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This blog is a simple list of progress made at the association, key decisions taken, and developments.  This association is intended to create a lobby for the resumption of proper distribution of MYOB-related software in the UK and Eire.  We will make available all news that we can - as it occurs.  If you would like to give us a tip please email us at: info@myobusergroup.co.uk

However we much prefer participation in the Forums on the next tab: Forums

  • 20 Jan 2012 6:40 PM | Mark Hill (Administrator)
    At the end of December/ beginning of January we issued confirmation codes to over 200 paid up members.

    We had problems with a handful of codes that did not work. One problem was trying to run a batch of codes - based on serial numbers - one of which was (without us realising it) missing a digit. This messed up the following codes issued. We did however eventually sort all these users out. We will be more careful to check this in the future and can you too please?

    We have now had the program upgraded so it should be more reliable when we issue the next round of confirmation codes in late March.  
  • 15 Dec 2011 8:00 PM | Mark Hill (Administrator)
    A further story has appeared pressing the case for MYOB users here in the UK in the Australian online press.  Australia is the lead market for the MYOB software. 

    You can see the story here:

    http://www.crn.com.au/News/282672,myob-backs-down-from-uk-deactivation.aspx
  • 09 Dec 2011 10:47 PM | Mark Hill (Administrator)
    The MYOB usergroup has given free member ship to its 200th member.  This is for the Kalene Mission hospital which is a 160 bed christian hospital in the northwest corner of Zambia. This hospital is in a very poor rural area and get a lot of patients from Congo and Angola, whose borders are both about 25 km away. Both countries have few medical services available to their people. They have a catchment of 35,000 people within Zambia, but people travel from hundreds of km away to access surgery. Most medical care is provided free of charge and patients are treated according to medical need regardless of their ethnicity or religious belief. About 700 major surgeries are done each year and 950 babies delivered.

    The hospital is funded in part by the Zambian government and in part by donations from overseas. In UK donations can be gift aided through Echoes of Service via: http://www.echoes.org.uk/how-to-give.php

    Expatriate staff are volunteers supported from their home countries.  Meanwhile the Zambian staff are paid. The website is www.kalenehospital.com

    The hospital uses MYOB Plus 14 for hospital and mission accounting. Basically it is used to run a hospital, a mechanical workshop with stock, an internet café, multiple bank accounts and donations and income in four currencies.

    They have had great trouble trying to find an equivalent accounting program at low cost.  When MYOB was to be discontinued, and are delighted to have found the user group.  They now plan to continue to use this software which is working well rather than pay money to transfer to something new.

  • 07 Dec 2011 1:21 PM | Mark Hill (Administrator)
    Bryan Richter (CEO at Mamut UK) has just phoned us to say that MYOB have changed their mind. They will not now be switching off confirmations for MYOB users. At least not yet!

    For remaining MYOB users this is, of course, great news.  However it is difficult to feel exuberant.  It now seems that MYOB were prepared to cause many of us massive stress, anguish and frustration over the last three years for no reason at all.

    See the announcement from MYOB Technology Pty Ltd.

    More to follow later when we have had time to digest their announcement.

    Please add any comments to the issue on the usergroup's forum HERE
  • 04 Dec 2011 1:02 PM | Mark Hill (Administrator)
    We have been clearing the decks ready for the first real test of the confirmation code process.  During the latter part of December we shall be issuing live confimation code.  These have to work first time as easily as possible. 

    We have therefore been checking all the entries made by our members.  We are checking through all the correspondence to make sure that people understand the process.  We are about to issue revised instructions with details about how to use the codes in a way that will not conflict with the online process.  We are advising those who have serial numbers or company file codes missing or faulty about how these are entered.  We have been issuing the last of the trial confirmation codes for thosethat have only recently joined or who have made mistakes earlier in the process.  It is amazing that even in a small group how complex some of the concerns have become! 

    The big message is that the database will be purged on Thursday morning for all Company file codes and confirmation codes.  We will then issue a detailed set of instructions about how the Second Confirmation code run will be handled.  Please follow this carefully!

    Please ring us only as a last resort as the phone has been ringing off the hook for weeks now!


  • 01 Dec 2011 3:58 PM | Mark Hill (Administrator)
    Perhaps the most surprising news recently is that Mamut appear to be prepared to sell extra user licences on the old MYOB software. One of our members recently bought an extra user licence for £99. 
     
    So if you need extra seats on your licence buy them now, as I expect that they will only be able to sell them until the end of December. You cannot buy extra workstation licences from the user group.
  • 04 Nov 2011 10:36 PM | Mark Hill (Administrator)
    We admitted our one hundredth member earlier today. We are now providing codes for at least 140 separate  firms. 

    Nine professional partners are Based in Bristol, Eire, Cambridgeshire, Dorset, London, Yorkshire, Somerset, Surrey and Herts.

