Many clients are ready to switch away, need MS RMS SDK

Posted by Nathan Bell on June 6, 2006, 5:30 pm

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I've inherited several clients who are using RMS and are at ends with the
available third party additions which are unable to effectively integrate
with their existing systems. Many of them have been deeling with integration
headaches for 9 or more months and are ready and willing to pay the money to
switch away from Microsoft's software and go with a custom solution.

Is there a RMS SDK available online or for purchase? From what I gather I
have to be a certified dealer in order to get access to the SDK? Are there
certified dealers who give or sell access to the SDK?

Surely Microsoft provides a way to access the SDK that does not require one
to become a certified dealer so that those of us who work to integrate RMS
systems for clients but have no interest in becoming a reseller or going
through the certification hoops can continue supporting existing RMS systems.
What, besides switching POS software providers, are our options?

Posted by Mark on June 6, 2006, 7:03 pm

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Nathan, if you don't mind me asking what kind of integration are you looking
to do?

Mark

"Nathan Bell" wrote:

> I've inherited several clients who are using RMS and are at ends with the

> available third party additions which are unable to effectively integrate

> with their existing systems. Many of them have been deeling with integration

> headaches for 9 or more months and are ready and willing to pay the money to

> switch away from Microsoft's software and go with a custom solution.

> Is there a RMS SDK available online or for purchase? From what I gather I

> have to be a certified dealer in order to get access to the SDK? Are there

> certified dealers who give or sell access to the SDK?

> Surely Microsoft provides a way to access the SDK that does not require one

> to become a certified dealer so that those of us who work to integrate RMS

> systems for clients but have no interest in becoming a reseller or going

> through the certification hoops can continue supporting existing RMS systems.

> What, besides switching POS software providers, are our options?

Posted by Nathan Bell on June 6, 2006, 7:51 pm

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Certaintly!

One client in particular is a non-profit that uses a MS SQL database w/ an
Access front-end to keep track of their customers, donors and members. They
also have a custom PHP-MySQL e-commerce site. They hope to use RMS to track
all of their transactions in their brick-and-mortor store front.

Three databases:
[MySQL] Web orders and web customers
[MS SQL 2000] Member/Customer/Donor database
[RMS] POS order database

They have a lot of custom software built on top of their non-POS databases
and (because of budget constraints, among other reasons) changing them is not
an practical option. We need to synchronize the DBs in the following manner:

[changes in this db] -> [need to be propogated to this db]
Inserts/updates to the Member DB -> POS customer table
POS inserts/updates to customer table -> Member DB
Inserts to customers and orders in Ecommerce DB -> POS sales/customers

They have some pretty unique requirements on what kind of updates need to be
pushed to each database and which fields need to be updated. The add-ons
we've tried have been clunky, cumbersome, and insufficiently flexible.
Directly querying the POS database crashes RMS, which isn't too surprising.
We're ready to roll our own add-on, but I can't find documentation or an SDK
anywhere on MS's site.

The client was sold MS RMS a year ago by a certified dealer and were told
they wouldn't have to do anything to integrate RMS with their current systems
(yeah right). He then skipped town a month later and was never heard from
again. I've inherited the project.

They are not currently with a certified RMS dealer and feel generally soured
by the whole process. They've contacted Microsoft support a few times
(though admittedly I don't know the specifics) and have found no help there.

"Mark" wrote:

> Nathan, if you don't mind me asking what kind of integration are you looking

> to do?

> Mark

> "Nathan Bell" wrote:

> > I've inherited several clients who are using RMS and are at ends with the

> > available third party additions which are unable to effectively integrate

> > with their existing systems. Many of them have been deeling with integration

> > headaches for 9 or more months and are ready and willing to pay the money to

> > switch away from Microsoft's software and go with a custom solution.

> >

> > Is there a RMS SDK available online or for purchase? From what I gather I

> > have to be a certified dealer in order to get access to the SDK? Are there

> > certified dealers who give or sell access to the SDK?

> >

> > Surely Microsoft provides a way to access the SDK that does not require one

> > to become a certified dealer so that those of us who work to integrate RMS

> > systems for clients but have no interest in becoming a reseller or going

> > through the certification hoops can continue supporting existing RMS systems.

> > What, besides switching POS software providers, are our options?

Posted by Ian on June 7, 2006, 10:56 am

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I suspect that you won't find what you're looking for in the SDK as imho the
RMS lacks polish. Anything remotely complex would require you to go direct
to the database in a lot of cases. Just attach the SQL Profiler to the
server to see what sort of queries RMS uses to insert/update/delete for the
areas your interested in. Although this may well put you off the product
even further as it tends to send what in my mind is an excessive amount of
SQL to do the task at hand.

Ian

> Certaintly!

> One client in particular is a non-profit that uses a MS SQL database w/ an

> Access front-end to keep track of their customers, donors and members.

> They

> also have a custom PHP-MySQL e-commerce site. They hope to use RMS to

> track

> all of their transactions in their brick-and-mortor store front.

> Three databases:

> [MySQL] Web orders and web customers

> [MS SQL 2000] Member/Customer/Donor database

> [RMS] POS order database

> They have a lot of custom software built on top of their non-POS databases

> and (because of budget constraints, among other reasons) changing them is

> not

> an practical option. We need to synchronize the DBs in the following

> manner:

> [changes in this db] -> [need to be propogated to this db]

> Inserts/updates to the Member DB -> POS customer table

> POS inserts/updates to customer table -> Member DB

> Inserts to customers and orders in Ecommerce DB -> POS sales/customers

> They have some pretty unique requirements on what kind of updates need to

> be

> pushed to each database and which fields need to be updated. The add-ons

> we've tried have been clunky, cumbersome, and insufficiently flexible.

