Common Questions Answered By Work[etc]
Company
What does the future hold? Where is the company headed?
Our product development goal is to build a complete, intuitive business management platform for growing businesses.
To this end we are heavily invested in research and development and invite our customers to help us build ideas through our active Feature Suggestion forum.
Also every six month we publish a public roadmap that shows our customers what we have achieved over the last 6 months and what we're aiming to achieve over the next 6 months.
What industries do your customers represent?
WORK[etc] is a platform specifically for growing businesses and remote teams. It is not targeted at any particularly industry and its tools suitable for all businesses.
The more common companies that use WORK[etc] come from these industries:
- Business services such as accounting practices, marketing firms, advertising agencies, legal and secretarial.
- Technology services businesses such as MSP's, software developers, web site designers, search engine marketers, It help and support desks.
- Consultancies such as engineering, environmental and management consultants.
- Building services, construction and real estate.
- Mining, exploration and mining services.
- Product development and Intellectual Property oriented businesses.
How many customers do you have?
We recently tipped over 1000 business customers, equating to roughly 15,000 individual users. (April 2012)
Where are your customers based?
At last count we had paying customers from 28 countries including USA, Australia, United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand, India, China, France, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, Singapore, Malaysia, Ireland, Mexico, Spain and more.
Where is the WORKetc team based?
WORK[etc] is a micro-multinational company, meaning our team works remotely across many different cities, countries and continents.
The CEO of WORK[etc], Daniel Barnett, splits his time between San Francisco and Sydney. The CTO is based in Melbourne, Australia.
We have support people in Los Angeles and San Francisco in the USA and in Essex, United Kingdom and Auckland, New Zealand.
The development team can be found in Halifax in Canada and Bucharest, Romania.
Why do this?
- By having key people spread across the globe we can ensure continuous product development and customer support. And at the same time we do away with the cost of an expensive office and inefficiencies of commuting.
- The challenge of course is communicating and managing projects across so many time zones, which we use WORK[etc] to help us stay on top of everything.
- We use WORK[etc] to manage WORK[etc]. We "eat our own dogfood"as Google likes to say or, as we prefer, "we drink our own Champagne".
Is the company profitable, stable and in it for the long haul?
WORK[etc] is self-funded with no debt (not even a credit card!). We don't answer to investors or venture capitalists and are masters of our own destiny. With over 1000 growing businesses depending on WORK[etc] for their success comes immense responsibility.
To ensure we live up to this challenge we ensure we are always fiscally responsible. Our revenue comes from a subscription product meaning we charge a whole lot of companies a little bit of money, automatically every month.
If we billed "X" dollars last month, odds are that we'll bill "X" dollars this month and then some. And as we rarely have businesses with more than 5 staff leave us, our customers are long term customers.
What this means is that we have a regular and guaranteed income stream.
WORK[etc] is stable, profitable and completely focussed on always improving the product.
What is WORKetc focussed on? What is its mandate?
Our focus is is simply:
- Continuously build a better product.
- Provide a level of customer support that we would be happy to receive ourselves.
When it comes to building a better product, it is important to know that WORK[etc] is the biggest user of WORK[etc]. We use WORK[etc] to manage WORK[etc], across 9 time zones and 3 continents, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. So when we improve WORK[etc] "the product", we're also improving the bottom line of WORK[etc] "the business". It is fundamentally in our best interest to always be making WORK[etc] better.
When it comes to customer support, it is our belief that having a great product is only half the story (possibly even less). Great customer support is what makes the product memorable.
How did the company start?
WORK[etc] officially started in 2006 building discrete web tools for a number of clients as a company called Veetro. By 2008 we had started to identify common app requirements among our customers and started work on a consolidated a business management platform changing our name at the same time to WORK[etc].
It is safe to say our first version of the software was not the roaring success we expected, even though it attracted just over 500 businesses. The technology just was not available to deliver the speedy, slick app experience we were chasing.
Around the same time we released version 1, broadband suddenly become ubiquitous and more modern web browsers allowed for in-page loading known as Ajax.
