Frequently Asked Questions

General

What are the Terms of Service?

What is the Cancellation Policy for HoudiniESQ SaaS?

Do you offer a satisfaction guarantee?

What kind of support can I expect?

Is my information secure and confidential?

I thought the software was free. Why am I being asked to pay?

How long will it take to download a product?

What are the system requirements? What else do I have to buy?

What is Event Centric Workflow and how does it benefit me?

I understand that HoudiniESQ has an integrated document repository system called IRIS. How are these documents stored. Will I be able to get to them without using HoudiniESQ?

How is Email integrated with matters?

Will you support the iPhone?

Can I limit what my staff members can view or edit?

What steps are taken to protect against unauthorized outside access to the data?

As a solo, I'm pretty sure I would start with your solo version. Is it possible to start with one version and then easily migrate to another SaaS or non-SaaS version when my requirements change?

I may have missed it, but is there a way to transfer data between and/or synch with iCal and Apple Address Book?

I saw that you plan to have the capability to allow clients to access things like invoices, etc.
Do you also plan to support payments from clients to me through, e.g., PayPal?
What about the ability to send export data from Houdini Esq to QuickBooks?
What about the ability to do LEDES 98B billing?

Why so many features are being left for 1.6?

Will HoudiniEsq Solo really be free? If so, what is the catch?

HoudiniESQ SaaS

Are there any additional fees?

Can I cancel?

As a solo, I'm pretty sure I would start with your solo version. Is it possible to start with one version and then easily migrate to another SaaS or non-SaaS version when my requirements change?

In the SaaS option, what are the repository and storage limits?

How do I get my data if I decide to cancel my HoudiniESQ SaaS subscription?

There are other SaaS options available. How does HoudiniESQ differ?

How is your data backed up?

Who owns the data once it is transferred to the service?

Who has access to your data and under what circumstances?

How do I get my data if I terminate the SaaS service?

For the SaaS versions, is it possible to store/export data to work off-line, e.g., using something like Gears?

Installation

How do I install the program?

My web browser asks me if I want to save or open the file. What should I do?

I just downloaded and saved the file to my hard drive, but I forgot where it is. How can I find it again?

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General

Do you offer a satisfaction guarantee?
Yes we do! In fact, for the self install option we don't require you to purchase a license until you want to. For the SaaS option you have 30 days before we charge your card. (of course excluding Solo which is Free). top

What kind of support can I expect?
Heroic Support of course. We provide clear online documentatio via a wiki, and community pages where you can submit your questions, and, if you do not find your answers there, our support team guarantees to solve your issues. You will get clear concise answers back in record time! You can contact our technical support team by email or by phone. top

Is my information secure and confidential?
Absolutely! Your personal information and email are never shared with any other organization whatsoever – we take confidentiality very seriously. Our payment pages are secure and managed. As per our UELA we do however need to disclose which firms use our service. We are required to disclose the firm name only. top

I thought the software was free. Why am I being asked to pay?
Only Houdini ESQ Solo is free. Solo has the same rich feature set but is limited to a single seat. top

How long will it take to download the product?
If you are using the SaaS option there is nothing to download. When you connect to your assigned server the application will load in your browser.

If you choose to install the server yourself the installer is approximately 140MB. Download times vary depending on the speed of your Internet connection and the number of other people trying to download the software at the same time. top

What is the Cancellation Policy for HoudiniESQ SaaS
LOGICBIt offers a free 30-day trial on new accounts. Cancel within the first 30 days and you won't be charged.
If you cancel your paid account before you are billed 30 days after your original signup, you won't be charged. Once you cancel you won't be charged again, but you are responsible for whatever charges have already been incurred for the current billing period. For example, if your billing cycle is on the 15th of every month, and you cancel on the 17th, you'll still have to pay for the current month, but you won't be charged again after that. In order to treat everyone equally, no exceptions will be made.

What are the system requirements? What else do I have to buy?
HoudiniESQ will be available under several different licenses but all the requirements are the same except for the SaaS option. For the self installs (HoudiniESQ Solo, Practice and Elite) however.... top

CLIENT: On the client side typically any modern OS and modern computer. Most modern browsers are supported (IE7, FireFox, Safari, etc.)

SERVER:
You will need a computer that will act as the host. This is where the server portion of the software will reside as well as all your data.
The operating system isn't important as long as it supports Java. For example, FreeBSD, Linux, Solaris, CentOS, Windows XP, OSX, etc.

The minimum hardware requirement is a 1.6 gigahertz machine with at least 2 gigabytes of memory.
We recommend the fastest processor you can afford and 4 gigabytes of memory.

You will need at minimum a DSL line with a static IP if you wish to access your data over the web and a domain name that points to that IP address.

