My first session this morning was worth the entire trip down here. My good friend Rebekah Gibbs led a session on “What’s Coming in 10 dot 0.” Rebekah is my rep at ACS, so it was cool to get to see her talking about what’s coming in July. There’s some seriously awesome stuff coming in the new release of the software. Below are some of those features.

1. Preferred E-mail - We will be able to select which e-mail address a person prefers when we have more than one on file for them. This is helpful in reports, searches, and mass mailings.
2. Safeguard Tab - A completely new tab will be added to people records that will allow a complete background check to be run from within the software.
3. Document Library Tab - A document library tab has also been added to people records so that documents, like an image of their driver’s license, can be attached to an individual’s record.
4. Context menus - Lots of new stuff is available within grids using the right mouse button. The idea for all of these AWESOME additions is to save time for users, so that they don’t have to go back to another tab and hit a button - this lets them do stuff right where they are.
5. Better duplicate checking - When adding people to the database, duplicate checking currently is only based on the first and last name. The new release will allow this to be expanded to address and goes by name. So, if you misspell the last name of a person, it’s also going to check the address to alert you to a possible duplicate.
6. Dates in Searches - This is a HUGE additional feature. Dates in searches can now be “fuzzy.” So, you can set a search to find birthdays this month. Before, you had to go back to the search, modify the date, then process the search. Now, you don’t have to modify - you just process. You can also add a “prompt for date” to the search. So, when you click “process,” ACS will ask you for a date. Great stuff.
7. Contributions from Bill Pay Accounts - Where Bill Pay checks through the check scanner used to bring up a “find person” screen, they can now be added into the checking account maintenance screen so that ACS doesn’t attribute the generic account number to an individual.
8. Checkpoint - There are so many changes in Checkpoint that I’ll make a separate post about it.

The general assembly this morning was fun.  We’re in the beautiful Hilton Americas in Houston, TX.  They ran an ACS Idol this morning that was pretty stinkin’ funny.  I liked the general assembly in that you can see that this convention wasn’t just thrown together.  They had supporting videos, audio tracks, lighting, and even text voting with an SMS short code.  I like it.

While it’s beta, this is encouraging news for all of us who use smart phones and wish to be able to look up information on our members while we’re out and about. ACS has released for testing, as of this morning, an “application” for iPhone and other mobile users. I use application in quotes because it is a Web site that works well on mobile devices. Actual apps are coming as well.

The Web address to view this on your device is: http://churchlife.mobi/mobile (Note: you must be an AccessACS user)

It’s midnight, and I’m finally getting around to blogging about the day. It was a profitable day, having the opportunity to network with a group of other church IT professionals as well as the IT-curious. One lady was completely blown away that any church had even one full-time IT professional.

Here’s some of the topics we covered:

• Training - How do you train your users on technology topics?
  • Cool tool for training: Sony AirBoard - Get people involved in the training. Write on AirBoard and it shows up on the projector screen.
• E-mail marketing - Constant Contact is coming soon with 2-way sync to ACS. Another alternative solution used is ChurchPost.com.
• Text messaging - ChurchCast was discussed as a solution to send out a mass text to selected church groups. For instance, if the bus brakes down on the way back from youth camp, the youth pastor could activate ChurchCast to send an SMS to all parents telling them, “Flat tire on bus. All kids are safe. Delayed 2 hours.”
• Network monitoring / filtering / etc
  • Barracuda 210
  • GTA Firewall and GB-Ware
  • Wireshark University
  • PRTG - I’m definitely looking into this
  • What’s Up
  • IP Monitor - supposedly better than What’s Up
• Worship Attendance - what creative methods are you using to measure worship attendance? Directional infrared cameras to count number in and out of worship center, pew pads, individual cards, overhead cameras, installing chairs instead of pews in order to more easily count.

I’m headed to the ACS Convention this week, Tuesday the 13th through Friday the 16th. I’ll be attending the ACS IT Roundtable, facilitated by Dean Lisenby on Tuesday and various convention classes during the rest of the week.

If any of you other IT guys are headed down to Houston this week for the convention, I’d love to meet you… hopefully you’ll be in the roundtable as well.

Drop me a comment if you’ll be attending.

I’ll also attempt to live blog and update my Twitter throughout the week.