At the last count we had over 350 registered users on our LSS support forum. While this kind of figure isn't going to change the world, we've reached the point where we want to expand its use and store a lot more information on it so visitors can get much more out of the experience. This will necessitate its move onto a new web server. What we've decided to do at the same time is introduce a much more powerful membership-based system. To all intents and purposes this won't be any different from the current forum, but it will be possible for 'members' to post their own blogs, images, messages and it will mean that when they want to download a program or a support file it won't be necessary to enter dongle numbers, copy numbers etc. We are hoping that in the fullness of time it could also allow us to take payment for such things as training courses, making it easier for users to book and pay for courses with their credit or debit card.

When we go live with the new forum we will inform all existing forum users by mass email and put a redirect button on our existing site.

When we sent out the last LSS CD in July we didn't expect to be issuing an update this soon, but due to a few unforseen bugs we have decided to send out another CD and this should be with you in the next few days (overseas users may have to wait a couple of weeks). Many users have already downloaded version 9.60.05 from our website and this fixes the problem we had with the use of the '-SO' reserved code in particular. However, over the past few weeks we have continued to add new and improved functionality to the program, so it is always worthwhile updating to the latest version whenever you can.

All being well, all UK users should be receiving a new CD in the coming week or two. Overseas copies will follow shortly afterwards.

This past year has yet again been a bumper time for McCarthy Taylor and apparently our users. We recently had an enquiry from a survey company boss. He had become quite busy and was having difficulty recruiting people to work with his existing survey software. All the potential employees had LSS experience. After several clients had asked for data in LSS format he finally came to the conclusion that he couldn't delay changing his software any longer.

With the continued growth in sales we have seen a corresponding increase in the need for training. At the time of writing our training manager, Duane Phillips is racking up his frequent flier points on a training trip to The Netherlands. He gets all the cushy jobs.

We thought back in July that the up-coming training in Scotland would be difficult to fill, but as it turns out all courses are now full and we're having to think about another week before the year end just to satisfy the demand.

For those of you within striking distance of Chesterfield in Derbyshire, please note that we are running a week of courses from 13th November, so please book your places now.

Thank you to all those users who have taken time to email, call or add entries on the forum with their ideas for new program commands and options. We take note of them all and have regular team meetings to discuss the possibility of implementing these items. However, with such a wide variety of people using LSS for an even more diverse range of jobs, we can never satisfy all wishlist requests, but we do our best

November will see the next Newsletter and with it we expect to be sending out another CD. This time for a purpose other than fixing bugs (we hope). We want to take the opportunity to implement something which we think will benefit all users - Automatic program updates.

At present, it is up to the individual LSS user to visit our website to check if there are any program updates available. Once there they then have to enter copy numbers, dongle numbers, email addresses etc. before downloading the latest program. It's all a bit tedious and time consuming. Add to this the fact that because the installation file includes a full set of program and help files, the download is usually upwards of 20Mb everytime. What this new update service will do is automatically check if there are any newer versions of the LSS program and help files available on our website and if so will download just the updated files in the background, while the user continues to work inside LSS. At the end it will, if necessary, close LSS, copy the new files into the LSS folder and re-run the program. For those without an internet connection on their LSS PC they can still download entire program updates as before and copy them onto the LSS PC, but for most it should provide a seemless update path.

If anyone would like to volunteer to trial this update service ahead of an official launch, please click here.

Look out for the CD with the November Newsletter.

When we were first connected to Broadband several years ago we were told that because of the distance from our office to the exchange we could only get 500kbps broadband (well, narrowband if the truth be told). What we didn't realise was that in March 2006 BT upgraded most of its network which resulted in the potential for most non-cable customers to receive up to 8Mb broadband without having to upgrade their connection or broadband contract. BT called the new service 'ADSL Max' or 'Broadband Max'. While some providers automatically upgraded their customers to this new service for free, many who were providing a fixed broadband speed service such as ours did not.

When we heard about the prospect of faster download (and upload) speeds for no extra cost we jumped at the opportunity. All it required was an email to our ISP and over the next ten days the line was tested for speed and reliability. What you don't want is a fast line which falls over all the time, so this bedding-in period is used to determine the 'Maximum Stable Rate' that your line will work at. During this ten day period the internet connection may become unreliable, but it should be worth this minor inconvenience. Before we started we were getting 490kbps download and 236kbps upload speeds. Now it is as high as 1500kbps download and 440kbps upload. Anyone who has ever visited our offices will know that we are quite remote. As a result even these pitifully low speeds are a minor miracle. If you want to check your broadband speed visit this site www.speedtest.net

It's interesting to read though that the broadband line speed you are getting might be more to do with the quality (or lack of it) of your cable from where the broadband line enters your premises to where it connects to the router/server/PC than anything else. The ISPs recommend using the shortest, highest quality cables you can and utilising microfilters to reduce the risk of interference from other electrical equipment in the building. Happy surfing!

Thank you for reading this e-bulletin. We hope you found the information contained within it of interest.