Hi,

Is it possible with Solar Online software to allow client just access to:
e.g. Sales invoicing
which would allow me to complete all other accounts info without client maybe messing it up?
I ask because a number of my clients (plumbers.joiners etc) write out their invoices and give me copies as I have the PC version of Solar - which I might add I love and have used for many years.

Hi Marilyn,

It's great to hear you still like Solar Accounts after so many years!

Solar Accounts Online only allows you to grant full access to another user - you will need to ask you client to only create invoice and hope that they don't mess up anything else (although you can see a history of their changes by clicking menu Tools > User Activity). I'll note your support for allowing more restrictive access.

Hi,

I've just downloaded and registered for the Online version of Solar as we've been using version 3 for a few years now.

It gets to 'creating business' and then throws up the error "The Solar Accounts server is not available - sorry. If the problem persists, please contact support".

Any ideas? Is it because my license presumably isn't valid for the online version? Any pricing for the online version yet?

Thanks

Hi Mark,

Whoops that looks like a problem with the server - I will look into it and get back to you with an update.

The pricing for Solar Accounts Online is available here:
http://www.solaraccounts.co.uk/purchase.php?online=true

Cheers

OK we've fixed the problem with the server - please try again.

Cheers

Mark,

Will the offline version continue to be maintained for updates etc.?

Regards

Hi Jack,

No we will stop adding new features to the offline version of Solar Accounts - our development is now focused on Solar Accounts Online. However, we plan to continue to provide email support for both versions.

Regards,

Mark,

Before abandoning the poor offline people ): would you consider having a feature enabling the Bank Rec window to remain open in tandem with another window.?

Regards,

Hi Jack,

I'll note your support for that feature but I think it's unlikely we will be adding features to the offline version in future - sorry.

Regards

Hello Mark
Glad to hear that the online version is nearly here. I mentioned this to my partner. We have our office person who does the account in our office but it would be handy to be able to log into the files from home. However when I told her the cost implications she was not so happy. Do you plan to have any discount for existing users/owners of the offline version? Its a fair enough price for new users but a loyalty discount would be appreciated I am sure.
Thanks
James

Hi James,

Sorry no, we do not currently plan to offer discounts for existing users.

Regards,

I have no need for a multiuser version and do not trust online systems. I would be happy to pay for upgrades to an offline version just as I pay for upgrades to any software.

Devastated to hear that the offline users are being abandoned and that there will be no more improvements and enhancements.

Okay Mark, thanks for your reply. I have used Solar for years having tried various other systems, and the thought of going back to Quickbooks or whatever fills me with dread. I guess that as long as Solar continues to work in local mode I shall keep on using it. I would say however that I think your online version, esp for VAT registered business is way too steep. Why is it twice as much as regular?

And the thing is you will be going up against the big boys - Sage and Quickbooks which are already well established in this respect esp with accountants (there are still very few who use Solar AFAIK)

In addition you have the online only newcomers such as Xero and Freshbooks and Kashflow, all of which offer more features such as bank feeds, card payments, automatic reminders and more, and they are cheaper. I wish you luck with it of course, but am just giving you some perspective from a potential new customer PoV

Hi James,

The VAT-registered price is higher because the complexity of the VAT rules makes it significantly more costly to develop VAT-specific features, and we think that the market will bear the higher price.

For existing Solar Accounts users we hope that over time we will add features which you find valuable enough to pay the online monthly fee. (For example we've just updated the online version so you can now email invoices directly from Solar Accounts instead of having to open a separate email program). For new Solar Accounts users we aim to be simply easier to use than other accounting software products.

Regards

I cannot believe that I am reading this. I am REALLY angry at being shunned by Solar. I refuse to put my business on line. I own the data, no one else and we have spent a fortune on packages that have abandoned its stand alone business in favour of a web model. This is greed, pure and simple. We funded your business by buying your software. Now we either have to go "on line" to keep what we have already paid for or find another system. Well thanks for that, shows how much we are valued.

Hi Sarah,

I understand your disappointment at finding that we will no longer add new features to the offline version of Solar Accounts.

Regarding your comment, "Now we either have to go online to keep what we have already paid for or find another system." Some people may read that and think it means we are forcing existing offline users to switch to the online model. This is not the case - existing users can continue to use their offline version without any obligation to switch to the online version. In addition, if they purchased an older version then they can upgrade to the latest offline version for free. Lastly, we will continue to provide free email technical support for offline users.

