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Advanced Access Anomalies

By
Real Estate Agent with Harper Real Estate

Providing Tracking of Known Software Bugs, Deficiencies and Major System Problems involving Advanced Access Virtual Office (VO) 4.0

Advanced Access at this time provides NO information to users of it's services about current problems and their status. It also provides NO announcements of new and planned changes.  Major updates are done by stealth

This list is provided as a service by the AAUG to help Advanced Access users by filling that information gap.  If you are aware of problems not mentioned here, please submit details so it can be added to the anomalies list below...


1. System Outages and Slowdowns
System was almost unusable around the beginning of March (either not working or so slow that display of pages were timing out). This has been due to several issues, including new load-leveling software that is not communicating properly, image server problems and server power failures. Development personnel have been diverted from other projects to help resolve the problems.  It is considered a very high priority.  Since servers are physically located at a remote site, system problems have to be handled through the service provider (Internap, in Orange County, CA).

Status: Ongoing/Intermittent, impacting other projects/issues. 

Note: They are planning to move servers to an East Coast facility owned/maintained by their parent company/group.


2. Replacement of OnBoard's School Reporting and Neighborhood Navigator (demographics/statistics) applications with eNeighborhood's versions, incorporating Microsoft Live mapping mashups.
Instead of first testing new features before deploying, the replacements were made in standard Advanced Access "Stealth Update" fashion without prior notice to users.  Currently they do not work.   There are several issues including: lack of complete data (e.g., no public schools on East Coast) and malfunctioning mapping functions. 

Some features that OnBoard provided, such as the ability to easily access and display side-by-side comparisons of schools at county, district and community levels will not be available with eNeighborhood's version.

Advanced Access also says that there is a problem with Microsoft Live mapping and they have to wait on Microsoft to fix it.  Requests for temporary return to OnBoard's applications until problems with eNeighborhood's versions are resolved and tested have been rejected.

Previous Status: Not Working / Unusable.

Current Status: There are still some features that are not available (such as Crime statistics for Community Profiles).  However, new features do work for the most part, showing reasonable data, but still have some display/presentation bugs.


3. Property Profile Option(under VO menu: Property Tools)
Was originally unavailable (when you attempted to access you received the "Server Error in '/' Application." response) for weeks.  It reappeared at the end of February, however there are still minor problems with options not working or having no effect, including turning off the display of several fields, such as address, warehouse square footage, etc.

Status: Working but with Unresolved Display Settings Bugs


4. Forms Editing and Display Issues  (Forms Manager under VO menu: Contact Manager)
Forms are currently working, "as is", however you can not edit and order pull down menus with multiple options, nor set the default value.  Required fields do not show up with a red asterisk, even though a message states that fields marked with red asterisk are required. 

Status: Working but with Major Forms Control/Display Bugs


5. Property Search Form
The IDX property search is customized by programming staff for each of the over 130 MLS's in which it's subscribing agent users are members.  Currently, several setup options do not work, such as the ability to change the banner image that appears at top of form.  (There are no other ways to add/edit text at top of form, such as title, explanation, etc. than to create a banner image with text.)

Not sure status of any other MLS, but Trend (Delaware Valley region) MLS has not been set up properly, has missing/confusing/incorrectly labeled search selection options, nor is MLS search database being updated on a daily basis.

Status: Currently Not Usable with Unresolved Critical Customizations and Data Update Frequency Issues.


6. Slideshows
(under VO menu: Design Center)
Problems have been occurring when attempting to load slideshow onto the homepage. The system locks up on client side. Problem started occurring in February.
 
Status: Slideshow Load Not Working



If you know of any issues related to Advanced Access hosting services involving Virtual Office 4.0, please submit details for inclusion here.


Click here for prior Advance Access related articles (note: some require membership)



INVITATION: If you are an Advanced Access user, please join us at AAUG!

Copyright 2008 by Lawrence Yerkes. All Rights Reserved.

Comments(14)

Jeri Winkler
The Secret Assistant - Alexandria Bay, NY

Larry,

Thanks for this insightful post!  This mirrors most of my problems to a tee!  You could add problems with the flash slideshow feature.  One of my clients has 3 flash slideshows on this home page.  I have no problems creating the slideshow.  My problem occurs in trying to load the slideshow onto the homepage.  Since February I haven't been able to upload a new slideshow.  The entire system locks up.  Tech support is clueless.  They say it is a problem with my computer.  I have 3 computers and have tried it on all 3, with the same results.  Humm.....I think it is something on AA's end.  It has worked great, no matter what computer I've used until February.  I didn't change anything, but AA has. 

I have several clients with AA sites and the complaints are endless.  They complain about issues that I cannot fix.  Calls to tech support leave me beating my head against the wall.  ARGH!! 

Again, thanks for "putting it on paper" and bring this to the masses!  Maybe it will help resolve the issues.