    We are represented in Eire, all regions of the UK, Isle of Man, Barbados, Ireland, Malta, Norway, Australia, New Zealand, and even South Africa. We have had enquiries from places as far afield as Switzerland and Tanzania.  We now have members in Graphics, charity, farming, manufacturing, audio, internet, funeral director, window installer, landed estate, process control engineers, publishing, garage, hotel, solicitors, and engineers.

    The model is financially viable and working well technically.  The confirmation code process has yet to have a difficulty with any UK / Irish datafile that we have been asked to provide a code for.  Our forums are answering general questions from members.  We are representing our members in their quest to continue using their MYOB software!

    Hopefully we can recruit yet more, and prevent MYOB users from feeling forced to move to weaker and more expensive software.
  • 20 Oct 2011 4:21 PM | Mark Hill (Administrator)
    A report of the future for MYOB users and the work of this association  features in the online edition of PC Pro magazine.  The link to the article is here:  LINK

    There are a few comments to make about the coverage and the comments posted by readers.  The first is that our membership is now at 70 firms, with over 150 datafiles (ie businesses) between them.  We now have 9 professional partners covering the whole of the country between them, and some support also for Irish users of the software.

    The article mentions DRM quite often - this is short for 'Digital Rights Management'.  This is the technical name for the technology which requires you to confirm your MYOB datafiles periodically.

    The intervention by Tom Nash of the US firm Acclivity related to software that is recommended by Simple Accounting Ltd.  It doesnot relate to the main work of this association.  If you would like to find out more about Acclivity please use the links on the professional partners page to the site operated by Simple Accounting.

    One further matter: please remember that we will be issuing fresh confirmation codes this weekend to allow members to trial the process.  pleasemake sure that your profile entries are up to date.  Those with payments still clearing at the bank will receive codes free this time.
  • 18 Oct 2011 8:03 AM | Mark Hill (Administrator)
    The confirmation process is set to run through until December 31st only.  Some users have found that they cannot connect to online confirmation.  Mamut UK and MYOB Technology Pty (Australia) may appear to have ended the online confirmation process.  This is not the case. 

    The error is mainly occuring with any MYOB version 13-18 on the Mac.  The Mac software automatically checks whether you are operating the latest version.  Sometimes the security settings are reset by the download of a new OS version.

    The effect is that the local Mac will not accept the return confirmation code online.  It looks like MYOB has connected... but return code is now trapped outside the local MYOB software.  Eventually the MYOB confirmation software will time out and the system will ask you to phone MYOB's 0845 number.  Mamut believe that the Mac OS security is to blame, not MYOB.

    The recent surge of enquiries is something to do with most recent security patches/updates to the Mac OS.  When you download the latest update the problem is triggered. 

    The confirmation process is shared between you as a user and the manual confirmation process used by Mamut staff.  It is simply an Internet portal whch using the same software server at MYOB's offices in Australia.  If MYOB Australia do what they threaten and the confirmation process does get turned off - then the process will end for Mamut at the same time as users. 

    The view of the Mamut staff is still that 31st Dec is still intended as the end date for end of manual and other reconfirmations.  Confirmation may last for 6 to 9 months.  But there are no guarantees.  Confirmation might be prompted by other matters such as system clock change, power cut, system upgrade, network having differing system times.  Normally the system gives you 14 days before it makes the files go read-only.  However if one of these other errors occurs there may be no notice before the system goes to read-only. 

    Meanwhile the Mamut Mac software is confirmed via Acclivity's servers.  It is a different process, with renewal of the software, not the datafile.  The Acclivity licence is annual, and has to be paid for if you use Accountedge Plus or the support contract.  If you buy Accountedge (only) via the Apple shop you can avoid this.

    Panicy MYOB users have had their files fall due for renewal.  They have been presented with the registration screen for the first time.  The screen has a phone number at the bottom for MYOB... which they have called.  They have been connected with the Mamut sales team.  These people have then tried to persuade them to convert to Mamut PC products (which are radically different). 

    This is just a foretaste of the chaos that is likely to happen at the beginning of next year. 

    We have also had a report that Mamut sales staff are advising those calling that using the Association is a breach of copyright.  We reject this - we have been very careful not to engage in piracy.  The codes are only issued to those who are entitled to the services that they unlock.  Mamut's misuse of the licencing regulations is laughable.  They have colluded with MYOB to allow revoking of the licence terms of thousands of MYOB licence holders.


  • 11 Oct 2011 1:22 PM | Mark Hill (Administrator)
    Members have just received the first round of confirmation codes and are now confirming their datafiles. 

    There are five members awaiting codes.  These five have not confirmed their licence numbers and are still awaiting codes.  Other than this all members who have submitted Company file Codes (as well as their serial numbers) now have up-to-date confirmation codes available on their secure member webpage.

    The system appears to be working!
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