Standard vs. Enterprise

Targeted for a 2008 release, our first step will be to release a Standard edition first. This version will be very lightweight and very basic, devoid of any bells or whistles. Armstrong Standard won't have databases so it will run much faster. We've also decided to leave out the Appraisal Desktop and the Digital Workfile. Think light, simple, no frills.

There's clearly a large demand for this kind of appraisal software. It's perfect for new appraisers getting into the business, trainees, use in the field, and for appraisers that only need to create WinTOTAL files part time. The learning curve will be as low as absolutely possible.

It's important to note, however, that just because it will have less tools, the tools it does have will still clearly be best in class. We're not going to take an existing feature and hobble it just to make it fit the "no frills" policy in Standard. Quite the opposite. If it's going to have a tool, it will be best in class or it won't be there at all. Take sketching, for instance. In Armstrong Standard edition you can expect best-in-class integration with our DaVinci desktop sketcher. It's tied right into Armstrong at the deepest levels, ensureing that you have smooth and fast sketching experience without having to wait for other programs to load or worrying about "integration issues" with other vendors.

Also important to note is that by doing the Standard version first, we're ensuring that the foundation is solid so that as we develop the Enterprise version and begin layering on features and functionality, the whole platform will be solid and the kinks worked out.

Enterprise Edition
Of the three levels of WinTOTAL currently available, Enterprise is by far the most popular choice of our customers. It's the most fully featured and robust. We won't begin development on the Enterprise version of Armstrong until after the Standard version has been released. That means that it will be late 2008 before it's our focus. By then, Aurora will be over three years old.

So what's going to be the big deal in the new Enterprise edition? You'll just have to wait and see!