It was these advances that drove us back to the drawing board. Starting from absolute scratch we spent the next 18 months programming and released a brand new platform late in 2009.
Since then we've added more than 1000 customers from 28 countries to the platform and stuck to a schedule that sees almost daily releases and every few months a major upgrade.
Customer Experience
Where can I find documentation?
Our user-guide includes over 200 pages of videos, text and detailed diagrams.
Additionally, on every page we have help-glyphs that provide in-page help on how to use a feature.
How do I get support?
On every page within WORK[etc], there is a clear link to contact support.
Can I get specialized training?
Yes. We have several training packages available.
What if I have a great idea for a new feature?
WORK[etc] has an active Feature Suggestion forum where our community can suggest ideas, discuss and vote ideas up or down.
The more popular the idea, the more likely it will be implemented. But, it is not just about popularity. We look at every idea and if we think it good, we'll go ahead and build it.
How do I get involved in the beta program?
Before making major releases available to all users, we run an invite-only beta program. We make an announcement on our blog and ask for guinea pigs to sign up and test out the changes.
How long will it take to get up and running?
WORK[etc] is designed to be intuitive whilst not sacrificing functionality. What this means is that users can get started immediately with the basics and then take time to use the more specialized features as they need too.
We have a great getting started video series and training options to help you get up and running even faster.
Can I resell WORKetc? Do you have a partner program?
WORK[etc] does not currently have a partner or affiliate program.
GDPR
What is a Data Processing Addendum (DPA), and where can I find it?
A DPA is an agreement between WORKetc and our customers that regulates the processing of customer personal data that we perform on your behalf.
The DPA outlines the commitments that WORKetc (Data Processor) and you (Data Controller) have agreed to in order to ensure the lawful processing of your customer personal data.
WORKetc has updated our Terms of Service (found here) on May 25th, 2018 to incorporate the DPA, therefore, you will not require to sign a DPA agreement as you have already agreed to our Terms of Service when you signed up for WORKetc.
For your convenience, you can download a copy of the DPA here.
Is WORKetc a Data Processor or Data Controller?
The GDPR regulations that a business must meet are broken down into two different roles:
- Data Controller: The organization that decides why someone’s personal data is collected and how the data will be collected.
- Data Processor: The organization that actually processes the personal data of individuals on behalf of the controller.
When our customers accept the WORKetc Terms of Service, they permit WORKetc to maintain the data from our customers on their respective WORKetc accounts. In this case, our customers are the data controllers (as they determine how and why they collect data) and WORKetc is the data processor as we actually maintain the data the controller collects on our system, so we act as the data processor.
Does data stored in WORKetc ever leave European Economic Area (EEA)?
WORKetc operates our infrastructure using several servers provided by Amazon Web Services (AWS). Below is a breakdown of where your data is stored based on region:
- All European Customers have their data hosted on our AWS Server in Frankfurt, Germany.
- All North American Customers have their data hosted on our AWS Server in Oregon, Michigan USA.
- All our Asia Pacific Customers have their data hosted on our AWS Server in Sydney, Australia.
If you are in the EEA your data will be hosted in Frankfurt, Germany. However, AWS has all the appropriate certifications in place to allow your data to be transferred to any one of our other servers without breaching the applicable data protection regulations.
Should your data move outside of the EEA zone, for the purposes of providing geographic redundancy to ensure the maximum protection possible of your data, the servers your data will be stored on will still be compliant with the applicable data protection regulations.
Where can I find the Sub-Processors for WORKetc?
WORKetc makes use of several third-party providers to ensure our quality of service.
You can find a full list of our Sub-Processors here. On this page you will also be able to:
- Object to a new-sub-processor
- Request to receive an email notification when a WORKetc introduces a new sub-processor
What Personal Data can I use WORKetc to process?
