| Author |
Message |
Jon Buboli
| | Posted on Wednesday, November 22, 2000 - 8:30 am: | |
Electronic storage is the way of the future I can't wait for it. |
Ray Willis
| | Posted on Monday, November 20, 2000 - 4:06 pm: | |
I thought because I didn't have a lot of knowledge of computers, that storing my documents would be hard. Quite the opposite, it is easier than all heck! I swear to you that I can get claims done a lot faster, and neater. And (olderthendirt) don't about technology embrace it. |
Lisa Millhouse
| | Posted on Monday, November 20, 2000 - 9:09 am: | |
David, I couldn't agree with you more instead of spending time burning cds backing up tapes printing photos and pasting them on cardboard and mailing them out the sceneaccess.net system is great. Why bother trying to manage your files yourself there a way that easier and cost effective today. I do auto and trucking adjustment and this makes my job easier. |
Dave Tompsett
| | Posted on Monday, November 20, 2000 - 8:37 am: | |
You guys are missing the whole point, I pay a one time fee for a file and have access to it, until I decide to delete it. Plus I save what I have, and when I get to the hotel I download it there and I only have to do this ONCE unlike others who have to burn it on multiple disks. I save from not having to buy the computer hardware, disks, photoprocessing (because I have a digital camera), and the whole time issue doing all of this. Also the system I use is ADAPTABLE to any computer software out there. The system is not expensive either. |
Property Adjuster (Propadjuster)
| | Posted on Saturday, November 18, 2000 - 9:47 pm: | |
By the way, if you need any information on CD-RWs and CD-Rs, check out Andy McFadden at www.fadden.com. He is considered an expert in the field, and his site is very comprehensive.
www.zdnet.com rates many computer products including CD-RW drives. Check them out. |
Property Adjuster (Propadjuster)
| | Posted on Saturday, November 18, 2000 - 9:35 pm: | |
I recently purchased an Iomega Zip CD-RW External USB drive from eCost (www.ecost.com) for $161.00 plus shipping. It is a refurbished unit with all warranties. The new unit costs about $250.00. It's 6x / 4x / 4x. It took me about 15 minutes to back up my entire system, including all my estimates. USB CD-RW drives are slower than internal SCSI CD-RW drives. However, I do not have a built in SCSI harddrive, so the USB fills my needs. The unit is small and portable.
If you buy a CD-RW drive, get one with the Adaptec software included. Adaptec appears to be the best out there. You can also back up each estimate as you write it. The CD-R and
CD-RW discs are relatively inexpensive, compared to the very expensive Zip discs, etc. You can always find CD-Rs or CD-RWs on sale somewhere -- OfficeMax, Office Depot, Best Buys, etc.
Like most adjusters, I need to control costs as much as possible. For me, the CD-RW fits the bill. Plus, my kids burn audio CDs on my drive. Makes them happy, so I am happy!!!!
JPD |
Tom Toll (Tom)
| | Posted on Saturday, November 18, 2000 - 1:32 pm: | |
It seems that as the internet advances in its own science, more use of it becomes necessary and it seems to cost us, the adjusters. I use a 250 Zip disc to tranfer my files to in the event of some catastrophic loss of my laptop. I make copies of the Zip disc and keep one in my ride and the orginal where I am working. I, for one, cannot justify an additional expense. All are correct. Our expense as adjusters does not appear to be fixed, but what the vendors or companies pay us seems to be fixed, (pun intended). I also tranfer my digital photos to the zip disc, just in case. I do that in the field. Don't want a lost 3.5 disc to screw my day up.
I have had a number of e-mails that we must not be working. Wrong. We are working during this off time and all are insurance related, thank goodness. Stay with if folks. It will happen. |
R.D. Hood (Dave)
| | Posted on Saturday, November 18, 2000 - 11:11 am: | |
Each and every one of the responses are correct and extremely valuable.
Consider this scenario. We do our work at the site and save it to our hard drive (be it internal, external, zip or whatever), then we take the information and transfer it to a cold storage facility on a dedicated server, remote from our location. This can be done during the gig,or after.
We now have a backup copy of everything, always accessible, at a remote "hot site" location.
Additionally all of the files can be transferred to CD-ROM and you have the entire gig on one CD and lots of free hard drive space.
