Frequently Asked Questions

General

Why should I buy Booking Pro? Booking Pro does a great job supporting letting administration but that alone might not be enough to help you justify investing in it. As such we have compiled a list of reasons why customers have bought Booking Pro and you can read them by clicking here.

Licensing

What licences will I require? You will need a licence for each PC that you intend to use the software on. If you plan to use Booking Pro on more than one computer you can benefit from some substantial discounts by buying a multi-PC licence. See pricing for further details.

Installation

Can I install Booking Pro myself? Booking Pro is very easily to install so you can do it yourself. Once you have downloaded the setup file, simply run it and it will walk you through the entire installation process including installing the .NET Framework and the Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Express which powers the database. For detailed instructions on installing Booking Pro please click here.

Support

How do you support Booking Pro? Remote support (e.g. email, fax, telephone) is offered to all Users who purchase a support contract for the purposes of addressing issues directly arising from Booking Pro. Any additional support (e.g. problems with PCs, servers and onsite visits) will be provided subject to the client agreeing to the additional costs involved which are based on the consultancy fees. Support staff make all reasonable endeavours to provide remote support and these are considerably increased if the user makes available remote access facilities (e.g. using VPN or dialup access). Whilst every effort is make to supply software which is free of faults, free of charge updates to fix faults are supplied to users with a current support contract.

What is the release strategy? Booking Pro is undergoing a programme of ongoing development to improve the features offered to users. If you have any suggestions for improving Booking Pro please email us at custserv@bprsolutions.co.uk.  Users with a current support contract can download upgrades free of charge.

Technical

	What hardware do I need to run Booking Pro? Clients The computer on which you install Booking Pro should meet the following system requirements.   System Component Minimum Requirement Processor PC with a Pentium III-class processor, 850 MHz Recommended: Pentium 4-class, 1GHz RAM Windows 2000 Professional — 96 MB; Windows 2000 Server — 192 MB; Windows XP Home — 96 MB; Windows XP Professional & .NET Server — 192 MB Recommended: 128MB for 2000 Professional, 256 MB for 2000 Server, 160 MB for XP Home, 256 MB for XP Professional & .NET Server1 Available Hard Disk Space 250 MB including the .NET framework 1.1/2.0 and SQL Server 2005 Express. Otherwise 30mb. Operating System Windows® 2000, Windows XP SP2, Windows Server 2003, or Windows NT 4.0 with the .NET Framework 1.1 installed CD-ROM or DVD-ROM Drive Optional if internet connection available Video 800 x 600, 256 colors Recommended: 1024x768 High Color 16-bit Mouse Microsoft Mouse or compatible pointing device Other Applications Microsoft Office is needed to produce booking confirmations, invoices, credit notes and spreadsheets. Servers The computer used to hold the database must satisfy the minimum requirements for running Microsoft SQL Server..
	Why do a I need a SQL Server database? Booking Pro stores any data you enter in a database. There are many different databases available (e.g. Access, SQL Server) and the reliability and scalability of them varies considerably. Booking Pro has been designed to be a very reliability solution and as such needed a reliable database. SQL Server offers high degrees of reliability and hence are natural choices for storing your valuable data.
	What is the difference between Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Express and other editions of Microsoft SQL Server 2005? The Express edition is a scaled down version of SQL Server and only supports a small number of concurrent users. It is preferable to run SQL Server on a dedicated server whereas the Express edition will operate satisfactorily on either a dedicated server or a client PC which is being used for other purposes including running Booking Pro. It uses the same code-base and hence is a very reliable database but doesn't contain all of the features of SQL Server. Microsoft provides the Express edition as a free download whereas other SQL Server editions requires licences to be purchased for each server/client it is used on.
	When should you not choose the Express edition of SQL Server? If you need to process a large number of bookings or support more than 10 concurrent users you should licence another edition of SQL Server. If you already use SQL Server in your organisation then you should approach your IT Department and see if they would prefer you to use SQL Server. If neither of the above apply, then the Express edition will be an ideal starting point and you can always upgrade to SQL Server at a later stage.
	How do I obtain SQL Server? The Express edition is provided on the installation cd for Booking Pro. If you plan to use another edition of SQL Server you will need to contact your IT Department and ask them to make the necessary arrangements including purchasing any additional licences for SQL Server.
	What is the .NET Framework? The .NET Framework is the latest generation of Microsoft connected technology. It is a set of software technologies for connecting information, people, systems, and devices. You can read all about it on Microsoft's .NET website.
	Does Booking Pro work with Microsoft Office? Booking Pro works with current versions of Microsoft Office. It requires Microsoft Word to print invoices and credit notes, and Microsoft Excel if you want to export reports to a spreadsheet.