In order to supply the asset managers such immediate information on these large apartment complexes, which range from 200 to 1100 units, Legacy Partners needed to retrieve updated information from the property sites to its main office in as close to "real time" as possible.

Legacy’s previous method of obtaining the accounting information would not accommodate such time-sensitive requests. Their apartment properties, like most in the industry, typically have PC-based systems with accounting applications from firms such as Rent Roll and AMSI that are designed so the information resides onsite with the managers in the field. After month-end accounting is done, the information is backed up to as many as 8 disks, and sent via overnight mail to the home office. In Legacy Partners’ case, about one-third of the packages they received contained bad disks, so that the information would have to resent to the home office—hardly accommodating Legacy’s goal of obtaining information daily.

Legacy Partners evaluated a number of technology solutions and software applications to retrieve information from the sites. Legacy evaluated "every single file transfer process they found," according to Warren Adair, Director of IS for Legacy Partners. "We needed an easy, almost hands-free way to retrieve the information daily if we needed to, without putting undue strain on our the apartment management staff."

Legacy evaluated such remote control software as PC Anywhere as well as file transfer programs such as AutoBot. Each of these applications, however, didn’t provide the ease of use, reliability and cost-effectiveness Legacy sought.

Finally, Legacy received information on DropChute, instant file transfer software from Hilgraeve Inc., which alleviated their file transfer and communications problems. With DropChute, Legacy users in the home office, remote offices and the property sites can transfer files of any size and type directly through the Internet via an easy to use drag and drop interface. The on-site property managers can drag a file containing the day’s accounting information, drop it on the icon for the Legacy Partners’ home office, and it is automatically transferred. Alternately, the staff can queue files in DropChute for pickup, and the home office can automate the transfer of those files after hours.

DropChute establishes encrypted data connections, which enable the Legacy home office and the property sites to exchange data securely without having to manually encrypt and decrypt files. The typical updated copy of the database sent each night from the properties comprises about 5 megabytes—the size of file that is many times dropped when sent as an e-mail attachment. DropChute

compresses the file to speed the deliveries, and reliably sends the file through. As an added bonus, the software provides on-the-fly virus protection.

According to Adair, DropChute has allowed them to automate much of their data transfer with their remote locations. They can drop the company newsletter, for instance, on the desktops of each of the PCs at the property locations.

IS Director Adair is delighted with how easily and inexpensively Legacy Partners has been able to automatically retrieve the critical cash flow and asset information for the 100 property locations presently on the system.