Regards,

I must admit that I am disappointed that the off-line version is to be effectively retired. I live in a rural area where the internet is patchy. I have loved Solar because:
1) It is a one-off cost
2) It is off-line, so always available
3) It is easy to use and quick to prepare invoices and do everything else financial for my business.

You are immediately getting rid of two of those reasons for using Solar. Then with 3) you are going up against other products that are a comparable cost to your new offering with a proven track-record. Not only that, but they already integrate with my other on-line apps (e.g. Salesforce). Today is a sad day.

Having been an exceptionally happy user of Solar Accounts for 5 years I'm totally disappointed there is zero loyalty back to all of who've stuck with you all this time. I'm not prepared to pay, what is by comparison to some other options, over inflated pricing for less. There are many great packages out there and I've now commenced trialling 2 that have come highly recommended.

So sorry Mark but despite your superb product and support I simply cannot justify paying the

Hi Mark and all at Solar.
I have been using Solar for over 4 years and have been delighted with it's price and performance. I understand that there is a demand for multi user functionality and that the online version caters for that. But at what price!, I don't require an online version and like so many others very wary of "sharing" my company data with anyone. I am disappointed that you will no longer be supporting the stand alone version and would like to echo the feelings that unless I am prepared to pay

Mark , can I make a suggestion? I think it is clear that you are going to lose customers with this move, maybe you had factored this in though. I think it is possible to go both ways though. Supposed you continue to develop the local version but charged an upgrade fee for full versions? This seems to be an entirely reasonable approach and one which many other companies take. So for instance we could have V4 of the software which could be an upgrade. I think most of us would be will to pay a reasonable price for a new version with new features. Then you could continue to release free point upgrades as before.
I certainly do not expect free upgrades forever - who does- and would be happy with this type of arrangement.
Then Solar could expand its business into the new on line area and at the same time continue to keep its existing customer base happy, and attract new customers who only want a local version - and I think there will continue to be more of these. And the fact that you do have local version available to buy could work out to be a USP for Solar as everyone else moves to an on line solution.

Hi Glen,

We plan to ensure that the offline version of Solar Accounts is compatible with the latest versions of Windows and OS X for at least 2 years. So you don't need to switch accounting software just yet.

When you decide to upgrade I hope you will (re)consider Solar Accounts Online. It is not the ideal solution in your case but I think it still offers excellent value. There may be a cheaper alternative but if it is more complicated and takes more time to do your accounts is it worth it?

Regards,

Hi Julian,

I understand your disappointment at finding we are not offering discounts to existing users. However, this is not "zero loyalty". For the past 7 years we have offered free upgrades and free, high-quality support for all our users - even though this was not required under the original licence agreement. I don't know of any other accounting software that has been so generous. If you want to continue using the offline version of Solar Accounts that is fine - we stand behind our software and will continue to provide free technical support. Alternatively if you want more features we believe that GBP 20 per month is a reasonable fee for simple-to-use accounting software and excellent support.

Cheers,

Mark,

Taken from your own website!!

Keep Your Data Private
Online websites are frequently attacked. We store your financial data only on your computer.

Hi Jack,

Whoops - thanks for spotting that!

By the way, we think Solar Accounts Online offers much better security than most websites because we encrypt almost all your data when it is stored online. In addition, the password used to decrypt your data is never sent to the server. Together, these two security measures mean that even if an attacker gains complete control over our online servers the attacker will be unable to access your accounting data (except for emails sent while the server is compromised).

For the technically minded, this page provides more detail about of our security model:
http://www.solaraccounts.co.uk/security.php

Regards,

Hi James,

Thanks for your feedback. We considered adding new features to both online and offline versions, but this approach would have several drawbacks for us:

1. It is much easier to 'pirate' offline software and use it without paying for it. By developing only an online version we eliminate this problem.

2. Many users don't care whether the software is online-only or stand-alone, and by producing two versions we are in effect competing against ourselves on price. We prefer to charge a monthly fee because it allows us to align our revenue with the value we provide to users. A business that uses our software for 3 years benefits more than one that uses it for 3 months, so we want to charge more.