WORKetc does not provide any limitations to the personal data that you choose to store in WORKetc, with the exception of data that may include questionable legal or moral content (for example pornography, illegal drug use, hate crimes), or which has been obtained by fraudulent activities or indirect methods (for example, third-party data that you are not authorised to use, purchased email lists or contact records). However, you have the sole responsibility for the legality, reliability, integrity, accuracy and quality of your Customer Data.Please Note: Even though WORKetc allows users to store custom data on our platform, we do not allow you to store Sensitive Personal Data (as defined by the EU Data Commission Office).
Does WORKetc encrypt Customer Personal Data?
WORKetc has several systems to ensure the security of all data that we process:
- Secure Socket Layer technology (SSL) – standard security technology for establishing an encrypted link between a server and a client
- 256-bit encryption during storage on our severs – A hacker will require 2256 different combinations to break a 256-bit encrypted message.
- HTTP Strict Transport Security – web security policy mechanism that helps to protect websites against protocol downgrade attacks and cookie hijacking.
- Content Security Policy – an added layer of security that helps to detect and mitigate certain types of attacks
You can read more about each point above by pressing on any of the system names above.
WORKetc also utilizes Amazon Web Services (AWS) to host all our data, you can read more about the security and encryption capabilities of AWS.
What are the data retention & data backup policies for WORKetc?
WORKetc understands the importance of ensuring that your data is never lost. For this reason, our systems automatically backup our entire WORKetc database every 5 hours. When a backup is created, it is automatically deleted after 14 days.
To back up our systems in a secure and efficient manner, we use a backup method known as a data snapshot. This method of data backup ensures that the data remains anonymous. After your WORKetc account is closed, all customer personal data we hold is fully removed from our database and the archived backups are fully removed 90 days after account closure. We retain this data for the stated period for your peace of mind – making it available during this period should you require your own discrete copy.
If you wish to request the immediate removal of all your customer personal data, you can do so by submitting this form.
You also have the option of creating a backup of your WORKetc account by going to Settings -> Manage Account -> Backup Account, this will allow you to create a SQL Server 2016 database backup.
Please Note: that WORKetc cannot be held responsible for what you choose to do with your data after you export it out of WORKetc.
Who at WORKetc has access to data & what security measures are in place?
Members of our Product Support team often require access to the systems that are used to manage personal customer data.
We ensure that all WORKetc staff with any access to any customer personal data have signed a Non-Disclosure and Confidentiality Agreement prior to allowing said employees any access to your data.
WORKetc also maintains a comprehensive off-boarding process to ensure that if an employee’s employment is terminated, they lose all access to all WORKetc systems.
A member of the WORKetc Support team will never access personal customer data unless they are given specific instruction from the customer to-do so (this can either be done by phone, email or online webform).
When any member of the WORKetc support team accesses your Customer Personal Data, we have the following security systems in place:
1.) Establish an encrypted connection via TLS 1.2 (2048 bit) encryption layer to the database server through specified access in the AWS proprietary firewall.
2.) Establish a console session or connect using SQL Management Studio and query data as needed.
In addition to our security system, WORKetc logs all instances when a WORKetc employee accesses any Customer Personal Data and stores those logs securely on our encrypted database.
For additional security, the account owner can choose to remove all WORKetc support access to all Customer Personal Data. The Help Article with instructions on this feature can be found here.
How will WORKetc notify me of a data breach?
WORKetc is dedicated to ensuring your data stays secure. In the extremely unlikely event of a data breach. We guarantee that we will advise you within 72-hours of the time we became aware of the data breach.
Within the data breach notification, we will provide you with all the required incident details as indicated in Article 33 of the GDPR (found here).
- You will receive a data breach notification with-in 72 hours of WORKetc being aware of the breach
- You will receive all other information related to the data breach within the four (4) week time allowed by the GDPR Regulations
WORKetc will send the incident notification the account owner listed on the WORKetc account.
What technical & security policies does WORKetc have in place protect personal data?
WORKetc host all the data that we collect on Amazon Web Services (AWS).