As far as software is concerned, there is nothing else to buy (unless you want to). HoudiniESQ is 100% turnkey.
1. No database to buy (HoudiniESQ Elite allows for connectivity to just about any database, currently 13)
2. No Web Server to buy
3. No Application server to buy (HoudiniESQ Elite can be run in your own instance of Tomcat)
4. No Document Management system to buy. top

How is your data backed up?
Data is backed up every day onto secondary storgae devices located in Michigan USA and to a offsite location located in NC USA.

For total piece of mind you can optionally request a Dedicated Server.

» Intel Q6600 QUAD CORE - 400% more CPU horse power
» DDR SDRAM
» 25GB 7200RPM SATA / 8MB Cache
» 24/7/365 Pro-Active Service Monitoring
» 99.999% Network Uptime Guarantee
» 30 Minute Hardware Replacement SLA
» Your own Email Server on same box
» Static IP
» FREE Support
» We manage everything (except the creation of email accounts)
» Server is located in one of our state of the art data centers in Michigan USA

All for just an additional $192 a month. Purchase Now

As a solo, I'm pretty sure I would start with your solo version. Is it possible to start with one version and then easily migrate to another SaaS or non-SaaS version when my requirements change?
Yes, when you are ready we can move your data to any of our products with ease. top

For the SaaS versions, is it possible to store/export data to work off-line, e.g., using something like Gears?
Yes, but offline requires our native desktop application and a separate license (fee). Release date of offline synch, March 2010. top

I may have missed it, but is there a way to transfer data between and/or synch with iCal and Apple Address Book?
No, if it is Matter, Contact or Event related data then you are going to want and use our Cal and Email clients built into HoudiniESQ. Cal and EMail are essential and linkage, attachment management etc are handled for you. If you are going to use 3 separate applications to manage your clients data and your schedule then practice management software is probably not what you need right now. top

Please tell me how I could use your product as a fixed-fee firm. For example, if I charge $8000 for drafting and filing a patent application regardless of time, I would like the ability to show in the invoice some or all of the specific actions that went into preparing and filing the application. I would also like the ability to track time on projects for my own internal use but not necessarily have that data recorded on invoices. I also need to show and charge for the government fees associated with filing a patent application - how would this work in Houdini Esq?
HoudiniESQ is Event Centric™ Everything you do on behalf of your client is an Event. A Event is general and is a primary record but each Event can have a Task associated with it (aka Record Sub-type). You create as many Event Task as you like (performed usually before hand when you setup the software. Of course you can add or change one or all at will, anytime, even as you use the program which minimizes what you have to do before hand to get started with our product).

Whenever you create a Event you specify the Task you will be performing from the drop down list of Task.
Each Event Task can be billable or NOT. For example, You create a Event Task called "Patent Filling", as well as "Case Law Review", "Document Prep", etc.
You optionally specify your Bill Rate for each of these task. top

All these Event Task do not have to be billable though. Just don't specify a rate on all, just specify a rate for "Patent Filling". Your time is always tracked for each Event Task you create regardless if it is billable or not. All Event Task display on the calendar as well (unless private is checked). This allows you to see your whole day as individual Task, don't worry you can see them as a associated groups and specify colors so your calendar is as intuitive as you like. Of course you can filter on Event Task e.g. view only phone calls and doc prep task for a given date for a given matter or client etc.

NOTE (If you have more than one Staff they don't need to set all this up. They can just select the Event Task someone else defined earlier and specify their own Rate OR they can wait until they actually create a Event and specify their rate then. This is helpful since no one has to spend time setting things up. They can just add what they need as they use the system).

Yes, you can add expenses to a Matter (e.g. government fees). top

What sort of accounting/billing features are included? Do you allow for tracking money into a trust account and then from the trust account into an operating account? Can invoices be customized, e.g., with my firm logo?
Yes, at the client level you can add retainer and trust deposits. When you invoice you can specify a percentage to be applied to invoice or a set amount to come from either the clients trust or retainer deposits.

No, currently you can't add a logo to invoices. We added it to the list of features though top

I saw that you plan to have the capability to allow clients to access things like invoices, etc. Do you also plan to support payments from clients to me through, e.g., PayPal? What about the ability to send export data from Houdini Esq to QuickBooks? What about the ability to do LEDES 98B billing?
Yes,you can have your clients view their data but this is a 1.6 feature and is not available in the initial release.

We have had request for PayPal and have added it to our list of features to include.