3. We expect the online version to have lower support costs. With the offline version we have found that users too often accidentally save their data to the wrong file, or the file gets corrupted, or there is a problem with storing the file on Dropbox, or they don't know how to copy their data file to a new computer, or their hard drive is erased and they don't know if they have a backup file, etc. By eliminating the concept of a 'file' we will reduce problems for the user and this will reduce our support costs.

4. Producing two versions of the software adds complexity to the software which increases our ongoing development costs. At the moment there are enough users wanting a stand-alone product to pay for this extra cost. But as internet connectivity becomes more widespread and reliable we expect the size of this market to shrink over time and reduce our profit.

Note that these problems are common to many software companies which is why the industry in general is moving into 'the cloud'.

This is disappointing news.

I have no need for a multiuser package and I'm quite happy to do everything offlline. As more and more packages have moved to the expensive subscription model, I've recommended Solar to my colleagues - how daft I look now !
Although you say the Solar offline accounts system will be supported, it looks like you are only guaranteeing this for a couple of years, an earlier Mac OS upgrade may well cripple the software before then.

I feel I now have no allegiance to Solar, which is sad, but a new cost of

Hi Peter,

Thanks for taking the time to give us your feedback. I don't think you look daft - your recommendation has allowed your colleagues to buy a very good accounting software package at a very cheap price with free technical support. Going forward our aim is not to offer the cheapest accounting software but rather the software that is easiest to use and that takes the least time to prepare financial reports.

Regarding your comment that "an earlier Mac OS upgrade may well cripple the software before then" - I think this is a misunderstanding of our plan. In the next two years, if a new version of Windows or Mac OS X is released which is not compatible with the current offline version of Solar Accounts (version 3.9.7) then we plan to release a new version of Solar Accounts which is compatible. This new version would work offline and be free for all existing users. However, it would not include the extra features available in the online version.

Regards,

Hi Mark,

It's a shame you have chosen to go down the online only route.
I chose Solar Accounts and migrated from Kashflow because I didn't want to be tied to a monthly cost and held hostage for accessing old data. Although I use your offline version, I still am paying Kashflow a small amount to retain access to my previous years data.

It looks like I will need to find another software provider if you no longer have plans of maintaining the offline version. If I had to go back down the online route, there are many other more mature packages available for the price you are charging.

Just my two pence.

Hi Mark.

Have been a massive advocate of Solar over the years but I am afraid I will be switching away from the software now.

I will not use a piece of software that stores my vital data online in an environment that I don't control. What happens should you go bankrupt? What are you backup protocols? People have lost data when online services go bust and I'm really not sure how much of a defence to HMRC it will be that my accounts service went bust. Nope sorry - I need an active copy of my data locally.

I get you need to move the software on but this is a very bad idea.

Thanks for your hard work over the years.

Hi Michael,

Thanks for your feedback - that is a very good point. In future we may add an 'offline read-only' mode which would store a copy of your data on your hard drive (ie. in addition to our online servers). This would mean you could still access your data even if our severs were to be suddenly unavailable. The access would be read-only so you could not add new transactions but you could view, print and export existing data as normal.

Would you use Solar Accounts Online if it had this feature?

Regards,

Hello There - I have just stumbled upon this string of messages and I am shocked to learn that I might not be able to continue with Solar after many years of great service - surely this cannot be true?? As for on-line / off line - I have no idea which I use - and I think SOMEONE at Solar should be notifying people if things are going to change... I am a sole trader with a small budget and it looks like you will be asking for

Hello Elaine,

You purchased the offline version of Solar Accounts. There are no changes to the Terms and Conditions - your licence allows you to run the software on your computer forever.

However, if you buy a new computer or upgrade to a new version of Windows after May 2017 then you will need to switch to the online version to run Solar Accounts on that computer.

I apologise for the poor communication regarding Solar Accounts Online - we should have notified our existing users much earlier with a simple overview of the changes. We plan to do this very soon.

Regards,

Hi Mark,

I wish to add my voice to the 'disapointed' party.

We bought Solar as it is an exceptional piece of software for the small business.
Both value for money as a purchase, free upgrades and your support, we really can't understand how you have done it all for so little for so long!