All of us are looking for ways to improve performance, to justify the lesser fee schedules (over which we have little or no control), and any way that we can do this should at the very least be explored.
The technology is here, we just have to avail ourselves of it.
Good conversations, lets keep the ideas flowing, the brains are working, even if most of us are not. |
Russ Lott (Russ)
| | Posted on Saturday, November 18, 2000 - 5:19 am: | |
Dave, access to any phone line in a storm situation is at best tiresome. Remember the terrible time time we had in Floyd in Greenville? After 3 pm there was no phone access, and all of the cell towers were busy too. Media storage is best kept close to the source, zip drives and usb gigabyte storage devices are probably the best backup. The cost per claim keeps rising and the fee schedule is static. |
mark (Olderthendirt)
| | Posted on Friday, November 17, 2000 - 5:34 pm: | |
Off site data storage, e banking digital photos (which even a child can edit). Why do I think that this decade will see a worse mess then a Florida vote. We have to learn to live with many of this changes, if we want to work, but, isn't anyone else just a little nervous? |
Dave Tompsett
| | Posted on Friday, November 17, 2000 - 4:27 pm: | |
Well Tom this company is bonded has bank level security. and for different buildings, if one burns there is three others. I've been using this system for a while it saves me time, money and also the insurance companies are very happy on the way their info comes back to them so fast and neatly. It's not expensive at all and very easy, because I'm not that very computer smart, but this works like a dream. |
Tom Joyce (Tomj)
| | Posted on Friday, November 17, 2000 - 3:58 pm: | |
Chuck, Long time no see, anyway, you can now get 20g of hard drive for under 200 and your information stays at home. These services are great, but once your data leaves home??? |
Corey Phillips
| | Posted on Friday, November 17, 2000 - 3:11 pm: | |
Well, Mr. Hood that sounds like that would be a gift from God, tell me more I'm very interested. I hope it's true I think it would be great I going to check out the Scene Access.net like Dave said that sounds great too. |
Dave Tompsett
| | Posted on Friday, November 17, 2000 - 1:54 pm: | |
Your right Chuck, BUT with the system I use all you need to do is save your information. Then you don't have to worry about anything your info is always there and I can access it from any computer connected to the internet and there are several backup sites in case one building burns there is always several backups. NO WORRYING, NO ULCERS, LESS OF AN EXPENSE, MORE MONEY FOR ME BECAUSE I CHARGE THE INSURANCE COMPANY THE FEE FOR ME. |
Chuck Deaton
| | Posted on Friday, November 17, 2000 - 1:25 pm: | |
Or you could buy an external USB harddrive, this what I do, and just back up your whole harddrive to it. Then if you need to access the files, say after your computer has tanked, you can use any machine that has a USB port and the same software.
If my memory is correct this cost me about $350.00. |
Chuck Deaton
| | Posted on Friday, November 17, 2000 - 1:22 pm: | |
Your could set up your own server, possibly at home, and dial into it and store your files. Several places on the net provide this service now. Driveway.com is one that comes to mind. Just an opinion, but $5 per access seems high. |
Dave Tompsett
| | Posted on Friday, November 17, 2000 - 1:21 pm: | |
I'm a auto and property adjuster in Chicago and I've been using a system that does all of that, that is called (SCENE ACCESS. COM). This system has cut my cost down drastically. This system is easy to use, which is good because I wasn't to knowledgable with computers. I still remeber back in the 80's when I was an a adjuster and can't figure out how I got through our whole process of adjusting. SCENE ACCESS . COM is a lifesaver. |
Real pro adjuster
| | Posted on Friday, November 17, 2000 - 1:17 pm: | |
Sounds great does that mean I can store my estimates and reports there and get at them from the internet . What kinda of software do I need for this to be possible . I would pay big monies if it work .Does it work like exactnet or mitchel or adp for file storage and transfer they charge me five dollars per transaction . |
R.D. Hood (Dave)
| | Posted on Friday, November 17, 2000 - 9:37 am: | |
What is your opinion of having an encrypted remote server (available to you 24/7), in which you can deposit all of your work and retrieve it????????
What, in your opinion, is this worth, either monthly or by each access? |
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