@task's Newest Features

The release of @task Version 4 R2 was finalized on August 31, 2006. This release is part of a continual effort to improve @task and includes over 200 enhancements, small fixes, and significant new features. Developers at AtTask plan to release new features often. Feature ideas come from customer requests and suggestions. We appreciate your ideas and input and hope that you continue to let us know what possible @task features are the most important to you. The major features and fixes include:

NEW FILE FORMATS: Search results can now be exported into three native formats: PDF, MS Excel, and Tab Separated Value (TSV) files. Gantt charts can be exported into a PDF format, which allows for easy printing.

CROSS-PROJECT INTEGRATION: @task now supports cross-project predecessors. This allows you to tie more than one project together through their dependent tasks.

EMAIL MESSAGING: The internal messaging system now includes the ability to send an email to recipients not using @task.

ONLINE HELP: There is now a way to find answers from directly within @task. A new blue question mark icon has been included in the upper right-hand corner of the application. Clicking this icon will take you to AtTask's new Integrated Help System, where you can use a single search to find answers in the manuals, forums, and other resources.

POWER SEARCH: A new feature called Power Search lets you use code in order to access variables not otherwise available in the search form. Created for advanced users, this powerful feature is a wonderful way to customize searches and portal sections.

PROJECT AUTO-COMPLETION: You now have the option to have a project auto-complete once all of its tasks have been completed. This can be set as a default for all projects or for each project individually. There is also a new feature that lets you customize the criteria used for determining when a task is considered "Behind Schedule".

ENHANCED COST TRACKING:You can now set a variety of cost parameters for tasks. This includes tracking pay for the assigned team members and other expenses that were necessary to complete a task.

CUSTOMIZED TASK, ISSUE, AND TIMESHEETS PORTALS: You can now create customized portal views of your timesheet management, issue management, and task portals in @task.

MS SQL 2005: Among its several supported database types, @task now supports MS SQL Server 2005.

We are excited about the new features that have been included in the latest version of @task. We are committed to constantly improving the information we provide and the accessibility of it, and thank all of you who have taken the time to provide feedback in the forums and elsewhere.

--@task Technical Support Team

Upcoming Features

@task's upcoming features are scheduled to be released the beginning of November. Some possible features include a new Report Builder, for defining custom charts and reports; the ability to upload/download multiple documents; and improved notification features. More information on upcoming features will be disclosed in November's newsletter.

Success Story: NYDOHMH

The New York department of Health and Mental Hygiene uses @task to keep it's IT process running smoothly so that New York residents can stay informed. Once they implemented @task, NYDOHMH was able to meet the demands of millions of costumers, protect the health of New York, and run their processes more efficiently. » Read more.

Tip of the Month

Project Management Preferences

When creating projects, many of the fields have defaults so you can easily and quickly creat projects. Unfortunately for some, these default values are not what you need for your project so the defaults actually create more work. Happily, there is a solution. @task's Project Management Preferences allow you to change defaults and define how @task interprets certain values. To access these preferences you must have an Administrator access level. Click on "Project Management" in the application menu, and then "Project Management Preferences" in the contextual menu.

In the first section (TimeLine Setup), you can define how @task interprets common elements like "1 day" or "1 week". In the sections below, you can adjust defaults and set audit trail options for issues, tasks, and projects. In the "Approval" section you can adjust a default approval duration and define whether or not a login is required for each approval. Finally, in the "Progress Status Defaults" section you can set how behind schedule a task can be before it starts to reflect in the interface.

Adjusting the Project Management Preferences will help you match @task to the way your organization works, and will save you a lot of time creating projects, tasks, and issues.

@task attending this year's PMI show

The PMI show is the major project management event of the year. This year's show is located in Seattle, WA and is a great opportunity for you to come and learn about the latest trends and solutions from experts and other project managers from all over North America. We will have a booth where we will be showing off the latest, most awesome version of @task. If you would like to come and see @task, send me an email and I will send you a free VIP pass.

For more information about the PMI show visit http://congresses.pmi.org.