Frequently Asked Questions

1.       We use PDS Express now.  Will we lose all our data if we upgrade to PDS Live?

a.       No!  All you need to do is send us your data files and we will convert them automatically into the new system.  You’ll be working with your data online within 24-48 hours.  If you are using a previous version of PDS, all of your data will transfer seamlessly into PDS Live.  It's a beautiful thing.

2.       How much will PDS Live cost?

a.       Click here to see pricing info 

3.       Will existing PDS & Elexio customers get a discount?

a.       Yes!  All of our existing clients will be offered a special rate!  Call us.

4.       Why is the cost more than what we paid for the old version of PDS?

a.       Great question!   There are many reasons why PDS Live costs more:

 
  •  PDS Live is 10 times more complex than our old version (now called PDS Express).  It represents a whole new level of web-enabled functionality for your entire church, not just the staff.
     
  • We are taking on responsibility for your data!  We are investing a lot of money on high powered servers and software to store your data.  We are responsible for backing it up every day.  We are responsible for securing it with firewalls (both hardware & software).  We are making sure you get 24/7 access to the data over a high speed connection to the Internet.
     
  • We are paying highly skilled IT professionals to manage and care for your data and make sure all the hardware and software works smoothly. 
     
  • We are paying highly skilled developers using enterprise class development tools to create world class solutions for churches of all sizes.
     
  • We are hiring additional technical support specialists and expanding our hours of availability because your data must be available anytime you need it.
     
  • The whole software industry is moving toward “Software as a Service” where ongoing monthly or annual fees are the norm.  This isn’t just a marketing model.  It’s a reflection of the true cost of what it takes to provide good service and continual development.  We encourage you to do some comparison shopping with other vendors that provide this model of service and notice the rise in pricing.
     
  • Information technology is a critical part of your church's ability to do ministry in the 21st century.  Your information system should be a central part of keeping your team working together to help serve the people in your church.  Most churches we talk to understand this and are investing in this leading-edge technology.

  • One more thing...sometimes people ask "Why doesn't your software cost the same as popular programs like Windows, MS Office, or Quickbooks?   It's simply because of scale. Microsoft has sold 175,000,000 copies of Windows 7 in the first 9 months after it was released.  If they just charged $1 for it they would make $175M!  In the church software business the number of potential buyers of software is so small comparatively we simply have to charge more just to stay in business.

5.       Does our church need to upgrade our computers to run PDS Live?

a.       No!  Since we are hosting the data there is no need for you buy expensive servers or high-end computers to run PDS Live.  If you can run Windows, then you can run our software.  However, you do want to make sure you have a fast, reliable connection to the Internet.  Dial-up or Satellite connections will not work.

Did someone say "get a new computer?"  Of course if you're trying to get your budget approved to purchase new computers and you want to blame us for it, we'll take the blame.  We can handle it. 

6.       Will training be required for the new version?

a.       Training is not required, but we will certainly offer it and highly recommend it.  We will continue offering our very successful live online training.  Contact us for more info.

7.   What tools are used to create PDS Live?

a.       We are using the latest development tools (Visual Studio.NET 2008) and an enterprise class database (MS SQL Server 2008) so that it can handle the most demanding uses in the largest churches in the world.  All three interfaces are completely new and written from the ground up.  We have intentionally designed PDS Live to be a "Smart Client" application.  You will be hearing a lot about this kind of architecture in 2010 especially from Microsoft as they release Office 2010 which has the same kind of technology.  

8.   Will PDS Live replace our church website?

a.       PDS Live is not a content management system.  But it is designed to enhance your church website by offering a link to your own church portal in PDS Live Online.  We have merged with Elexio which does offer excellent Content Management (CMS) products.  We highly recommend that you consider switching your website to Elexio.com as we will begin offering a completely integrated solution as our companies complete the merge. 

9.   Will you continue to support and develop the old version of PDS, now called PDS Express?

a.       Yes - We will continue to support it. Upgrades will also be availabe to other levels of PDS Express or our current solution - PDS Live. Support plans for PDS Express will be available, but no new development will go into it.

10.   Will PDS Live run on a Mac?

a.       The browser interface (PDS Live Online) will run on a Mac natively.  The Windows interface (PDS Live Desktop & Kiosk) will run on a Mac using a third party tool like VMware, Parallels, Remote Desktop, Boot Camp, etc.  (Internally several of our developers use Macs with VMware and Vista/Windows 7 and it works great!  We'd be glad to answer any questions about how this works and share tips with you.)

11.   Why didn’t you create one completely browser-based interface like all the other “web-based” church software companies?

a.       We strongly believe in being “web-based,” but not all “browser-based.”  Our competitor's like to boast of their "100% web-based products" as if all other systems are inferior to theirs.  They also like to say that you have access to the system "anytime, anywhere".  BUT what they aren't telling you is that there is at least one critical weakness with browser-based systems.  You MUST be connected to the Internet in order to do anything!  And not just connected, but connected with a fast, reliable connection.  PDS Live gives you the ability to work offline!  It is a Smart Client application that gives you the ability to work anytime, anywhere, regardless of network connectivity.  Let me know how you like that "100% web-based product" on Sunday morning in the middle of children's check in and you lose your internet connection...

Working offline is a lot like your email program.  For example, with Outlook you can work anytime you want.  You can create, edit and delete emails, tasks, events, contacts, etc.  Then when you are connected to the Internet, Outlook syncs your data with your ISP/Mail Server. AND because your database can reside locally you can have extremely fast performance compared to web-based systems.  Have you tried to run a 100 page report in a web-based system?  Or display 50,000 names on screen in a lookup list?  We have.  And PDS Live is scream'n fast.  ;-)

      Browser-based systems must transfer both the data and the interface to your computer in order to work.  With a desktop-based interface, you only have to transmit the interface once and then only transfer data as needed.   

Browser-based interfaces aren’t yet as powerful as desktop programs.  Desktop programs can display a very “data rich” screen very quickly and present it in complex ways that browsers just can’t do.

12.   Can we create our own reports with PDS Live?

a.      We have greatly expanded the reporting capabilities in PDS Live.  We offer a new more powerful custom search tool.  We also have a new reporting tool called the "Field Chooser" which allows you to select what fields you want, sorting and grouping, and the criteria for the report.  We are also working on a report writer that will allow you to make modifications to existing reports and allow you to create brand new ones!  You'll get full control of fonts, colors, and graphics. 

14.   Can I download a demo or use an online demo of PDS Live?

a.      PDS Live is a much more sophisticated system than the previous version, so we'd love to give you a guided tour. We conduct online webinars by appointment to show you how it works.  We also do almost weekly scheduled demos.  Please contact us to sign up. We can also offer a 30 minute video demonstration. Please contact our sales department for the link to view it.

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