LEDES, Quickbooks and OFX are 1.6 features and are not available in the initial release. top

Why so many features are being left for 1.6?
HoudiniESQ 1.5 (Initial Release) is a strong foundation. We feel adding the kitchen sink too soon would be counterproductive. Features are rolled out in stages. HoudiniESQ is the most complete practice management solution in the cloud and what we have in store will be fantastic. top

What is Event Centric Workflow and how does it benefit me? Typically a case management system is Matter or Contact centric.
HoudiniESQ's Event Centric Workflow™ simply means that everything you do on behalf of your client is an Event.
You take a call it is an Event. You perform document prep, it's an Event, You hold a meeting to discuss case law, its an Event. top

In other case management systems a Event is a scheduled item and that is all. In HoudiniESQ we look at your time as the most important element of the system. When you perform a task it is an Event. Something that takes place; an occurrence which can be billable.Of course Matters, Contacts, Documents, Notes,To do's, etc are just as important but in most cases they are informational only. It is the time you put in to generate, review and or process this information that is billable. Yes, you can bill by occurrence as well. In HoudiniESQ the process in which these informational tidbits get into the system is just that, billable time.

In other case management systems billable time is viewed as a ancillary process where you add a Document, take Notes, add To do's and then bill for you time later.
In some cases you use an entirely different application. One which you have to continuously pay to upgrade.
How much time did you really spend creating that document, reviewing that eMail, discussing case law with a senior partner or peer? In HoudiniESQ you bill as you perform all these task, effortlessly. top

In other case management systems they provide a timer so you can record the time on a Phone Call.
Why not allow for the recording of time regardless of the action being taken. For example, you and a colleague must perform some case law review. This is an Event. As is anything you do on behalf of your client. You create a event, select Case Law review and start the timer. The system knows your bill rate for such an action and that of your colleagues as well. You review a eMail, prep a document, schedule a meeting, call a client. Its all the same to HoudiniESQ. Its billable time. Of course you get to decide what is billable and what is not.

In addition you can optionally add one or more additional staff members to these events which means they too are billing for this time. This information is clearly indicated on the invoices generated by HoudiniESQ.

Since everything you do is an Event, everything can be viewed on the Group Calendars. Of course this too is optional.

Event Centric Workflow™ does not change the fact that you have Matters, Clients, Contacts, Notes etc which are related.
It just makes the recording, billing and viewing of your time the center in which everything else revolves. top

I understand that HoudiniESQ has an integrated document repository system called IRIS. How are these documents stored. Will I be able to get to them without using HoudiniESQ?
HoudiniESQ stores all data local to its server component. There are several repositories, each separate from the other. Documents uploaded into IRIS reside in their own folder. IRIS does not alter the documents, it only indexes them. Approximately 25,000 unique words per document. Email attachments reside in the Staff members own folder. Unless the Email is related to a Matter. In which case the Email along with any attachments are moved to the IRIS repository where they will be indexed by Houdini IRIS. Files are stored in their original form on the server like any other file. top

How is Email integrated with matters?
When you view or send Email you can optionally assign a Matter to the Email. When you view a Email, selecting a Matter will automatically cause the Email and all its attachments to be indexed by Houdini IRIS. This mean a search will include these emails and their attachments. To find all Emails related to a Matter you simply open Email and select the Matter from the filter drop down. Houdini will show all Emails sent and received regarding that Matter.The Matter form also displays all related Emails. top

Will you support the iPhone?
The iPhone is definitely something we want to provide and are working on it right now. top

Can I limit what my staff members can view or edit?
Yes. You can assigned staff aliases and specify which groups they belong to (admin, staff, bridge club, etc) as well as define which areas of the application they have access to when using the assigned staff alias. You can do all this from the Organization manager. top

Houdini ESQ Solo

Will HoudiniEsq Solo really be free? If so, what is the catch.
Yes, we will be releasing HoudiniESQ Solo for free. There is no catch. HoudiniESQ is a self install.
There is no support included. We do provide a public Wiki and community pages as well as several support plans. For installation details visit the HoudiniESQ community pages. Some basic installation questions are answered below. top

HoudiniESQ SaaS

Are there any additional fees?
None. Once the 30 day trial period has passed you will only be billed for the number of seats you have licensed. top

Can I cancel?
Absolutely, if you ever become dissatisfied you may cancel at any time during the course of your membership without any further obligations. You are billed monthly for each seat. To cancel call 919.926.0755. top

In the SaaS option, what are the repository and storage limits?
Storage is 10 gig per firm. More space can be purchased when needed. top

How do I get my data if I decide to cancel my HoudiniESQ SaaS subscription?
We zip up your data and provide you with an FTP account from which you can download all your data, documents, email and attachments. In a upcoming release you will be able to export your data in CSV format. top

There are other SaaS options available. How does HoudiniESQ differ?
Technically speaking we differ a lot. From a corporate culture aspect we also differ a lot.
We believe that transparency with our clients is vital. That is why you will never have to sign up to view our product.

