General FAQs
Find the most commonly asked questions here.
General Questions
What is Platform-as-a Service (PaaS)?
A hosted software platform for database applications that runs as a service on the web. The actual application and data is hosted on secure remote servers to facilitate a low-risk entry point into using the applications. It's very similar to if you have ever used web-based email application such as a Yahoo! or Google Mail account. Applications on the platform can be customized by changing fields, adding dashboard widgets, building reports, or even creating entire applications from scratch.
What kind of applications does the platform provide and support?
Virtually any application that incorporates structured data can be built using the platform. It offers a flagship application called Sales Force Automation which is a suite of applications that enable sales teams to collaborate and improve sales processes around managing Prospects, Accounts, and Contacts, streamlining the execution of campaigns, and improve the clarity and consistency of reporting sales information to management teams. Additional applications will appear in the catalog over time.
Are catalog applications free?
Applications on the catalog are free depending on the service plan you are participating in. For more information, see the Pricing page.
Can I access my data when I am not connected to the Internet?
Unfortunately, no. The platform is only available in an online service.
Can other departments in my company benefit or use the platform?
Yes, other departments including marketing, accounting, support, human resources can all benefit from the application. Basically anyone in the company with data or knowledge management needs can use the platform to centralize their information and work together.
What are the minimum hardware and network requirements?
In order to use the platform, the following are required:
- Computer
- Broadband network connection (DSL or better)
- An account Login
- Trial accounts can be created for new users, which can then be converted after the trial period
Minimum System Requirements *
| PC | Mac | |
|---|---|---|
| Operating System | Windows XP or Vista | OS X |
| Memory (RAM) | 512MB+ | 512MB+ |
| Browser | IE 6.0 or above, Firefox 2.0 or above | Firefox 2.0 or above |
* The number of applications that are running on the system will affect the platform speed and performance.
What web browsers do you support?
The platform supports:
- Microsoft Internet Explorer, version 8 or higher
- All recent versions of Mozilla FireFox, Google Chrome, and Safari.
Service Details
After my company signs up for the service, how soon can we be up and running?
Your account is set up the moment you register. However, depending on how much data you have to import, customization needed, and training availability of your staff, it may take a little longer. Typical installation scenarios can range from minutes to days depending on the extent of customization. Like any new software, you should also account for time required to train your team and establish policies.
How much data can I store in the platform?
Storage varies based on the service plan purchased.
Can I purchase additional storage space if needed? At what price?
Yes. You will be billed for additional storage usage.
Where is the platform hosted?
We are partnered with RackSpace, a SAS 70 Type II certified web hosting provider that has won many industry awards for technology and customer service. SAS 70 Type II means that an accounting/auditing board has routinely determined the facility has the necessary processes and safeguards in place to protect the assets and data hosted within their environment, sufficiently providing protection from theft, corruption or mishandling. All critical systems in the data centers are N+1 redundant, including regular audits and tests of all data center systems to ensure readiness and smooth operation. Weekly tests are conducted on all HVAC, UPS, fire-suppression, and generator systems.
Is my data backed up?
Yes. The platform maintains nightly backups of the entire database. We also keep daily incremental tape archives of our data.
How secure is it?
From a hosting standpoint, we've taken great efforts to ensure that data is secure, segmented, and encrypted. Our hosting partner RackSpace is SAS 70 Type II certified to ensure the best processes.
Internally within your organization, there are certainly risks such as giving away your administration login and password, or giving too much control over to someone internally that might damage your data. Security rights can be easily controlled by you to determine what your team can or can't do. If you have specific security needs, our platform can adapt to your needs.
What happens if the server that the data is on goes down? Will I be notified by support of an outage?
We are running multiple servers that are fully mirrored, so an outage might slow down access but not impede your ability to log in, unless you or your Internet service provider loses your connection.
In the event of a planned service outage for maintenance, you will be notified 48 hours prior to its occurrence. For unplanned outages, you will be notified within 24 hours of its occurrence.
Can I receive a backup copy of my data? If yes how often?
Regardless of plan, you can manually export your data with tools provided within the platform. If you would like the platform to provide you with a weekly backup, we can do so for a service fee.
Support
Does my company need to have an administrator dedicated to take care of my data?
One benefit to a web-based delivery of our product is that your organization does not need to a hire or assign an administrator. However, to receive maximum benefit we suggest that your company appoint a primary contact for our support organization to work with and to provide basic support onsite. We have found that, once an organization has appointed a primary contact or assigned ownership of the platform, then your success using our software increases by 83%.
How do I get support?
Just click on the Support link, located on every page when you’ve logged into the platform, add a new support case and describe the problem or request that you have. Our support coaches will pick the request up and will respond to it within one business day (depending on your support plan).
How do I get Help pages to open in a new window?
When you click a question mark icon, it's generally desirable for the help page to open in a new window, so you can see side-by-side with the platform.
Platform help is set up to work in exactly that way. These days, however, many browsers are configured by default to "Open new windows in a new tab, instead". To make help open in a new window, find that setting in your browser and turn it off.
- In Firefox 3.6, the setting is here: Tools > Options > Tabs
User Access Questions
Can your partners/resellers access data in our instance of the platform?
If you grant them access they can. You can do this by adding them as a user and modifying or limiting their access to only information that you want them to view.
Can more than one individual access or modify my data? How will I know if this happens?
Only an individual who has been granted access to manage your data will have the ability to edit your data. If any type of modification is made to your data, an Audit Log will be established.
If a user leaves our company can I simply delete his/her user account?
No, deleting a former user would disconnect all of his or her data. Instead you’ll make their account inactive. This can be done by your administrator in the Setup, Administration section of the platform. You can then perform a mass change in ownership. Learn More: Deactivate a User
Training
What kind of training do you offer?
See the Platform Training for more information.
Reporting / Views / Widgets
What is the difference between reports, views, and widgets?
In the platform, a Report is any data that also includes grouping, summary, or basic calculation of data. This is ideal for business analysts or management to see their status. Views provide filtered information that can be acted on (for example, deleting records or logging calls) without any complex data queries. Widgets on the Home page provide a view or report in a convenient dashboard format so you can see status at a glance.
Are there any special tools or classes that I need to learn in order to write a report?
No, as an end user or administrator no special tools or classes are required to learn how to generate a report. In addition, reports can be exported to Microsoft Excel for more extensive calculations.
Data Security
How is my data protected?
Data is secured using role-based access control and data sharing policies. Every user account is associated with a pre-defined Role in the platform. When you log in, your Role determines the kind of data you can see.
How can I protect data security of my records?
It is very important that you do not share your Account ID/password information. This combination of account identifier and password are the key to keeping your data safe.
Where is my data hosted?
We are partnered with RackSpace, a SAS 70 Type II certified web hosting provider that has won many industry awards for technology and customer service. SAS 70 Type II means that an accounting/auditing board has routinely determined the facility has the necessary processes and safeguards in place to protect the assets and data hosted within their environment, sufficiently providing protection from theft, corruption or mishandling.
Can I grant a client access to part of my database, and keep my data separate?
Yes, you can create different user logins with specific and restricted access control, based on the Roles you can create. Your client only sees the part of your website you want them to see. A good example of this might be to create a Role that has viewing capability for a select set of reports.
What backend processes/hardware, etc. are required?
None! Just go to our website, register for a free account and get started building your custom business application.