We would fully support a subscription based licence at the levels proposed for the online system (as I'm sure would many others) but only for an offline based system.
In your target market being offline is pretty much your USP?!?!
Surely there is plenty of scope to develop the off line version - multi user network versions, archiving older transactions, payroll functions etc.etc. all of which could be additional revenue?

We do not wish to put our books online, we will extend the life of Solar for as long as it is reasonably possible but will then look for another option.
We would dearly love you to reconsider the phasing out of the offline system.

While the new online system offers multi user functionality is this really a great issue for the vast majority of small businesses? If so was a traditional LAN based version not possible?
I can't quite see why you have gone down this route, the new version is not tablet based (for those who can't seem to live without their i-pad/phones) still requiring a PC/Mac but suffers all the disavantages of requiring a robust broadband connection to operate, with all the security and service level disadvatages that brings.
I keep a weather eye on the forum and have never seen anyone requesting an online application in this format - only an app based interface for their tablets which you are not providing! If you do move in that direction I think you will have a horrible surprise at the compatibility and suppport issues you will encounter - we have some considerable experience of how an app based interface can destroy a longstanding sound product!

You obviously have a record of all your customers related to their purchase codes. Have you considered polling those contacts to ascertain the appetite for moving online?

Please, please, reconsider the decision to stop supporting/developing the offline version.

Regards
Simon Willett

Hi Simon,

Actually an online product has been one of our most-requested features, and we are planning to produce an app for Android devices which accesses the online data.

If the new pricing model is not the issue, it seems to me that there are two drawbacks to the online option: (1) You may not always have an internet connection; and (2) You may worry about the risk of storing financial data online. The first point is certainly an issue for some users, but the size of this group is small and rapidly diminishing as mobile data technology improves. We do not want to focus on this market, although we still support existing offline users.

The second point is a bigger concern - it seems every week I hear about one website or another being hacked and exposing its customer's data. However, Solar Accounts Online has a security model which is far stronger than any other website I have seen because almost all our customer data is encrypted when it is stored online. This means that even an attacker who gains complete control over our online servers will not be able to access your data (except for emails sent while the server is compromised). The only way to decrypt your data is with your User ID and password, or with a special device which we keep disconnected from the internet. In some ways this online design is even more secure than the offline version of Solar Accounts because a thief who gains access to your computer's hard drive will be unable to decrypt your online data without the password.

Of course you can continue to use the offline version for many years, but if you need more features in future I hope you will look at our online security and seriously consider using Solar Accounts Online.

Regards,

Hi Mark,

Thanks for your reply - being an argumentative type I can't stop myself coming back on some points :-)

I only have the forum to go on as regards what you receive requests for and as far as I can make out there is a small number of vocal people who desperately want solar on a tablet/phone and their numbers seem to be far outweighed by the number of people who are upset at the change (I suspect that many of the latter are actually upset about the cost change).
I suspect that you have a large potential market for a multi user version but this is not necessarily the same thing as online!
As regards accountancy by app - I really can't see the point - I would not be able to work properly balanced on a sofa in Starbucks using a 6" touchscreen, still it takes all sorts.

Point 1 - I think you are very dismissive of a large problem - many people outside metroplitan areas have very poor speed/reliability broadband (if it's available at all) and the situation is NOT improving - in fact the gap just widens as the good areas get better and better and those in rural areas are ignored as thaere is no volume/money in making provision and such areas are more likely than not to have no usable GPRS let alone 3/4G data coverage for the same reasons.

We have to respect your right to decide that you have decided to focus on the 'rich pickings' of higher population areas, doesn't mean we have to like it though!

Even though my desk is in an area that affords a reasonable speed broadband, the online systems that I am already forced into using are masively inferior in usability to the offline predesessors eg.

Grundfos WinCaps on CD superb pump selection and sizing tool - moved to WebCaps - still the same system but on the web site - slow, so slow - now Caps has been dropped in favour of an app facilitating system - very poor speed and functionality on a tiny screen, no use to me!

Point 2 - security - online systems are vunerable period. You acknowledge that to the point you decided to do your own thing - I have no way to asses whether what you have done is more secure than standard as I don't understand the detail. What I do understand is that it is potentially more inconvenient to users.

Questions for you - who hosts your servers? An anonymous data centre in China? Or do you do it yourself so that you are in control of what goes on?