> Directly querying the POS database crashes RMS, which isn't too

> surprising.

> We're ready to roll our own add-on, but I can't find documentation or an

> SDK

> anywhere on MS's site.

> The client was sold MS RMS a year ago by a certified dealer and were told

> they wouldn't have to do anything to integrate RMS with their current

> systems

> (yeah right). He then skipped town a month later and was never heard from

> again. I've inherited the project.

> They are not currently with a certified RMS dealer and feel generally

> soured

> by the whole process. They've contacted Microsoft support a few times

> (though admittedly I don't know the specifics) and have found no help

> there.

> "Mark" wrote:

>> Nathan, if you don't mind me asking what kind of integration are you

>> looking

>> to do?

>> Mark

>> "Nathan Bell" wrote:

>> > I've inherited several clients who are using RMS and are at ends with

>> > the

>> > available third party additions which are unable to effectively

>> > integrate

>> > with their existing systems. Many of them have been deeling with

>> > integration

>> > headaches for 9 or more months and are ready and willing to pay the

>> > money to

>> > switch away from Microsoft's software and go with a custom solution.

>> >

>> > Is there a RMS SDK available online or for purchase? From what I

>> > gather I

>> > have to be a certified dealer in order to get access to the SDK? Are

>> > there

>> > certified dealers who give or sell access to the SDK?

>> >

>> > Surely Microsoft provides a way to access the SDK that does not require

>> > one

>> > to become a certified dealer so that those of us who work to integrate

>> > RMS

>> > systems for clients but have no interest in becoming a reseller or

>> > going

>> > through the certification hoops can continue supporting existing RMS

>> > systems.

>> > What, besides switching POS software providers, are our options?

Posted by Mark on June 7, 2006, 2:43 pm

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Nathan, I agree with Ian, you have some pretty extensive needs. Good luck
with that one.

"Ian" wrote:

> I suspect that you won't find what you're looking for in the SDK as imho the

> RMS lacks polish. Anything remotely complex would require you to go direct

> to the database in a lot of cases. Just attach the SQL Profiler to the

> server to see what sort of queries RMS uses to insert/update/delete for the

> areas your interested in. Although this may well put you off the product

> even further as it tends to send what in my mind is an excessive amount of

> SQL to do the task at hand.

> Ian

> > Certaintly!

> >

> > One client in particular is a non-profit that uses a MS SQL database w/ an

> > Access front-end to keep track of their customers, donors and members.

> > They

> > also have a custom PHP-MySQL e-commerce site. They hope to use RMS to

> > track

> > all of their transactions in their brick-and-mortor store front.

> >

> > Three databases:

> > [MySQL] Web orders and web customers

> > [MS SQL 2000] Member/Customer/Donor database

> > [RMS] POS order database

> >

> > They have a lot of custom software built on top of their non-POS databases

> > and (because of budget constraints, among other reasons) changing them is

> > not

> > an practical option. We need to synchronize the DBs in the following

> > manner:

> >

> > [changes in this db] -> [need to be propogated to this db]

> > Inserts/updates to the Member DB -> POS customer table

> > POS inserts/updates to customer table -> Member DB

> > Inserts to customers and orders in Ecommerce DB -> POS sales/customers

> >

> > They have some pretty unique requirements on what kind of updates need to

> > be

> > pushed to each database and which fields need to be updated. The add-ons

> > we've tried have been clunky, cumbersome, and insufficiently flexible.

> > Directly querying the POS database crashes RMS, which isn't too

> > surprising.

> > We're ready to roll our own add-on, but I can't find documentation or an

> > SDK

> > anywhere on MS's site.

> >

> > The client was sold MS RMS a year ago by a certified dealer and were told

> > they wouldn't have to do anything to integrate RMS with their current

> > systems

> > (yeah right). He then skipped town a month later and was never heard from

> > again. I've inherited the project.

> >

> > They are not currently with a certified RMS dealer and feel generally

> > soured

> > by the whole process. They've contacted Microsoft support a few times

> > (though admittedly I don't know the specifics) and have found no help

> > there.

> >

> > "Mark" wrote:

> >

> >> Nathan, if you don't mind me asking what kind of integration are you

> >> looking

> >> to do?

> >>

> >> Mark

> >>

> >> "Nathan Bell" wrote:

> >>

> >> > I've inherited several clients who are using RMS and are at ends with

> >> > the

> >> > available third party additions which are unable to effectively

> >> > integrate

> >> > with their existing systems. Many of them have been deeling with

> >> > integration

> >> > headaches for 9 or more months and are ready and willing to pay the

> >> > money to

> >> > switch away from Microsoft's software and go with a custom solution.

> >> >

> >> > Is there a RMS SDK available online or for purchase? From what I

> >> > gather I

> >> > have to be a certified dealer in order to get access to the SDK? Are

> >> > there

> >> > certified dealers who give or sell access to the SDK?

> >> >

> >> > Surely Microsoft provides a way to access the SDK that does not require

> >> > one

> >> > to become a certified dealer so that those of us who work to integrate

> >> > RMS

> >> > systems for clients but have no interest in becoming a reseller or

> >> > going

> >> > through the certification hoops can continue supporting existing RMS

> >> > systems.

> >> > What, besides switching POS software providers, are our options?