Vladimir Bien-Aime, President and CEO Global DMS has asked to set the record straight with regards to a recent software review of his eTrac Network and eTrac WebForms Lite products on Appraisal Scoop. The following is that response:
Don’t alwyas blveiee waht yoru’e radnieg bceusae the hmuan mind has phaoenmnel pweor. Aoccdrnig to uinervtisy rsceearhers, it deosn’t mtater in waht odrer the ltteers in a wrod are plcead. Hwoveer, is improtnat is taht the frist and lsat letetrs are in the corerct pclae.
Where are the facts? I guess what I am trying to say is, believe half of what you see and none of what you hear, especially in this case.
Appraisal Scoop’s story “Review: eTrac WebForms - Is free really free?" captures the general misconceptions circulating around the industry about our company and our products. These misstatements found in many blogs, forums and chat rooms range from small false impressions to ridiculous fabrications. I would like to thank Richard Ferris personally for allowing us to set the record straight.
What does “Free” Really Mean? Our free software solutions are what we advertise -FREE. Both the eTrac Network and eTrac WebForms Lite are Free! No catches, creative marketing or scams involved. Will there be an occasional email from us about updates and new products, of course. Let’s not be ridiculous. It is a tuff concept to wrap your head around, but it is truly free.
The Free Network? The eTrac Network is a simple directory that our Enterprise clients can access to find real estate professionals nationwide. The clients pay to use our software and the appraisers pay nothing. So, technically it is not free because someone else is paying for it. I am not aware of many free advertising opportunities, so I would recommend everyone take advantage of it.
To be listed on the eTrac Network all that is necessary is to complete the free registration process and define your coverage areas. The only requirement is that you must have an email address in order to receive orders. If a lender selects an appraiser from our network they will receive the complete order detail via email. Lenders that purchase OASIS (our Enterprise appraisal management software) can search for appraisers as illustrated below. We also make the network publicly available on our OASIS website
Click here to continue reading . . .
The Free Forms? Are they free? Absolutely! Do we give away everything you currently have with your other forms vendors free? Absolutely not! Let’s face it; if we did that we would not be in business very long. The purpose of giving the Lite version of WebForms is to expose appraisers to web based technology. This is a completely new way to thinking about software. Software as a service is the future. The idea is not new but it is new to the appraisal industry.
Microsoft Office Live and Intuit QuickBooks online demonstrate that online software can be both robust and cost effective. The fact is, we can do a better job and reduce costs and support by offering our products online. Our challenge was getting people exposed to this technology. I warn you however, this is not for everyone. If you have limited Internet connectivity or have clients that require proprietary format like AI Ready or Lighthouse™ this is definitely not for you.
It has been stated that WebForms does not have the ability to create quick lists or common responses. WebForms does have this ability but WebForms Lite does not. It was also mentioned that WebForms Lite requires users to upload each image individually but this functionality is included in all versions of WebForms. The previous review also suggests that comparable location map must be uploaded to the system when it is actually generated instantly by clicking the map icon in all versions of WebForms.
The full version of WebForms also includes a comparable photo database and data import capabilities from Data Master and NDC Data. eTrac WebForms also includes integration for APEX Sketch, Rapid Sketch and Flood Insights. eTrac WebForms even includes a work offline option. In short, our full version of WebForms has all the features that you would expect at a cost you would not.
eTrac Security - Every effort is made to ensure customer data safety and security. We have two tier 1 facilities, one in Dallas, Texas and a real-time redundant facility in London, England. All of the data is stored and transmitted using state of the art technology that uses the most advanced hardware and software encryption methodologies. We provide a full data security guide to all clients upon request with an executed non-disclosure agreement.
eTrac Data Privacy - Our customer’s data is just that- theirs! Every policy and procedure that governs our operations ensures that no one else has access to their data but them and we put it in writing. We use a standard click through agreement which clearly states our policy on data privacy and ownership.
Below is the section of our Online Service Provider Agreement (OSPA) that illustrates our policy on customer data:
Ownership and Title: Title to the Product and all technology, including (without limitation) web sites or interface technology, in connection with the Software (excluding Third Party Technology), shall be the exclusive property of Global DMS, LLC, including all ownership rights to patents, copyrights, trademarks and trade secrets in connection therewith. All customer data including clients, orders, appraisers and staff information is considered confidential and for use exclusively by the customer. This data is private and cannot be used by Global DMS, LLC for any purpose without express written permission by the customer. Any domain name purchased by Global DMS, LLC on behalf of the customer is property of the customer; however a transfer fee of $35.00 will be assessed for any cancellation within the first 60 days of service.
Here you will find the complete Online Service Provider Agreement in PDF Format.
I am not sure it can be any simpler; we do not mine appraiser data and we do not sell appraiser data. It is possible that we were confused with someone else in the industry since there have been many legal issues recently regarding that topic. In our entire company history we have never had such a complaint and I personally resent any such insinuation which could be interpreted as libel.
The Digital Signature - We implement a very common sense type approach to digital signatures. We allow the appraiser to upload his own signature and attach an encrypted password. This seems more secure than some vendors approaches which require mailing a copy of your signature for processing at a cost of $100 per signature. An appraiser need only enter his chosen password to sign the report and the signature will be included in the PDF for delivery. Once an appraisal is signed we lock the file to prevent changes including the photo pages. Changes to the report can only be made if the signature is removed and only the original appraiser can reattach his signature.
The Question of AI Ready - We use the AI Ready format as a method of allowing appraisers to upload template information from their previous form vendor ONLY! The documentation clearly states:
“This feature is intended for importing existing files and templates from your previous system, to reduce manual data entry of templates and for cloning purposes only. The resulting imported file will not be identical to your original file, so please review after import for any missing data.” The conversion method is based on the AI XML and like many conversion processes subject to issues.
As far as using this import tool for evil purposes we no longer include the appraiser signature in the import process and have never supported AI Ready delivery making it very difficult for bad people to do bad things. Here you will find the vendors that do support AI Ready delivery and you will notice we have chosen not be included. https://www.aiready.com/vendormatrix.asp
We do not believe that AI Ready by FNC or any other propriety format is the best approach. These types of formats are controlled by a single vendor and are not truly open standards. AppraisalPress wrote two very good articles on this topic Paying To Use Your Own Bathroom: AI XML and Who’s Afraid of the Virginia Wolf?
We whole heartedly support the Mortgage Industry Standards Maintenance Organization (MISMO), a not-for-profit subsidiary of the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA), is the leading technology standards development body for both the Residential and Commercial industry segments.
The Close - I hope this has helped close the gap and address and any misconceptions that might be floating around cyberspace.
Please contact feel free to contact us with any additional questions or concerns.
Vladimir Bien-Aime President and CEO Global DMS 1816 West Point Pike Suite 210 Lansdale, PA 19446 Phone 877-866-2747ext. 526 Fax 484-231-2654 Email Address: [email protected] Website URL: http://www.globaldms.com LinkedIn Profile: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/7/b50/46
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