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Frequently Asked Questions
about Federation Software
If your question is not answered here, please email
or contact us.
How much does Federation cost?
Federation is purchased as a subscription, ranging from $20 to $290 per month, depending upon the number of concurrent users and particular modules selected. Click here for complete pricing details.
How does Federation compare to
the competition?
Federation is a value leader in the software market for contact management systems.
You simply cannot find a better mix of powerful features and affordability.
Even with great pricing, Federation offers unbeatable industrial-strength
capabilities:
- A point-and-click process for building contact lists with ease. This
“List Builder” lets you choose from 5.5 trillion trillion
trillion trillion trillion combinations of options.
- A “Sandbox” allowing unlimited capacity for building customized
queries and designing your own reports.
- The ability to handle relatiionships independently for individuals
and organizations.
- Batch emailing. So smart that it automatically provides communication
alternatives for contacts without email addresses.
- Batch invoicing. Instantly send membership dues notices to everyone
with renewals this month.
- A self-building geography database that automates data entry and eliminates
errors.
- Complete integration of contacts, categories, membership, notes, events, fundraising, programs, assist histories, volunteering, marketing, projects, legislative
districts, invoicing, and more.
What kind of computer do I need
to run Federation?
You will need a PC with Windows (95 or later). Processor speed: minimum
is Pentium 233; 350 is better; faster is best. Memory (RAM): minimum of
64 megabytes; 128 is better; more is best. Unused disk space: minimum
of 60 megabytes; 100 is better, 200 is best. Requires installation of
Microsoft Access (version 97, 2000, or XP), although “run-time”
versions of Federation include a royalty free license of Access. Mail
merge function requires installation of some type of word processor application
(like Microsoft Word). Email function requires installation of some type
of email application (like Microsoft Outlook). See the System
Requirements sheet for more details.
What email capabilities does Federation
have?
Federation lets you email to individuals and groups by integrating with
any third-party email program you have installed. Storing email addresses
in Federation allows everyone in your office to have access to the latest
information. The batch email feature lets you define groups with far better
precision than email programs, because you can specify lists like “all
newsletter recipients in Colorado”. Batch email is so smart that
it sets aside people on your list without email addresses and prompts
you to choose another form of communication for them.
Is Federation web-enabled?
The current version of Federation is built for local area networks
(LANs) and is not web-enabled. Symphony will be migrating Federation to web platform in mid/late 2006. All existing users will have their data ported to the new platform.
Many Federation users obtain remote access via the internet through thin client architecture, such as Citrix Metaframe or Windows Terminal Server. A complete Windows desktop is presented via your internet browser, with access to all of your favorite desktop based software, including Federation.
Another approach
to web-enabling the LAN version is to build “web extensions” to Federation,
suited to each customer’s needs. For example, you may just
need a daily update to the event schedule posted to your website. Or maybe you need a fully interactive event management
system on the web and have it linked to Federation.
Tell us your needs and Symphony will provide a cost estimate for this customized
development.
Can I build my own reports?
Yes. Federation’s “Sandbox” provides an area for you to
build and modify as many reports as you want. The data from every table
is exposed, and you can build queries, create forms, and even write code
to support your reports. All work is done in a Microsoft Access environment.
However, Federation’s built-in reports cannot be modified structurally.
Most of these built-in reports have hundreds or thousands of variations,
so customizing is not usually a concern. If you develop a Sandbox report
that is used often, Symphony can migrate your report into the core application
where it can be more conveniently accessed.
Can I create custom queries to
handle special information requests?
Yes. Federation’s “Sandbox” provides an area for you to
build custom queries and even save them for future re-use. The Sandbox
is a Microsoft Access database that exposes every data table from Federation;
so building queries is made easy with Access’ Query By Example (QBE)
editor.
On the other hand, you may never have to use the Sandbox because Federation’s
built-in querying features are so powerful. For example, the List Builder
is a tool for generating a list of contacts, letting you specify any combination
of criteria with point-and-click ease. A complex query is constructed
behind the scenes, handling trillions of combinations without requiring
the use to know the first thing about query design.
I’ve got lots of data stored
on our current software system. Can I migrate it to Federation?
Yes, but it requires custom programming so it incurs an additional cost.
The cost of data conversion depends on the complexity of the data source.
Your sales representative can evaluate the source data and provide you
with cost estimate.
What kind of support is available?
Symphony has support technicians available by phone during standard business hours, and has representatives available for onsite training
(cost may vary depending on region). Support can also be provided interactively using collaboration software.
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