Being in the dark is not fun. I believe it is human nature to want to know what is going on with the things we care about. Here at Equinox, we strive to keep customers updated through a number of informational outlets. We have our social media outlets like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Our website contains the latest company news and press releases. And the primary way we inform customers about the latest product news is through release notes with each software update.
A continuous goal at Equinox is to make our already industry-leading products even better. We receive feedback from customers on a regular basis, which we turn directly into key product enhancements. Those enhancements are only coding theory until they are deployed in the form of a scheduled software update. Once installed, the enhancement has the opportunity to benefit our entire user community.
A key item that accompanies all software updates is the release notes, which outline all new features and changes included in the version being installed during the update. This information lets each customer quickly see the newest features and explains any differences in system functions as compared to the currently installed version. Our Support Team takes the time to tailor a set of release notes for each customer to detail the change in versions.
You've no doubt heard the saying that a picture is worth a thousand words. We take that maxim seriously when creating release notes. Rather than a document full of dense, technical text, we include screenshots to demonstrate enhancements, along with captioning to explain the change.
Our standard update procedure is for Customer Support to contact or be contacted by a customer to schedule an update. With the update scheduling notice, the Support Team includes a copy of the release notes for the customer to review ahead of the scheduled update. When the update day arrives, the Support Team performs the update and ensures that all is well before disconnecting from the customer's site. Follow-up is an important step in the update process. The next day after an update, the Support Team reconnects to the customer's site to verify the update is working properly and answer any questions that have arisen.
Joe Herron, Vice President of Support, notes that regular updates keep customers on the latest version and allow them to benefit from enhancements suggested by the user community. Release notes serve as a historical record tracking when features were implemented over time.
Amy Oldham, who creates release notes for the team, describes them as concise summaries designed for quick, easy reading — highlighting new features and necessary configurations so customers know exactly what has changed and what to expect.
Release notes are the best way to receive information about new features. Users are encouraged to review release notes with each update to get the most out of each new version.
If you need assistance updating your system, contact Customer Support at support@equinoxis.com or (615) 612-1225.
About the Author — Matt Lowe is a Sales Engineer at Equinox Information Systems. To learn more about Equinox, visit equinoxis.com or call (615) 612-1200.