The Helper Series eNews!

CONTENT

In the News - What's new with North American Software and the Helper Series software line.

Tips and Tricks - Some tips for how to get the most out of your Helper Series software product.

In the Works - What's on the agenda for  North American Software and the Helper Series.

IN THE NEWS

RELEASE OF OUR NEWEST PRODUCT LINE OF  BROWSER-BASED SOFTWARE FOR THE FINANCIAL SERVICES INDUSTRY

Titles include: Investment Advisor's Helper.Com, Broker's Helper.Com, Broker's Helper Advanced.Com, and Sales Professional Helper.Com.

The Helper Series browser-based software line includes all of the same functionality available in the Windows (plus several added functional areas) versions but it can be distributed and run over  the Internet or an Intranet. The Helper Series can be deployed in either a  browser or desktop mode, or used in tandem, e.g. a desktop network for the office with browser access for remote use. Since the browser versions are designed to operate in an intranet or internet environment, users can access the  system(s) from remote locations at any time. With the advances in cellular  telephony, total mobility can readily be achieved with a notebook and cellular phone providing access to the office server from anywhere in  "real-time".

The Helper.Com Series also includes major  new functionality designed to support "Virtual Teams" without geographic constraints. We foresee a major move in the industry to "one stop shopping" with experts from several disciplines (e.g. Financial Planning, Asset Management,  Legal, Accounting, etc.) forming virtual teams to address all of the needs of a client in "real time" with all members having access to all relevant information  via the Internet, Intranet or VPN (Virtual Private Network) and the Helper.Com  Series.

Continuing advances in Video Conferencing  will add materially to the "Virtual Team" concept.

Enterprise-wide deployment can be achieved with none of the costly and time-consuming requirements to install software on each desktop. Similarly, upgrades and service releases can be deployed by simply  updating the server. Thus, deployment and maintenance costs are dramatically  reduced.

The new browser-based versions are not at  this time being offered as an upgrade for current  customers.

RELEASE OF VERSION 4.03 OF SALES PROFESSIONAL'S HELPER, BROKER'S HELPER, BROKER'S HELPER ADVANCED, AND INVESTMENT  ADVISOR'S HELPER

Tech release version 4.03 of the Helper  Series for Windows will be available in the next few weeks.

RELEASE OF VERSION 4.2 OF LAWYER'S HELPER, CONSULTANT'S HELPER, PROFESSIONAL'S HELPER, AND SMALL BUSINESS HELPER

New features include a business card popup designed to offer the user a quick view of a contact's information from the scheduler or the Home screen and immediate calling or e-mail access. The release  also includes a remote use synchronization toolkit, enabling users to maintain  separate databases on laptops or at home that can be synchronized with the main  database when needed. The synchronization toolkit also provides for systems that wish to maintain separate databases in multiple offices that need to be  synchronized periodically.

Version 4.2 also added a single-click SQL  Server migration function in the Database Manager. This functionality allows  firms to upgrade to SQL Server or start with SQL Server with a minimal amount of effort. Some minor enhancements include custom alarm times, straight address entry from the Contacts screen, a 1/10 minute time rounding option, and the  ability to jump to a project/case from Home or Planner modules.

The release also corrected several bugs and  improved speed and performance. The upgrade is free to all currently licensed  users of version 4.0 or 4.1. To receive an upgrade to the new version, download  the product from the North American Software website (http://www.nasoftware.com)  or call NASI at 513-793-2240.

NEW PRICING STRUCTURE

Effective February 14, 2000 - In addition to purchasing the software titles, customers now also have the option of leasing  the software. The lease plans include the product, all upgrades and service  releases, and unlimited technical support for the life of the lease (a three year minimum agreement is required). The lease is to be paid annually.

Additionally, NASI has reduced the purchase  price of each of it's software titles to allow for support to be sold separately. Charging separately for support allows customers who do not wish to purchase support to obtain the software at a reduced price. This change will not  affect current customers at this time.

Lawyer's Helper, Consultant's Helper,  Professional's Helper, and Small Business Helper now offer the additional option of purchasing either the Case/Project Management tools, the Time and Billing tools, or the complete package. If the complete package is purchased a discount is applied.

DATA CONVERSIONS

Due to increased demand, NASI now offers in-house data conversions for Plaid Brothers, Wizard 2000, Broker Portfolio  Systems, Broker’s Notebook, Broker’s Ally, Power Producer, ACT!, Merlin, and  Advent.

NASI will continue to offer custom conversions from programs not listed. Call NASI at 513-793-2240 for more  information.

TIPS AND TRICKS

TIPS for Sales Professional Helper, Broker's Helper, and Investment Advisor's Helper (Windows)

1. You can add auto-recurring reminders that will automatically display at designated times, like every Friday. To do so, select the Recurrence folder when creating a new reminder.

2. You can click your right-mouse button on  an account or product field (like on the Posting window) to popup a search  window for selecting accounts and products.

3. You can backup and compress your data periodically from the Data Manager program included with your Helper Series software title.

TIPS for Lawyer's Helper, Professional's Helper, Consultant's Helper, and Small Business Helper

1. You can bill time from your Planner. For  commitments that have a start and end time or a duration specified, pressing the "Bill Time" button from the top toolbar will open the "New Charge" window.

2. As of version 4.2, you can enter an address right from the Contacts screen and the program will parse the pieces -  street, city, state, etc. - for you.

3. As of version 4.2, you can modify the choices offered for items like Person Type by selecting the "Edit Choices..."  option from the drop down list.

Visit our website  for an archived list of tips and tricks of previous editions of the Helper Series eNews.

IN THE WORKS

Several new firm downloads have been released for the financial services product line. These include DST Fanmail, NFS(Fidelity), TDWaterhouse, and a Chas. Schwab upgrade.

To suggest a feature or enhancement that you would like to see in your Helper Series software title, visit our Suggest a Feature page in the online Help Desk.

Copyright (c) September 2000 North American  Software, Inc. The North American Software (http://www.nasoftware.com) Helper Series  eNews is the product newsletter for Sales Professional's Helper, Broker's Helper, Broker's Helper Advanced, Investment Advisor's Helper, Lawyer's Helper,  Professional's Helper, Consultant's Helper, Small Business Helper and the Helper.Com Series of Browser-based software packages.

Press Contact: Jason A. Rust, 513-793-2240, jrust@nasoftware.com.