AWS is a global leader in Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) and they take physical and network security seriously. Their data centres are housed in nondescript facilities. Physical access is strictly controlled both at the perimeter and at building ingress points by professional security staff, video surveillance, intrusion detection systems, and other electronic means. Access to their data centre floors requires two-factor authentication a minimum of two times.
AWS Maintains several industry compliance certificates that guarantee the safe transfer, storage, and access to your data.
All AWS Infrastructure is GDPR compliant and adheres to the following international certification standards:
- ISO 27001 – Security management best practices and comprehensive security controls
- ISO 27017 – Information security aspects of cloud computing.
- ISO 27018 – Code of practice that focuses on protection of personal data in the cloud
- SOC 1, SOC 2 & SOC 3 – Independent third-party examination reports that demonstrate how AWS achieves key compliance controls and objectives.
- PCI DSS Level 1 – PCI DSS applies to all entities that store, process, or transmit cardholder data (CHD) or sensitive authentication data (SAD)
All AWS Infrastructure also adheres to the following EU specific certification standards:
- Common Cloud Computing Controls Catalogue (C5) – Scheme introduced in Germany by the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) to help organizations demonstrate operational security against common cyber-attacks
- CISPE Code of Conduct – Helps customers ensure that their cloud infrastructure provider is using appropriate data protection standards to protect their data consistently
- EU – US Privacy Shield Framework – Enables the compliant transfer of personal data from data controllers in the EU to data controllers (or processors) in the US.
You can find a full list of AWS Compliance Programs here. You can also press on any certificate above to receive more details on the specific certificate.
An annual Security Vulnerability Audit is conducted by Synopsys (A company worth $2 Billion USD & listed on Nasdaq 100 Leading Security Company). Any potential threats or vulnerabilities identified by the audit are fully addressed by WORKetc as a matter highest priority and resolved in the shortest time possible.
Meet with us
How do I reschedule or cancel my meeting?
- To reschedule or cancel your meeting simply press the “Change/Cancel Appointment” button found at the bottom of your booking confirmation email and follow the system prompts.
- If you cannot find this email, simply send an email to support@worketc.com and we will be able to assist you.
How do I invite my team members to the meeting?
- To invite anyone on your team to a meeting, simply forward your meeting confirmation email to them.
- Your colleagues will be able to send to press the “Join Meeting” button to join the meeting at the scheduled time.
- You can also invite your colleagues by pressing the “Add to Google Calendar” or “Add to iCal/Outlook” buttons at the bottom of the email and enter your colleague’s emails as invitees.
I can’t find my confirmation email, what should I do?
If you are having trouble finding your appointment confirmation email, and can’t join the call, simply press the links below to be connected with the appropriate consultant. If your meeting is with:
- Sarah Stermole press here
- Dan Badenko press here
- Steve Westrop press here
- Justine Tukushima press here
How do I join a meeting?
- After you book a meeting with us, you will receive an email 15 minutes before your call is scheduled to start.
- In this email, you will find a “Join Meeting” button, simply press on this button and follow the prompts.
How do I schedule a meeting?
To schedule a meeting with us, simply press here and follow the system prompts.
Our Product
What exactly is it?
WORK[etc] is a collection of integrated software tools that provides small business with a powerful web-based system ready to improve workflow and management. It automates key tasks and processes to help make your business more efficient - and an efficient business means less stress and more profits.
Some examples of how a business or team might use WORK[etc]:
- Manage sales leads from collection through to conversion, and then customer
- Share documents between employees contractors and customers
- Manage projects between participants including Gantt charts, project milestones payments, shared documents, timesheet tracking and project history
- Organize meetings and plan events which company wide calendars
- Better support your customers through online customer support
- Create detailed invoices and keep track of payments
Is WORKetc the right product for you?
Every business is unique and what we have found is that every business ends up using WORK[etc] in slightly different ways.
WORK[etc] will be a good fit for your business if you have between 3 and 100 people in your organization. If you have less than 3 users then you may find it overkill; WORK[etc] is a tool for team work and collaboration incorporating a lot of features traditionally found in enterprise-level software.
