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TickeTrak
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Parking Management & Enforcement System
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What Programming
Language is TickeTrak written in?
A: TickeTrak is written in Microsoft
Visual Basic.
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Q: What Database does
TickeTrak utilize?
A: TickeTrak utilizes Microsoft's
SQL Server database. Because
TickeTrak utilizes SQL Server,
there is no need for an API (Application Programming Interface) or
"Doorway" required by other vendors to Web Enable
your parking data. Adding an API only creates potential headaches
for you and your agency's technical support staff.
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Q: What are the
reporting capabilities of TickeTrak?
A: Within the TickeTrak
software the user has the ability to create and save reports for
Tickets, Permits, and Owners. Pre-formatted reports including
Financial reports are also available. Additionally, Cardinal
provides Crystal Reports, the leading report writer
application in the world. A number of professionally designed
Crystal Reports are included with TickeTrak, and the user
may customize these reports to meet their specific requirements or
create new reports. With Crystal Reports you have
the capability to design, save, and print reports for any data that is
in your TickeTrak database, including graphical
reports.
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Q: How long does the
battery last in the handheld?
A: Cardinal offers several
different types of ticketwriters to issue citations. With the
exception of the Radix FW300, all units have field replaceable batteries
that last between 8 and 14 hours, depending on how many tickets are
written and how often the backlight is utilized.
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Q: Is TickeTrak an open system?
A: Yes. All of Cardinal's Parking and Public Safety
Products are developed using a standard Microsoft SQL database and
Microsoft standard development tools. No proprietary components exist within
the structure of any Cardinal database application.
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Q: What hardware do I need
to run TickeTrak?
A: All hardware necessary for Cardinal
Applications are supported by standard Intel platform servers and workstations.
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Q: What operating system
does TickeTrak require?
A: TickeTrak requires Microsoft Windows 2000 Server,
or Microsoft NT 4.0 (with Service Pack 5.0 or later). TickeTrak
workstations require MS Windows 98/98SE/2000, NT 4.0, or Windows XP Pro.
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Q: What is the method
and location of training?
A: Training is "hands
on" and the client may choose to hold the training on-site at their
agency, or at Cardinal's corporate facilities in Texas. Training
normally spans three to five days, depending on the software selected
and size of the installation.
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Q: Can I customize
TickeTrak to meet my agency's requirements?
A: Yes. TickeTrak
is designed to
allow your system administrator many choices in configuring the system
to match your agency's needs. A few examples:
- Agency Defined Fields - Each
major module includes five such fields which you can define the
caption and utilize to capture agency specific data.
- Mandatory Fields - Define any
field as a "mandatory field" and even specify the custom
background color for such fields. If a user attempts to save a
record without entering data in these fields, an alert will
show on the screen reminding the user to complete the mandatory
field(s) before saving the record.
- Tab Stop Control - If there are
data fields your agency does not utilize, you can choose to have
these not included in the tab stop order, making data entry quick
and easy for your users
- Field Codes - The system
administrator has complete control over the field codes and
descriptions, both on the PC side and those codes used by the
handheld units. For example, if you need to add or modify a
violation description on your handhelds, simply make the change
within the PC based Ticketrak system, then upload the new
configuration file to the handheld units
- Custom On-Line Help - Besides
customizing field codes, your system administrator can define "field level" and "module
level" help files. This means for each data field, you
may define narrative on-line help that is available to the user at
the touch of a key. You may also do the same for each
module. You users will feel more comfortable using a system
they know specific on-line help is only a keystroke
away.
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Q: Can Cardinal
Tracking convert my existing data?
A: Yes, Cardinal has successfully
converted data for clients moving from systems using data residing in
mainframe databases, Unix-based databases, Foxpro, Access, Dataflex,
Clarion Top Speed, Oracle, and many more! We are glad to provide
you a cost estimate for how many hours of programming time it will
require for converting your existing data. Factors affecting the
cost of data conversion:
-
Format of the source data (database,
structure, etc.)
-
Number of tables/elements to be converted
( Citations, Permits,
Owners, etc.)
-
Similarity between source and
destination structures (tickets and owners stored separately as in
TickeTrak 8, etc.)
-
Existence of detailed file layouts
(otherwise the programmer has to spend time attempting to
match up source fields with destination fields).
-
How the data is delivered to us. We prefer, and the final cost will be less, if you can
provide the data to us as a Microsoft Access MDB or ASCII text file.
To provide an estimate, we will need a copy of your
data (or sample data) with file layouts (if they exist). You
should beware of vendors that promise to convert your existing data
"free of charge" without even examining the data.
Cardinal provides a specification document where we detail exactly what
we will convert. Make sure you get the same type of document from
vendors who promise to convert your data for free!
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Q: How
long has Cardinal Tracking been in business?
A: Cardinal Tracking has been in
business since 1982. We have been providing
automated solutions to Parking and Public Safety agencies since
1985. With over 400 clients and 2 decades of experience, you can
count on Cardinal Tracking to provide a system that works!
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