FAQs:  Your options to avoid the hassle and expense resulting from removal of R&R from Abra.

Q: Can I continue to use R&R reports created in Abra Suite v6.x after migrating to Abra Suite v7.x?

A: Yes. Simply purchase a stand-alone R&R v10 license from Liveware and it will read your existing R&R reports with virtually no modification and absolutely no expensive “rebuilding”.

Q: How much does a stand-alone R&R v10 license cost and do I have any other options?

A: A 5-user R&R license is $2400, single-user is just $600. Compare that against the thousands of dollars you would certainly have to pay an Abra Business Partner to rebuild even a limited number of complex reports. You might also have to attend training classes for another report writer, or use in-house resources to handle the transition to another report writer. The choice of staying with R&R is pretty obvious for anyone with even a small number of existing R&R reports.

Q: If I've already converted some of my reports to another report writer, is it still worthwhile to purchase a stand-alone R&R?

A: Probably. Many Abra users have complained about the poor performance of other report writers as compared to R&R, so you may want to return to R&R for that reason alone. It would also be worthwhile to just stop the expensive and annoying re-building or reports with another report writer and just use R&R.

Q: If I have multi-user Abra, do I have to buy multiple licenses for stand-alone R&R?

A: No. Buy however many R&R licensees you think you will need to use at any time. R&R licenses can be loaded and shared on a network just like Abra (and many other programs). Only the module to create reports -- Report Designer -- is controlled. You can use the R&R tools to deploy reports with no restrictions, so everyone in your organization can run the R&R reports you have created.

Q: Do I need to launch Abra to use stand-alone R&R like it used to be?

A: NO! R&R just reads Abra data files and does not require access to the Abra program. Therefore, you can allow an even larger group of people to use Abra data with complete security, since the ability to run reports -- called "Runtime" -- allow you to limit access to Abra data with more security than anything Abra currently offers. For more information on these options, call Liveware and ask to speak to one of our consultants.

Q: Can I create new reports from Abra® data with R&R v10?

A: Absolutely! R&R works great with Abra (always has!), and there are also security and deployment modules included in R&R v10 that were never available with the Abra edition of R&R.

Q: How do I order R&R v10?

A: Use the regular order form on our website or call 800-936-6202.

Q: Is there anything else I have to do to use stand-alone R&R?

A: Yes. You may have to spend a few minutes updating some reports to utilize the special Abra ‘Data Dictionary’ we supply at no additional cost. Liveware is ready to help you with any issues. We've been through this transition process with hundreds of Abra Suite users, and the only reports that would require modification are those originally created using the old (circa 1995) .RP5 libraries and containing certain 'underscore' fields such as _LEVEL2. If you have reports in .RP5 libraries, save them to individual .RRW report files prior to performing the transition. If you need us to convert .RP5 library reports, we will do so free of charge. See conversion notes.

Q: Why didn’t Liveware tell us about this option sooner?

A: We wanted to! But we were only recently able to obtain your contact information.

Q: Who will support R&R going forward?

A: Liveware. You will join the hundreds of thousands of R&R licensees around the world. Our consultants are very experienced and have already helped many Abra users to seamlessly migrate to stand-alone R&R licenses. Unlike Abra, you don't have to pay an annual fee for support. We offer a variety of support options. Assistance with transition from Abra R&R to stand-alone R&R is FREE!

Q: Will support for R&R from Liveware be better than support Best Software used to provide?

A: BY A WIDE MARGIN! The technical support staff and consultants at Liveware are committed to R&R and have far more experience with both Abra and R&R than the typical support people at Best.

Q: How is R&R better than the report writer now incorporated in Abra?

A: The advantages of R&R are too many to list here. Primarily, R&R runs faster, offers more flexible connections to your Abra data, is more user-friendly and intuitive compared to other reporting tools, takes less time to learn that other reporting tools (particularly since you probably already know R&R) and has a ten-year history with the Abra product.

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