If your business is engaged in a selling a product or service and then delivering and supporting that product or service, WORK[etc] is a perfect fit as it manages the entire process for you; from sales lead through to provisioning, billing and after-sales support.
How many users can I have on WORKetc?
WORK[etc] is a collaboration product designed to run growing businesses and remote teams. To get the most out of WORK[etc] we recommend having at least 3 people in your team to well beyond 100 people.
Can I install on my own servers?
To make WORK[etc] as fast (and secure) as possible, meaning that you enjoy using the software more, we have customized our hosting environment to ensure WORK[etc] is not only fast but never fails.
We prefer to look after all the hosting requirements for you, so that you just need to concentrate on building your business. For this reason, WORK[etc] is only available on our infrastructure.
And more importantly, because we are continuously, daily (!), updating and improving WORK[etc] we can ensure that you are always accessing the latest version and that any issues are identified and quickly resolved. This is the "SERVICE" in "Software as a Service".
For the technically minded, WORK[etc]'s infrastructure includes 1.5TB of RAID-10, SSD (!) drives and over 768 GB of RAM. It would be prohibitively expensive for the average business to build and maintain a relative level of infrastructure just to host their own installation of WORK[etc].
Can I import my existing data?
Yes, WORK[etc] has a number of automated tools to help import your data. Or for a low fee, one of our support team will take all your data and manage the import for you.
Can I export and take my data with me?
Yes. We believe that your data belongs to you always. At any time you can download a complete SQL database of your entire WORK[etc] data archive. And on many screens and tools you can export specific data as excel spread sheets.
What if I don't plan on using all of the modules
WORK[etc] includes all modules for the single, low monthly fee. If you don't plan on using a module, or if you don't want your staff using a module, access can simply be turned off from the permissions manager. Whilst permissions is turned off, that module will no longer appear as an item on the menu.
Does WORKetc work with my email?
Yes. WORK[etc] has a number of email integrations:
- Drop box for support and sales meaning that any email sent to your support or sales email address will appear within those modules.
- Send email from within WORK[etc] to any contact or group, from within sales, support, billing, projects or from any contact.
- Install the Gmail for G Suite widget to access a contacts details from directly inside of Gmail. Take any email inside of Gmail and send it to WORK[etc] to update a project, create a sales lead or assign a support case.
- Install the Outlook Add-in (June 2012) to synchronize contacts, view detailed WORK[etc] information about your contact and use any email to update a project, create a sales lead or assign a support case.
Can I integrate other software with WORKetc? Is there an API available?
Yes. WORK[etc] has a full and open API. In fact, we built the WORK[etc] on top of our API. Read more about WORK[etc]'s API.
Can WORKetc be customized for my business?
Whilst WORK[etc] cannot be customized for an individual customer we do have a number of features and settings to make WORK[etc] a better match to how you do business:
- Data grids (tables) allow you to select the data you want to see as well as chose the order and sorting of columns
- Over 150 settings to match things like the language your business uses, local taxes, product options, your specific sales process, how you manage support issues and more
- Custom fields meaning you can display information that is relevant to your business against activities such as projects, support cases, sales leads and contacts
- Editable templates for invoices and email campaigns
- Complex searches and reports to ensure you get the information you need out of WORK[etc]
Even though WORK[etc] is not “custom development it can be easily set up to closely manage the nuances of your specific business.
Pricing & Inclusions
What is a user?
A user is a person actively involved in your business who would perform actions such as lodge timesheets, update projects, manage support cases, sell products or create invoices.
A user is not your customer, supplier or partner. WORK[etc] allows unlimited contacts like these.
A contractor is usually a user for your business.
Do I have to pay for contractors?
It depends on how active your contractor is in your business.
You can give any outside person or company access to the customer portal where they can:
- 1. view their support tickets
- 2. view their invoices
- 3. view knowledgebase
- 4. view files and emails related to projects to which they're assigned
- 5. upload files and send emails
But if you need your contractor to lodge time sheets, create and edit projects, answer support cases or manage sales leads then they are really "users" in the WORK[etc] system.