We offer a true Rich Internet Application experience. HoudiniESQ isn't a collection of static web pages linked to a database but instead a rich internet application or RIA. You won't have to sit and wait while pages are refreshed with HoudiniESQ. top

Who owns the data once it is transferred to the service?
You do. In addition HoudiniESQ is 100% Single Tenant Architecture. Your data is never commingled with anyone else's. top

Who has access to your data and under what circumstances?
Only those individuals you create account for. Our staff do not have access to the servers since they are located in a data center not our corporate offices. top

How do I get my data if I terminate the SaaS service?
We zip up your data and provide you with an FTP account from which you can download all your data, documents, email and attachments. Your HoudiniESQ data will be in its original form.

Your data is not destroyed until you inform us that you have downloaded your data. You are given 30 days to do so before the storage is reassigned to another client. top

What steps are taken to protect against unauthorized outside access to the data?
Although there is no such thing as a totally secure server (except one that is unplugged) we are confident that unauthorized access is very difficult as long as you use a strong password and protected it. This of course is something you ave control over. What about data transmission?

HoudiniESQ is protected by LOGICBit's ENIGMa768™. A real time on the wire ISO Symmetric Block Cipher. Basically HoudiniESQ breaks a data stream going between your client machine and a HoudiniESQ server into 3 parts. Each part is 256bit encrypted using a rotating set of keys that are determined and agreed upon when you first connect (the handshake, 256 unique keys per user uniquely generated each time a user initially connects) to the HoudiniESQ server. Since the cipher is ISO Symmetric each of these 3 parts relies on the other to be successfully deciphered in order to decipher the next. The order of the parts is also random and determined when you first connect to the HoudiniESQ server. top

What makes HoudiniESQ so difficult to sniff and capture data is...

Data transmitted is divided into 3 parts. Each part is 256bit encrypted with its own key using a ISO Symmetric algorithm. The 3 parts are rejoined together randomly. You must be able to successfully decipher one part in order to successfully decipher the next. The order of the parts is unknown except for the client machine and the server. Each part can use any one of 256 keys that were created for each user when they initially connected to the HoudiniESQ server. top

Isn't this overkill? Not when you consider 3 important points.

1) If you use a packet snifter on port 8080 (the port we use) and have the same user send the same data "Jane Doe" across the wire you would notice that both encrypted streams are entirely different. This is very important. The data we view and access everyday isn't different or random as a credit card transaction between a E-Commerce site and a consumer. When we use a program that relies on relational data we often view and retrieve the same data over and over. e.g. Email list, Client LIst, A Deposition etc. Given enough time (and when we say time we mean relatively short periods of time given the computing power available to everyone these days) it would be relatively easy to sniff data coming over the wire and eventually decipher its contents. If you recall 128bit was once thought to be very secure, today it is the bare minimum.

If the ciphered text is itself ever changing (from the hackers perspective) it makes the task of sniffing and capturing meaningful data very difficult. That is why we encourage you to use a strong password and keep it safe because it is a whole lot easier for someone to crack your 8 byte password and just login rather than sniffing the wire your data is transmitted over to retrieve just a few tidbits of meaningful data.

The weakest link is you and your password so make it strong and keep it safe.

2) Since we also provide our product as a Turn Key Self Host solution we needed a strong encryption method that wouldn't require our clients to have to manage or become familiar with key tools, generating CSRs, finding a SSL Certificate company and purchasing certificates every year. top

A common misconception is that SSL certificate's main purpose is to protect the transaction between server and client. This is not the main purpose of a certificate. The main purpose of a certificate is to establish the identity of the web site you are connecting to as trusted by a third party (the issuer of the certificate). If you are self hosting HoudiniESQ you and your staff already know who the host is, its you.

3) The service we provide is not E-Commerce but instead software and relational data access which requires a bit more than the bare minimum. top

Installation

How do I install the program?
We provide a Install Wizard for all supported Operating Systems. top

My web browser asks me if I want to save or open the file. What should I do?
When downloading the software, your web browser may ask whether you want to save the file or open it from its current location. It is always recommended that you choose to save the file to a directory on your computer's hard drive. This way you can reinstall the software at a later date without having to download it again. After the download is complete, you can install the software by double-clicking on the file. top

I just downloaded and saved the file to my hard drive, but I forgot where it is. How can I find it again?
This is a common problem and the solution is very easy. Normally your web browser defaults to the same directory for every download, until you change it. An easy way to find out the download directory is to simply start another download. When asked, choose to save the file to your hard drive and the "Save As" window will appear, revealing your download directory. top