Well yesterday we released the database migrator for PhonePad 4 users so that they could move their data over to PhonePad 5.  This required some changes to the PhonePad 5 database to make this possible.

It turns out there is a bug in the database engine we use that caused some problems.  Basically it broke the ability to add users to PhonePad 5.  Yikes!  We have reported the issue to the database vendor but the good news is we also found a solution and fixed it.

So we are re-releasing the database migrator application as part of the first update for PhonePad 5.  We have also changed the name so you don’t get the versions mixed up.  It was called P5DatabaseMigrator.  The new one is just called DatabaseMigrator.  A slightly less unwieldy name, I think.

If you have the old migrator application already then just delete it.  You won’t be needing it.  Get the new one by installing Update 1 (see the next article for the link).

We apologize for this problem but it caught us off guard.  Fortunately we were able to fix it quickly.

Great news!  The database migration application we promised to PhonePad 4 users is now ready.  This database migrator application will transfer your PhonePad 4 data to PhonePad 5.  You can [link removed] it right now.

Please make sure you also download the updated PhonePad 5 Admin Guide as it contains important instructions on how to use the data migration wizard.

An important thing to know is that when you start PhonePad 5 Server for the first time after installing it, it creates and sets up your PhonePad 5 database.

This is all done in the background automatically so you don’t need to do anything.  However, you should wait between 5 to 10 minutes before attempting to run PhonePad for the first time and login.

If you try to connect before the database has been fully set up you will get error messages because there will still be some parts missing.

If this does happen then just wait a few minutes before trying to start PhonePad again.  Once the database setup has been completed then you shouldn’t have this problem again.

Yep, you read that right.  After 2 years of hard work, and recently a few very late nights, we are thrilled (and relieved) to announce that PhonePad 5 has finally arrived!

So what have we done?  Well we have completely replaced the underlying architecture, rewritten almost everything, and added a new high performance database engine.  And then we added a stack of new features and improvements to make it even better.

For more details go to the What’s New page on our website.  It tells you all about the incredible new features.  I think you are going to be surprised – and excited.

This is a major upgrade.  And you can get it right now.

Like PhonePad 4 it has our famous 60-day trial too.  And if you’re a PhonePad 4 user you can upgrade instead of paying full price.

Some Things You Should Know

1. You can run PhonePad 4 and PhonePad 5 side-by-side without any conflicts.
2. MessageSender 5 doesn’t work with PhonePad 5. We will be releasing MessageSender 6 next week.
3. We will be releasing a Data Migration tool in the next few days so you can migrate your PhonePad 4 data over to PhonePad 5.
4. PhonePad 5 has been extensively tested by us and a team of customers who volunteered to be guinea pigs, I mean Beta testers.  Even with all of this testing it is possible that there are some minor bugs that we haven’t discovered.  No software is bug free, as even NASA has proven.  If you find any please let us know as a matter of priority so we can get them fixed quickly.
5. We couldn’t get everything done before the release.  The Getting Started with PhonePad website has not been updated yet with new content for PhonePad 5.  This will happen over the next couple of weeks.  We haven’t completely updated our main website either so this too will be updated over the next couple of weeks..
6. Although there are help files for PhonePad 5, there is no context-sensitive help – yet.  This will be coming soon.
7. Please read the PhonePad 5 Admin Guide.  It covers all of the new admin features.
8. Please read the PhonePad 5 User Guide.  It tells you how to use all of the new features.
9. We have a lot of plans for PhonePad 5 so there will be a few minor updates coming your way this year.
10. It’s possible that our systems may get a little overloaded with all of the downloads and upgrades going on.  Please be patient if this happens, but let us know about it too: sales@cybercom-software.com.

Now go and get it.

If you’re not sure whether or not your TAPI device will work with PhonePad’s Caller ID features, you can test your device using one of the test programs we have created.

PhonePad 4

For PhonePad 4, download the Caller ID Check program.

To use this utility, you will first need to select your TAPI device.  Next, click the Start button so that Caller ID Check will start listening for phone calls.  If your device supports Caller ID, phone numbers will be displayed in the utility when your phone rings.  If you click the Stop button, the utility will stop listening for calls.  The Exit button closes the utility.