Can I buy the software outright? Can I buy the source code?
WORK[etc] is only available as a month-to-month subscription. WORK[etc] is more than just software, it includes infrastructure to make it available online as well as backup solutions to ensure you never lose data. Additionally, the product is being constantly improved, allowing us to pass all improvements along to our subscribers - never pay for upgrades again. This also means it can scale up and down with your business - meaning you don't get stuck paying for expensive software if need to downsize your business. And adding new users takes less than a few minutes.
Can I get a discount?
WORK[etc] has a strict policy about discounting.
We have a business to run as well and don't want to slow down our product development or limit support levels because we've been discounting our product.
Furthermore, WORK[etc] does not "price-match" as it is not comparable to products like Basecamp or Salesforce. This would be like going to a car yard and asking for a discount on this Mercedes because you saw a Toyota next door for half the price. Both cars are great products, but you cannot compare them on price alone.
But if you have been a customer for more than 6 months and find your business struggling, we are more than happy to lend a hand with payment holidays (because we actually care).
WORKetc is too expensive.
WORK[etc] combines CRM, project management, sales, billing, support and more in the single platform. For $49 and up per user you get access to not only all these tools but also the benefit from increased productivity from using an all-in-one system.
To purchase a separate system for CRM, another system for project management and yet another system for billing would cost your business much more; not only in terms of dollars but also from lost productivity with your staff having to learn different system and switch between them during their typical work day.
And then you have to include the costs creating integrations between all those products. It gets very expensive, very quickly.
WORKetc is too cheap.
Yes it is. Take advantage while you can. Although we have no firm plans to raise the existing base price, be assured that when we do, all existing customers will be "grand fathered" at their current pricing level.
If I pre-pay can I get a discount?
Yes. We have special rates when you select and pre-pay a 12 month contract.
Am I locked into a contract?
We bill your account on a monthly basis and you are free to cancel at any time. Please note that we do not refund any unused portion of your subscription.
Security, Reliability & Infrastructure
What technology is WORKetc built on?
WORK[etc] is built on tried and tested Microsoft platform, specifically the .net architecture and MS SQL 2008 databases. We use only fully redundant Dell servers and Intel branded SSD drives. Our hardware and network is fully redundant with multiple servers and bandwidth providers.
Where is WORKetc hosted?
WORK[etc] has dedicated servers located within the Peer1 network. Peer1 has 17 global datacentres, is a Top 5 hosting provider and maintains 13,000 miles of dedicated fiber cable in its SuperNetwork™. You can read more about Peer1 here: http://www.peer1.com
How fast is WORKetc?
Fast. Our servers utilize the latest SSD drives in RAID 10 array. We have multiple servers and firewalls to distribute loads and plug into a high speed private network to ensure the end user always connects through the most direct route.
How reliable is WORKetc?
We are currently sitting on a 99.98% uptime for the last 18 months.
What hardware runs WORKetc?
- 2 x web server ( both with 2 x Intel Xeon E5620 2.4 GHz)
- 3 x Dell database servers (all with Intel Xeon E5645 2.40 GHz Six-Core, 12 Threads)
- 2x Foundry Server Iron Load Balancing
- Combined 768 GB RAM (!)
- 18 x 300 GB SSD's in RAID10 (!) x 2 Setups
- 2 x Juniper high-capacity dedicated firewall
- 1000 MB/Port @ Peer1 Fremont through to 4 dedicated bandwidth providers
- 1 x Offsite Server with 4TB (terabytes) of secure storage
Is my data secure?
Yes. All accounts access WORK[etc] through industry-standard, 256 bit SSL security (most likely the same as your online bank). Additionally we utilize high-end firewalls and remote monitoring services to ensure your data is secure.
How do I control what my users (employees) can access?
WORK[etc] has detailed permissions settings which allow you to either allow full access, allow view-only access or deny access. This means you can control what each of your employees can view and what activities they can perform inside of WORK[etc].
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