1. Can my company install Trade
Banker® on its own Intranet site?
Yes, Trade Banker® is available both as an Internet
service and an Intranet software product. Lex-Tek will deliver
an installation CD of the Trade Banker® object code
for that purpose. For Intranet installations Lex-Tek recommends
close coordination and participation between the operational
personnel, individual users and the IT department so all aspects
of Trade Banker's®
Intranet use can be expedited efficiently.
However, we recommend that, for optimal use, Trade
Banker®be used on Lex-Tek's
website where upgrades and technical corrections are made automatically
and data is backed up on a regular basis. This reduces operations
to website access. Back to Top
2. What are the criteria we
should evaluate between Internet and Intranet use of Trade
Banker®?
There are several factors to evaluate:
1. What is our company policy?
2. What do our security people require?
3. What additional software do we need on our system if we install
Trade Banker® on our Intranet?
4. Does Lex-Tek charge anything for upgrading its server or
is that automatically a part of our license?
5. How is service and access affected?
6. What is the difference in how we correct any service problems?
7. What Internet connectivity speed and service do we have?
8. Data entry into Trade Banker® requires frequent
"saving" of invoice and payment information as a part
of its normal operation. Can our systems conveniently manage
this without sacrificing efficient use?
9. Can our systems and IT department adequately handle this
application or should we better leave that to Lex-Tek?
There may be others and it is not a cut-and-dried question or
issue. Back to Top
3. What are the hardware and
software requirements?
(i) To access Trade Banker® over the Internet you
only need Internet access with Microsoft Explorer® 4.0 or
higher and Microsoft Excel® on your desktop in order to
read and access the data management and reporting features.
To access the electronic data upload feature it is necessary
to have Software Artisans File-Up® v.3.3 to upload the receivables
and payments in delimited ASCII format into Trade Banker®.
(ii) There are no special hardware requirements to run Trade
Banker® on your own server and Intranet. Any system
that is capable of running Microsoft Windows® 2000 with
IIS and SQL Server version 7.0 can run Trade Banker®.
A minimum of 513MB RAM is recommended. Required software for
your Intranet are: Windows® 2000 w/IIS, SQL Server®
version 7.0, Software Artisans ExcelWriter LE version 3.1 and
FileUp® version 3.3 (the latter two available over website:
www.softwareartisans.com). There is a more comprehensive version
of ExcelWriter offered by Software Artisans but, for most users,
the LE version 3.3 is sufficient. Back to Top
4. What type of agreement or
contract is necessary?
Lex-Tek offers a variety of license agreements to fit the specific
needs and requirements of its users. There is one set of Web
Services Agreements for access to Trade Banker® over
the Internet on Lex-Tek's server (or an ISP site of your choosing)
and another set of License Agreements for Intranet installation
and use of Trade Banker®. Agreements may be written
in perpetuity or on a monthly basis based on usage and a variety
of measurement parameters. Back to Top
5. Who has the Source Code
for Trade Banker®?
Lex-Tek owns the Source Code. Lex-Tek has made arrangements
with DSI Technology Escrow Services, Norcross, Georgia, to serve
as Escrow Agent on behalf of any user that requests that service.
The Escrow Agent is independent of Lex-Tek, and the user contracts
directly with DSI, or the agent of its choice. While Lex-Tek
is a signatory to any Escrow Agreement to assure that it remains
in compliance, the agreement is between the user and the Escrow
Agent. Back to Top
6. What if we want custom modifications
to Trade Banker® to meet certain unique requirements?
Each License Agreement contains a provision for Modifications.
Lex-Tek personnel can work with you to develop specifications
for any Modification and quote a fixed cost contract to develop
and create them. Rates for software development are at or below
current market rates. Back to Top
7. How do I receive upgrades
to Trade Banker®?
If you are on the Lex-Tek Trade Banker Website, upgrades are
automatic. You do not have to do anything different than log
on the system for use. The cost is part of the monthly service
fee.
If you are a perpetual user of the Installed Trade Banker®,
you can receive updated Installation CD's containing the upgrades
for a nominal annual fee. These CD's are first subject to testing
before installation by the user in its normal manner. Back to Top
8. Can we make Trade Banker®
accessible by out customers or borrowers?
You control access to Trade Banker® through the issuance
of access codes and passwords. To the extent you want any third-party
to have access, or even input data, you control that access.
For Internet users anyone having access to the Internet is capable
of accessing Trade Banker® subject to the password
controls. For Intranet users, access may be limited by security
issues or firewalls which may impact the extent to which outsiders
have access to your systems. Back to Top
9. How do I determine the net
savings of Trade Banker®?
You probably already have some methodology in place to measure
the cost-benefits of various capital investments. In the case
of any technology application you have to first evaluate the
activities that the system is addressing and the impact of the
technology on those activities. Essentially Trade Banker®
is a labor saving device.
There are opportunity costs and other savings that can be attributed
to using Trade Banker® which can be estimated. This
exercise is often referred to as a "Return on Technology
Investment" ("ROTI") whose counterpart in capital
investment analysis is "Return on Investment" ("ROI").
Lex-Tek can work with you to identify the impacted activities,
allocate costs and savings to those activities, and measure
the net savings by licensing Trade Banker®. Back to Top