PhonePad 5

PhonePad 5 has more advanced TAPI features than PhonePad 4 and works with a wider range of devices.  Although PhonePad 5 hasn’t been released yet you can still check device compatibility now. Download the TAPI Device Check program.

Once you have downloaded TAPI Device Check and run it, any TAPI devices it can “see” will be displayed in the list on the left.  Select a device and then click the Start Listening button.  Next, call the phone number the device is connected to.  You should see the phone number appear in the list on the right.

Click the Stop Listening button when you have finished testing.

The radio buttons at the bottom of the screen let you display all devices or just TAPI devices.  Please note that only TAPI devices will work with Caller ID.

Conclusion

If you have tested your TAPI device with one of the above programs and it worked fine, then your device will work with that version of PhonePad.  Remember, Caller ID Check is for PhonePad 4, and TAPI Device Check is for PhonePad 5.

If you tested your TAPI device with Caller ID Check and it didn’t work, try testing it with TAPI Device Check.  You may find it works fine with that.  Some devices we have tested work with both programs, and others have only worked with TAPI Device Check, which is understandable as PhonePad 5 works with more devices.

If you have a TAPI device and you’re positive it is 100% TAPI-compatible, and it doesn’t work with either test program, please let us know.

One more point: make sure you have the correct drivers for your device, and that you also have the latest version.  When we did testing with the Netcomm Roadster AM5067 device, the drivers Windows 7 installed did not work.  We had to download and install drivers from the Netcomm website before it would work.

Many software companies provide, for an additional fee, a “download protection” option when you purchase software from them.  This supposedly provides you with access to download the software again within a certain period (eg. 1 or 2 years) if the need arises.

For example, maybe your server crashed and you need to reinstall the software, only you can’t remember where you stored the original software you downloaded.  Or perhaps it was on the server that has now gone to server heaven.

As you have purchased the “download protection” you can download the software again and reinstall it.

Do you lose access to the software after that period?  No idea because we never select that option ourselves when we purchase software from another company.  We make sure we store it in a safe place that is always backed up.

Anyway, you can’t purchase a “download protection” option when you purchase our software because we don’t offer one.

That’s because you always have access to the software you purchased via your online account.  You can download it again as many times as you want, whenever you want.  And there is no “download protection” fee for this.

So if you lose the original software you downloaded and need to reinstall it, have no fear.  You always have access to it.  And it won’t cost you anything.

We are pleased to announce the release of AutoBackup Version 2.4.2.

This version has the following improvements:

• AutoBackup Manager’s user interface has been updated..
• You can now receive backup notifications on your iPhone or Android phone.  The notifications inform you whether your backups have been successful or have failed.

The following changes are included:

• Fixed incorrect date format being displayed in backup log.
• Fixed issue where backup files were sometimes not being displayed.
• Added log for AutoBackup Manager.
• Changed log files folder to C:\ProgramData\Cybercom Software\AutoBackup.
• Minor fixes.

AutoBackup can be downloaded from the AutoBackup page, or from My PhonePad Account.  This is a free minor update if you already have an AutoBackup license*.

* AutoBackup is a separate purchase from PhonePad.

We’ve been getting a few inquiries about whether or not PhonePad 4 is compatible with Windows 10.  The answer is Yes.

As with previous version of Windows, we have tested PhonePad 4 with Windows 10 and have not found any problems.

To take it even further, here is a screenshot of PhonePad 4 running under Windows 10, which is running in a virtual machine under Mac OS-X Yosemite, on a MacBook Pro.  PhonePad is using Remote Mode to connect across a peer-to-peer network to a Host PC (a Dell computer) running Windows 7.

If there were going to be any compatibility issues this is where you could expect to find them.

Please contact us if you have any questions.

If you tried to purchase PhonePad but were unable to, we’re really sorry.  There was a temporary issue with our purchasing system caused by an update.

We chased that gremlin around and finally managed to catch it.  Cheeky little rascal.

The good news is it’s now up and running again.  If you were unable to purchase please try again.

Thanks.