We're ready . .. DT.

I had the pleasure of providing onsite training for FHA Software users in Urbanna, VA and Canton, NY recently and enjoyed my visits. Software development testing with 202C MAT file submission through iMAX is progressing well. We'll be sending a Broadcast Email Message to all HUD project users to make sure they all have or get HUD Secure Site access that is required for iMAX Communication ability coming towards the end of 2008. RD is also replacing SSN's used as Project ID's with a different number for privacy issues and has started sending this announcement to all RD project managers. Getting the new Borrower ID numbers requires MINC access which has overloaded the MINC system today ( Friday ). As a result, RD has extended the August submission deadline to August 12th. Borrower ID's should not be changed until after August 22nd and you have 3 full months to change them before it becomes a problem. The existing FHA Software update release accommodates the new numbering format. We'll be sending a Braodcast Email Message to all RD users with more detail about the Borrower ID number issue next week, as well. The next State association meeting we have scheduled is the RRHA of Texas Annual Conference & Trade Show in Austin, TX on September 23 - 26, 2008 with many more coming shortly thereafter. .. DT.

I want to thank all our users who attended the RRHA of Oklahoma Convention in Tulsa, OK last week that stopped by to visit our vendor exhibit and value your use of FHA Software. Once again we were the only software vendor that sponsored &/or attended this convention. This seems to be a trend, which is OK by me. The testing of our new iMAX Communications feature is all but completed. We now have the automated ability to integrate with the new iMAX Web-Service that will be replacing the TRACSMAIL System the end of 2008. We can't provide iMAX Communication ability to our HUD project users until each State's Contract Administrator acquires iMAX ability, as well. This probably won't be until September or October 2008, at the earliest. But, it's nice to know that we're ready. We will be testing new 202C MAT file submission the next couple months. 202C MAT file submission ability will be provided about the same time as iMAX Communication ability is provided. One of the new features we are working on adding to FHA Software is Resident Screening integration. This built-in feature will provide FHA Software users the ability to electronically acquire credit history, payment experiences, ID fraud verification, access to criminal and eviction data, sex offender records, and collection services without leaving the FHA Software window. We're excited and I know our users will be too to have this built-in ability. More details will be provided as we get closer towards it's completion. The 2008.06.30 Update Release is now available. If you are on our quarterly update cdrom list, they were sent out earlier this week. The Simply Computer Software, Inc. Loves Park, IL office will be closed Friday, July 4th, but Support emails will still be monitored throughout the weekend. Have a safe July 4th. .. DT.

Just reposted the final [ 2008.06.30 ] update release of FHA Software to our FTP site. Broadcast Email Messages announcing this update will be sent out early next week. Quarterly Update CDROM's ( 2nd QTR of 2008 ) will be shipped next week, as well. I had a good time visting with all our users at the RRHA of Arkansas Annual meeting in Little Rock, AR last week. Was able to watch the Arkansas Travelers miner league baseball team play in the brand new stadium that was across the street from the hotel. Today and tommorrow I'll be at the RRHA of Oklahoma Annual Convention in Tulsa, OK and look forward to visiting with our Oklahoma users. Our iMAX Communications testing efforts are coming along. Can't believe July 4th is next week already. .. DT.

Just preposted the [ 2008.06.30 ] update release to our FTP site. Since most our software development efforts the rest of June 2008 will be on testing our iMAX Communications feature, I thought we'd post the update we have so far which does include a fix with processing Terminations that was causing the program to close with a Run-Time Error. We'll send a Broadcast Email Message announcing this update in the next week or so. I will be in Little Rock, AR, Monday through Wednesday of next week, attending the RRHA of Arkansas Annual Meeting. I'm looking forward to visiting with all our Arkansas users at this meeting. .. DT.

Just finished a conference call meeting with the TRACS Software Vendors/Working Group about the vendor testing schedule with the new iMAX System ( TRACSMAIL Dial-Up replacement ) and 202C MAT file revisions. Should be interesting. The first we can look at it is Monday June 9th. We've got our WASS ID's and can't wait to start testing our new built-in iMAX Communications feature. .. DT.

Domin-8 Enterprises just posted an update to the EDGE Accounting program ( Version 3.5.1 ). Craig made revisions to our EDGE Interface feature to match the database changes and posted it to our website today. Users that update to EDGE Version 3.5.1 should also download and install the EDGE Interface update (EDGE351.EXE) that matches it from our EDGE Accounting downloads page [simplycomputer.net/down_edg.html] .. DT.

Just posted the [ 2008.05.23 ] software update release to our ftp site. This update finally activated fully automated accrual accounting features we've been working on for quite some time. Didn't want to release it until we were confident that all the bugs were taken care of. A Broadcast Email Message announcing this update will be sent next week. This update also provides a lot of HUD form revisions that were just released by HUD only a week or so earlier. Remember, both RD & HUD give software vendors at least 3 months minimum time to implement their changes. We got these HUD form revisions out in only a weeks time .. not bad. Our next software update is scheduled for June 30, 2008 which will also be our 2nd quarterly update for 2008. We're currently working on adding a Bank Balance Summary for the Accounting feature, adding the HUD-27061 Race & Ethnic Data Reporting form to the HUD menu, among other revisions that will be included .. DT.