This past year we continued to see growth in the uniform industry with more health care professionals entering the workplace. I hope you have been a part of the growth by offering the best selling merchandise and expanding the access your customer has to your business. With The Uniform Solution’s WebStore, your customer can easily look up items, check your stock levels, and make Group purchases with their pricing. One of our customers was surprised at how easy it was to set up access for a large group that ended up placing over 800 orders in just a few days. If you don’t have a WebStore, it’s time to get started.
My Have Things Changed
If you go back and look at the past 12 years, both technology and how we use it has changed dramatically. The iPhone came out in 2007 and even though the iPad has only been out since 2010, it has changed how people and companies connect.
When we released The Uniform Solution for Windows in 2001, it operated completely autonomously and we had to send out CDs when we had a new version. Starting in 2003, we began “connecting” you to your vendors and offering EDI, ASN Receiving, and eventually real-time stock reporting from the vendor. Today The Uniform Solution can be accessed by the WebStore to run employee reports and provide 24-hour shopping to your customers. In 2014, we will release The Uniform Solution+ SQL Server and further extend your reach by offering our first Android and iOS apps that can be used by an employee to lookup an item’s price and check stock levels.
New Licensing Model – The Uniform Solution+ SQL Server
With the sea-change that has taken place over the last 10 years, it has become necessary for us to change how we license and support the components that make up The Uniform Solution. Today, most software is sold on a month-to-month basis and we have moved to the same model. This model makes it more affordable to get started and allows us to include everything you need in a single monthly fee. Gone is the complicated a-la-carte pricing for the license, subscription, support, and WebStore. With The Uniform Solution+ SQL Server, everything is included in a simple monthly fee – even technical support.
2014 and 2015 Software Subscription Renewals
For 2014 and 2015, you can renew your existing Professional and Enterprise Software Subscription for The Uniform Solution just like always. A 2014 Software Subscription provides you with the ability to use all of the “connected” features like the Vendor Catalog, Direct EDI, Email, Receiving by the Carton (ASN), Real-time Stock Reporting, and Image downloading. Sometime in 2014, you will have the option to upgrade to The Uniform Solution+ SQL Server when it is released (likely in 2nd Qtr 2014). Having a 2014 Software Subscription will provide you with a discount on the upgrade for many months into the future. Starting in 2016, you will no longer be able to renew your Subscription for the Professional and Enterprise versions, but you could continue to use it without the Connected Features and the Vendor Catalog. As of now, all new features are planned for The Uniform Solution+ SQL Server version.
The Uniform Solution+ SQL Server
In order to make The Uniform Solution more robust, reliable, and scalable, we began working to replace the current TPS database engine with Microsoft SQL Server in 2011. This new version will be a fantastic upgrade and will use the same interface you use today. The computer or “Server” where The Uniform Solution+ SQL Server is installed will be required to have Windows 7, Vista, or Windows 8. You can also use a Windows Server OS, but you’ll need Windows Server 2008 or newer. POS workstations and other stations can still use Windows XP, but we recommend updating all your computers to 64-bit computers with 4GB or more of ram as soon as you can. Believe it or not, it’s been over 10 years since Windows XP came out.
The Uniform Solution+ SQL Server Licensing
The Uniform Solution+ SQL Server will be offered as an upgrade to The Uniform Solution Professional and Enterprise. The Uniform Solution+ SQL Server will be licensed using The Uniform Solution+ SQL Server month-to-month model. It will include The Uniform Solution+ SQL Server with the Enterprise feature set, Microsoft SQL Server Express, a Software Subscription with Connected Features, the WebStore, iOS and Android support (when available), and 2 hours of Technical Support per month. With a credit card on file, the license is automatically renewed until you wish to cancel.
Customers that purchased a Professional or Enterprise version license and a 2014 Software Subscription will be able to sign up for The Uniform Solution+ with SQL Server at a significantly reduced monthly rate. We will publish upgrade pricing in 2014 as the SQL Server version becomes available. You can see the current pricing for The Uniform Solution+ SQL Server on the our website by selecting “Pricing” on the top menu.