Jeri Winkler
The Secret Assistant
Jeri@TheSecretAssistant.com
www.TheSecretAssistant.com

Mar 18, 2008 02:50 AM
Larry Yerkes
Harper Real Estate - Ridley Park, PA
Associate Broker, Southeastern PA Real Estate Services

Jeri,

Thanks for you comment.  I added #6... I had to summarize but I hope I stated it properly.

Mar 21, 2008 03:48 PM
Larry Yerkes
Harper Real Estate - Ridley Park, PA
Associate Broker, Southeastern PA Real Estate Services
The Local Community lookup feature (which is now being provided by eNeighborhood) is stabilized to some extent, however it does not yet provide crime statistics.

Status is same for everything else.
Mar 29, 2008 05:19 PM
Megan Barber
Barber Virtual Assisting Solutions, LLC - Vineland, NJ

I'm so glad I found your Active Rain Group.  Your list of problems are the exact same frustrating issues facing my version 4.0 clients, not to mention the problems I am having with my clients that have 3.0 sites (with the promise of conversion taking years now).

The customer service has become ridiculous. I dread each time a new problem crops up when I have to call them and wait 20-30 minutes on hold. Forget about trying them by email, it takes them 2 weeks to respond. They just don't seem to care.

It is really a shame because they used to be such an excellent company. Now I am taking them off my preferred vendors list on my site because their service and sites are just not up to par anymore.

Apr 07, 2008 08:54 AM
Vanessa Krempa
Princeton, NJ

Oh, boy....  Thanks for this post.  I am seriously considering using Advanced Access and have three MLS that I would like to include on my website: Trend, Garden State and Middlesex.

Can you tell me what happens on the Trend one?  This is the most critical MLS for my business and I want to make sure visitors to my website can look up properties and also will see my contact information for questions.  Don't want to pay for a site that doesn't have an update MLS or sends vistors only to the listing agents!

May 01, 2008 11:04 PM
Larry Yerkes
Harper Real Estate - Ridley Park, PA
Associate Broker, Southeastern PA Real Estate Services

Vanessa:  Issues I have documented regarding Trend are still outstanding as of this comment... they are "in programming" for resolution and are taking much longer than initially estimated.

May 02, 2008 09:39 AM
Vanessa Krempa
Princeton, NJ

Larry-  Thanks for the response. 

Something else I noticed, when I checked out your website and did a search on Trend I noticed that the data had not been updated from Trend for four days.  I questioned Trend and was told that it was Advanced Access that decided how often to pull the data and AA said it was Trend.  I'm concerned about paying AA fees plus $35/month for Trend IDX link for information not updated at least daily.  Am I missing something?  Any thoughts?

May 03, 2008 04:29 AM
Larry Yerkes
Harper Real Estate - Ridley Park, PA
Associate Broker, Southeastern PA Real Estate Services
Anonymous
Wendell Carr

Our Brokerage office has been a customer with AA for 6 years.  Being one of AA's clients on version 3.0 and being promised that 4.0 would solve many of our current problems.... reading this post has certainly convinced me that the new version is in no better shape than what we currently have.  While we have been patient for over a year now, being promised the coversion, and after last years Memorial Day meltdown when the servers went off line and our site was down for a full week, I realize that this is a sinking ship.  I have been looking for alternatives, and while I hate the process of re-doing a website... obviously this is not going to get better any time soon.  As someone else has said, Advanced Access at one time was a great company, but I feel that they have not kept up technologically with the advances in web technology, and certainly their attitude and customer service has gone down the drain.  We have demo's scheduled with 2 other web hosting companies this week. 

Wendell Carr, Marketing Director for RE/MAX of Thomasville, Inc.

 

 

May 12, 2008 04:24 AM
#9
Anonymous
Joanne Tarantino

I just realized I entered my email address wrong on my last message to you.  How do I join?

Mar 25, 2009 08:15 AM
#10
Anonymous
Brad

I am done. I am a 3.0 user for 5 years with an upgrade promis and no working email thanks to AA.

What a rip off.

BraD

Apr 22, 2009 08:13 AM
#11
Anonymous
Brad

I am done. I am a 3.0 user for 5 years with an upgrade promis and no working email thanks to AA.

What a rip off.

BraD

Apr 22, 2009 08:13 AM
#12
Debbi Mortus
VA 2 The Rescue - Thornton, CO
Debbi Mortus - Virtual Assistant

Larry,

Several of my clients are done as well!  We can all understand and forgive one thing (maybe) but this is the 2nd time that AA has had a major melt down.   And the customer service has just gone down hill it is crazy!  In this economy customer service should be a top priority, not an after thought, and AA must have missed that memo!  

Thanks for the updates and information! 

Apr 22, 2009 11:06 AM
Larry Yerkes
Harper Real Estate - Ridley Park, PA
Associate Broker, Southeastern PA Real Estate Services

Does anyone have any current feedback regarding the current status of problems (whether still existing or resolved) with AA services?

NOTE: I am no longer using their service as it never reached the level of stability nor features that I was promised and/or expected.

Mar 24, 2010 05:42 AM