The Future of ISS - Insolvency Manager
It has been almost a year since Promeric acquired ISS. In that time we have made several updates to address specific issues including the GST change. In the coming year there are several changes external to Insolvency Manager that must be considered.
At this time the following issues are known:
Dual core processors
Most new computers employ dual core (or the more recent quad core) processors. The Zim database that Insolvency Manager uses cannot function with dual core processing. The workaround is to shut off the dual core function in the computers bios setup. This allows Insolvency Manager to function but removes the benefits of dual core processing from any other software running on the machine. There is no known fix for this problem.
New Cheque standard
The new cheque standard is due to come into force in September 2008. Most Insolvency Manager users print cheques using Checkwriter. Checkwriter is a third party application. The only software that still uses Checkwriter is Insolvency Manager. The company that developed Checkwriter has passed through several hands and the current owners have no plans to make Checkwriter compliant given the small number of remaining Insolvency Manager users. We will have to either have Checkwriter updated or develop a new program to print cheques. Either solution will be expensive.
Microsoft Vista
Currently Insolvency Manager will run under Vista however the install has to be done manually and several settings have to be changed after the install. There are some communication issues between Vista and Checkwriter and we suggest that workstations that generate cheque files not use Vista.
C-12
The government has now passed the amendments to the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act, Bill C-12. C-12 includes amendments to the Wage Earner Protection Program Act, CCAA and further Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act changes already passed but not yet implemented from Chapter 47 of the Statutes of Canada, 2005. The government is now in consultations to develop the regulations that will drive the implementation of the Acts. The key to the implementation of the C-12 is both the substance and the timing of the coming into force of the regulations. At this time it is unknown what the impact will be to software systems including Insolvency Manger. What is known is that the coming in to force date is highly unlikely to exceed 12 months from the passage of the Act. This puts the latest date for implementation at Dec 14th 2008. The government may, at its discretion, choose to implement earlier. While it is unknown at this time how much of an impact the regulations will have on the software, it is likely the changes required will be significant.
Ascend Growth
In the past 12 months we have seen growth in conversions from Insolvency Manager to Ascend beyond what we had forecasted. We are currently converting, on average, more than two Insolvency Manager installations per week and the rate is increasing. Each conversion to Ascend, of course, leaves an ever smaller number of users still operating with Insolvency Manager.
.
We are at a crossroads with Insolvency Manager. While all of the above issues are addressable, they will be expensive to fix. The biggest unknown is the number of changes required to meet C-12. Even if we address all of the issues, Insolvency Manager users will still have what is essentially 20+yr old software technology running their practice.
There is a strong possibility that retrofitting Insolvency Manager will not be a cost effective option given the dwindling number of users.
We will continue to support Insolvency Manger in its present form for as long as it makes economic sense. The cost of support is relatively small compared to the cost of new development. The issue at hand is, will it make sense, or even be possible, to continue to update Insolvency Manager.We will keep you informed of all developments as they become known.
Lance DeCaire
President
Promeric Technologies Inc.