Release notes:

What's new in Symbility release 1.6.0.6?

BUGS FIXED

BUG 3397 - mobile claims crashes when saving claim with estimate containing blank note
Symptoms: If a claim was manually saved containing an estimate that included a blank note attached to an item, mobile claims would crash.
Explanation: Fixed, blank notes (while not particularly useful) will not cause the software to crash.

BUG 3379: Claim would not synchronize when policy number was blank

Symptoms: This bug was caused by Symbility.NET permitting a claim to be created without a policy number—something mobile claims always expects.
Explanation: When saving a newly created claim, Symbiliy.NET now properly validates the policy number field and will not permit the claim to be saved without a policy number.

NEW FEATURES

FEATURE 3370 – Voice annotations

There's a new type of annotation that can be added to your floorplan or estimate. A voice annotation is simply an embedded audio file created by recording your voice with the built-in microphone integrated into every Tablet PC and Pocket PC. This feature is an ideal way to record information at the loss site that doesn't need to be in a written form—you can record it in a fraction of the time compared to writing or typing it. Voice annotations can be inserted into your floorplan anywhere, just like photos, by selecting the voice annotation icon from the Shape Selector dialog box. They can also be attached to any item in the estimate using the Add Voice Annotation button on the estimate page or the estimate view toolbar in the item pane.

Once you've inserted the voice annotation, you can record your narrative. The voice annotation dialog also provides controls for playing the recorded audio file and fast-forwarding/rewinding. You can record additional audio starting at the position you select or erase the audio and start again. Note that you can also add a caption under the voice annotation icon just as can be done for photos.

Those viewing your estimate or floorplan on Symbility.NET can also playback the recorded voice annotation simply by double-clicking the voice annotation icon. The audio will play in the user's default media application (usually Windows Media Player).

FEATURE 2358 – Improved synchronization speed

Not really a new feature, but worth mentioning anyway—the speed that mobile claims now synchronizes with Symbility.NET has been dramatically improved!

FEATURE 1052 – Device where ownership of claim was obtained now tracked

This is a very handy feature for anyone that regularly uses multiple devices (computers) in the course of their work with a claim. As you know, "ownership" of a claim must be acquired before you can edit the information within. Ownership is also localized to a device—once you acquire ownership of a claim on a device, it remains there until you release ownership of it on that same device (this is because you may have made changes to the claim that are stored on that device). It can get confusing when you have acquired ownership on one device, then login to mobile claims on another device, and notice the claim you are working on is not available because it is already owned by...YOU (who is the one currently logged in!) It says you are the owner, yet it also says you are not the owner! The reason for this apparent confusion is that you are the owner of the claim on a different device. If only mobile claims could inform you of which device ownership of the claim was obtain on, so you could use that device instead or release ownership of the claim.

Now it can...you'll notice that when you log in the first time with this new version you are prompted to establish the "identity" of the device. The name you enter will be used to identify the device where you currently have ownership (this information will appear in the Claim Properties dialog box).

You can change the "identity" of the device in the Preferences dialog box.

FEATURE 1299 – New claim status "Closed - cashed out" added

Claims can now be closed with the status "Closed - cashed out", which is identical to the regular "Closed" status except for the name.

FEATURE 2030 – Additional information shown in Estimate page room blocks

We have added additional details about the room to room blocks on the Estimate page, including:

Wall area minus any subtractions (doors, windows, openings)
Wall area minus any subtractions including casing
Total surface area of doors
Total surface area of windows
Total surface area of openings
Total surface area of missing walls
Ceiling perimeter

FEATURE 2074 – Ability to import estimates from other claims

Estimates in claims that are still in your mobile claims Claim List can now be re-used in new claims. A new command Import estimate from another claim... can be found in the context menu (tap-and-hold) for each claim record in the claim list and in the Tools menu when viewing the Claim Explorer of an open claim. This command will show a dialog box containing all claims that have been downloaded on the same device, and under each claim are the estimates that have been authored by the same user. Select one or more estimates and tap OK; the estimate and all floorplans used to create the estimate will appear in the claim you are working on.

FEATURE 3256 – Ability to specify what gets synchronized

More and more Symbility users are tapping the efficiencies provided by wide-area wireless like GPRS and 1X which allow you to synchronize mobile claims to upload and download data anywhere you have cellular phone reception. In response to this, we have added more flexibility to the synchronization process by allowing you the choice of uploading components of your claims that are large (mainly digital photos, and potentially now voice annotations) only when you have a high-speed (wireless or wired) Internet connection. Before, if you used wide-area wireless and regularly embedded many photos into your estimates on-site, you could expect to be uploading for 10 or 15 minutes or more. Now you can utilize the freedom of your wide-area wireless connection to upload your estimates and download new claims, and reserve the uploading of the attached photos and voice annotations for when connected at high speed.

To select whether to send photos/voice annotations or not, use the new option to the right of the Sync button (Tablet version) or the same option in the Tools menu (Pocket PC version). When checked, photos and voice annotations will be uploaded along with the rest of the claim. If a claim has been uploaded without it's embedded photos and voice annotations, it will show the label "Photos/voice clips not uploaded" under the claim record in the claim list. When you obtain a high-speed internet connection, you can check the "Upload photos/voice annotations" option and re-synchronize.

Note that you have this option only when you upload your claim, not when you release ownership (even though that also uploads the claim). If you release ownership of a claim, the "Upload photos/voice annotations" setting is ignored for that claim. Hence, to send your estimate directly from the loss site for review by an adjuster (or someone else from your company) when you have a wide-area wireless internet connection and have embedded many (a dozen or more) photos and/or voice annotations, uncheck the "Upload photos/voice annotations" option and upload your claim (don't release ownership).

FEATURE 3183 – Voice notifications

We've added yet another method that you can choose to be notified of events related to your claims. A voice notification is actually a telephone call from someone we call "Sophie"...Sophie is actually a computer-generated voice who will read the notification aloud to you. She will even leave a message if you can't be reached and she happens to reach your voice mail. You can receive a voice notification at any phone—cellphone or landline phone.

FEATURE 3148 – Left panel in Symbility.NET containing claim explorer is now resizable

You can now resize the width of the left panel (the blue strip on the left side that contains commands and the Claim Explorer). Just grab the handle at the bottom of the dividing line to make the panel wider, which lets you see more information in the Claim Explorer.