At the end of the day this is just a small business bookeeping package, the money is trivial by percentage of my overheads and I am not going to loose too much sleep over it - we will enjoy using your fine off line system as long as we can and take our time examining the options that remain when it is no longer viable. Thank you for giving us timely warning and your frank disclosures, we'll agree to disagree about the basis for them :-)

Simon

Hi Simon,

Our servers for Solar Accounts Online are located in Ireland and are managed by Amazon Web Services.

Regarding usability you will find the online version of Solar Accounts almost identical to the offline version. Unlike or competitors we have not re-written our software as a web site, we kept the user interface and simply changed the way your data is saved. If you are observant you may notice a slight delay when saving data but this is typically a small fraction of a second.

I take your point about some users having poor internet connection. I'll note your support for an 'offline mode' and if enough users request this feature we may add it to Solar Accounts Online in future.

Regards,

Hi,

I too learnt by chance last week that Solar is going up in the world.
And so I too am looking for software that will enable data/files to remain on my PC, no need to access from who knows where.
Security, well its just a matter of when not if it fails.

When you look for alternatives there is not much about!
Solar know this and there is much more income to be found on a cloud bases system for Solar. As for the customer is pay every month else your stuck!

There is a call for companies to reduce their charges and this may be regulated at some point?

I would happily have paid for updates but we were never asked as this cloud for developers has a silver lining.

Folks,

Based on user feedback we've received on this subject, we now plan to provide 'maintenance updates' for the old offline version of Solar Accounts to at least 2019. This means that until then we expect you will be able to run the latest offline version of Solar Accounts on the latest versions of Windows and MacOS. (Although we still reserve the right to end support for the software at any time as described in the software licence agreement).

Regards,

Hi Mark,
Just came across your statement saying offline Solar would be ok until 2019.

This is good news because by then we will know the situation with HMRC's stupid move to make everyone submit their accounts digitally (Making Tax Digital).

I have held off changing my clients to the cloud version until HMRC make it known what it is they actually want.

I would hate to have to move to another software but HMRC are hell bent on saying we will have to use software that they recommend - wonder if they will contribute to the cost? Yeah I'm dreaming!

Hi Marilyn,

Even if HMRC require you to submit returns using approved software, there may be such a software product which (a) is free; and (b) allows you to copy the P&L figures from Solar Accounts and submit the return within 10 minutes. You could then use our software for recording transactions, printing reports and emailing invoices, but use the HMRC-approved software for submitting tax returns. Would that allow you to continue using our software indefinitely?

Regards,

Hi Mark,

Thanks for your quick response.
Of course I would keep using Solar if what you suggest was acceptable.
However, I suspect HMRC have something devious up their sleeve.
The results of the consultation on MTD are supposedly due to be announced this month so we will wait in anticipation!
Marilyn

I am also in the same situation as Marilyn... I am a Professional Bookkeeper who has been using the offline version of Solar for just over three years now and absolutely love it. It fits my clients requirements perfectly and the initial draw for myself was ease of use and no monthly subscription payments. However, with the whole MTD looming it is making me very nervous as to the future of my practice with regards to which software I will use. I too have delayed transferring to the online version until HMRC stipulate exactly how they plan on doing everything. I love Solar and am reluctant to change but if I do have to go online, for the amount of the monthly subscriptions I would have to pay, I might have no option but to look at alternative software that includes time saving features such as auto bank feeds etc. as well as being compliant with whatever wonderful things HMRC are going to come up with.

Folks,

We've just released a new version which allows you to store your financial data completely offline. I think this goes a long way to addressing two big problems that existing users have voiced when considering the switch to Solar Accounts Online:

1. Users don't want to put their sensitive financial data in the cloud. Now, when you set up your account in Solar Accounts Online you get the option of storing your data completely offline - your data will never be sent to our online systems (except for your VAT registration status which we need for billing purposes).

2. Users don't have a reliable connection. Now, after you log in you can access your data in 'offline mode' which allows you to work without needing an internet connection. If you restart Solar Accounts you will need an internet connection to log in again, but if you put your computer in sleep mode without closing Solar Accounts then you can work offline for many days or weeks.

I hope this gives some of you a reason to take another look at Solar Accounts 'Online'.

Regards,