Save Us Some Turkey...

On behalf of every one at Atlas we wish you and your business a very Merry Christmas and a prosperous and happy New Year.

Details of our opening hours and support arrangements over Christmas and New Year can be found on our website through this news article and we would like to reassure customers that we are here to help should you need it over the festive period.

Best wishes,

The Atlas Business Team.

VAT Changes - January 1st 2010

Service packs for many versions of the Access Dimensions system are now available for download on our main website

These service packs are intended for use by an experienced user, and if you feel you would be better served by one of engineers talking the process through with you then please contact Application Systems Management for help and guidance.

The files are self extracting archives, '.exe' executables, so please be careful.

The first thing to do is to right-click on the one for your system and save it somewhere on your hard disk. Then run it and it will self extract into your chosen location. There is a 'readme.txt' file in each so use this as an instruction manual.

If you require any assistance whatsoever then please do not hesitate to call the Applications Systems Management department on 0333 666 3330 or send them an e-mail at asm@atlasbiz.com

Meet Tony – Atlas Helpdesk Engineer … … … with a taste for Murder, Mystery and Suspense

As usual it started out as quiet evening; hotel, 3 course meal, friends and weekend chatter. In the hotel reception we found Helen: knife through her chest and a paramedic in attendance. Only minutes earlier she had been arguing with an off-duty police sergeant over some missing money …

As the evening progressed and questions were asked, Tony became a victim too; horrific burns and a blow to the head with a heavy dumbbell. We know why it happened. Tony it transpired, is an ex-convict, blackmailing a prison governor for thousands of pounds. Seems Tony has an alias too - Joel Landon for some reason….

This is the world of Murder Mysteries. None of the above is really 'real'. Tony is one of a bunch of actors who put on murder nights for wannabe detectives. During the day he’s quite normal and works for Atlas Business supporting accounting software customers.

It’s in the evenings that his alter ego appears. Tony has been heavily involved in the theatre for over 25 years. On Saturday mornings he can be found teaching drama to 8-16 years old for Leeds Children’s Theatre something he really enjoys and gets a lot of satisfaction from. Over the years this group has produced some outstanding talent, such as Angela Griffin of ‘Corrie’ and Waterloo Road fame. Tony has acted in many shows and musicals, and directed one or two as well, has performed in a variety of locations, even doing a ‘pilgrimage’ for local charities and street theatre.

A few times each year he heads for The Bridge Hotel, Wetherby to weave a web of intrigue and murder for the gathered audience to solve. Seems he and his mates do this just for fun…. They have been to RAF bases, hotel chains like DeVere, and even wedding receptions! There is no script. The players follow a timetable of events and the whole ‘happening’ is interactive. The guests talk to the actors who stay in character the whole evening. At one event Tony was dragged across the floor by a guest who thought he was the main culprit – he wasn’t on this occasion.

The driving force behind these endeavours is Tony’s best friend, Sue Gibson. The make-up is so realistic that she was once arrested as a murder suspect after she had taken some photos to be developed of apparently dead bodies. That took more than a bit of explaining….

Should you feel inspired to ‘have a go’ or ‘join up’ just have a word with Tony on 0333 666 3330 and he will be delighted to point you in the right direction. Alternatively you can email him at tony.hutchinson@atlasbiz.com.

Atlas Bulks Up Training Facilities

All our customers are probably aware that Atlas are expert trainers in all of the solutions that we provide. What you may not know is that this training doesn't necessarily have to take place in your offices. Often, we find that training sessions benefit a great deal from having delegates away from their phones and e-mails, and in a customised computer environment, set up by our qualified engineers.

We've always had our training room at our Nantwich head office and Atlas have recently further invested in this training facility, adding another four dedicated HP PCs to the existing hardware that was already in the suite. John Butler, Group MD, said that “we made this decision to show our commitment to delivering value to our customers.” We know these powerful new machines will prove popular with delegates; applications will launch quickly and reports will produce results promptly ensuring that users spend their time learning rather than looking at egg timers!

There are many more advantages to receiving training professional services off-site and below are just a few examples:-

• You receive more value for your investment. Whilst off-site you will get no distractions or interruptions from colleagues walking into your office, ringing your telephone or sending you emails allowing you to cover more content during the day.

• We have machines and the environment already set-up and so you can rest assured that the day will run smoothly with no technical hiccups.

• The software is already installed and configured so the day is spent learning rather than on set-up.

• The room layout is set-up in such a way that the delegates can all see the trainer and the projector screen and there are several PCs so the users can have a hands-on practical experience rather than just watching and listening. In our experience, most clients don’t have a dedicated training environment and as such setting one up can prove difficult.

• Where possible we will always try to host the training session using the clients data rather than demonstration data, this way it is very specific and relevant to the user’s day to day requirements.

• Pens, pads, teas, coffees, biscuits and lunch are all provided at no extra charge.

Both our Leeds and Glasgow offices have similar training suites available. Speak to your account manager or a sales consultant on 0333 666 3330 to discuss your training requirements further.