member check in systems

[Merrida]

To all who have already opened a coworking space:

what type of check in system are you using for your members?
What type of billing system are you using?

Thanks!

[Jacob Sayles]

Merrida,

There was a small discussion of "Tracking Systems" in the list recently.  It might have a few tips in there you will find useful.  

I've heard of various spaces rolling their own, which is what we've done here at Office Nomads.  Cobot is the only commercially available system that I know of.  We've open sourced our software but it's far from being a complete solution.  We rely on users signing in at the front desk and then we track it with software.  Cobot hooks into the wireless router using a RADIUS server.  Other systems I've talked about with folks have various levels of sophistication.  There has been talk of combining efforts.  Anyone want to pick that back up with me?

As for billing many people hook into PayPal or Google Checkout.  We have an Authorize.NET account.  We have a bookkeeper that keeps track of everything with QuickBooks.  I know the guys at Less Accounting LOVE coworking and I've been tempted to switch over.

  
Jacob

---
Office Nomads - Individuality without Isolation
http://www.officenomads.com -  (206) 323-6500

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[felicity at cubes]

We also built our own. It allows customers to reserve space online
and is great for tracking use. Similarly to Jacob, we are still
tweaking it but it works pretty well so far. We may offer it at some
point to the broader community but we need to get a few more bugs out
before we put it out there to a large group. Good luck.

Felicity
Cubes&Crayons
www.cubesandcrayons.com

[mark gilbreath]

Jacob

I'm interested in picking up the discussion about a cowork software solution.  Got any time this week that I can pick your brain?

Mark

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Mark Gilbreath

PO Box 2830
Ketchum, ID 83340

mobile   208-720-8107
skype    mfgilbreath
twitter    markgilbreath

[cmc...@gmail.com]

Hi guys,
I'd love to join in the conversation and see how loosecubes can help out/collaborate on a solution as well.

Skype conference call maybe?

Thanks!

Campbell
www.loosecubes.com

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

---

From: mark gilbreath <mfgil...@gmail.com>

Date: Tue, 8 Jun 2010 14:36:13 -0600

To: <cowo...@googlegroups.com>

Subject: Re: [Coworking] member check in systems

[Cadu de Castro Alves]

I liked Cobot, but I need an application that supports Brazilian Portuguese.

I'd been trying Divvy as well, but I thought I little bit confused. I've sent an e-mail to them to support the translation to my language, but they didn't answered me. =(

As a paid solution, I found this one: https://www.provisio.com/en-US/Default.aspx
Looks like a good solution.

Have you ever thought about the possibility of making partnership with Vex or other similar companies?

[]'s,

Cadu de Castro Alves
BeesOffice Espaço de Coworking @ Rio de Janeiro
http://www.beesoffice.com
http://twitter.com/beesoffice

“The guy who invented the first wheel was an idiot. The guy who invented the other three, HE was a genius.” - Sid Caesar

[rachel young]

Hi,

We use Freshbooks for invoicing and billing members and guests and Wave Accounting for our book keeping. Not only are they both great services, but they are both local companies and we love local.

We don't have a check in system, but will want one eventually.

r.

-- 
rachel young
rac...@camaraderie.ca
(416) 801-0196

Find us in person:
Camaraderie   
102 Adelaide St E 2nd Floor
Toronto, ON    M5C 1K9

Find us online:
website and blog: camaraderie.ca
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sprouter: @ruyoung
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On 8 June 2010 04:12, <coworkin...@googlegroups.com> wrote:

 Topic: member check in systems

Merrida <dancing...@gmail.com> Jun 06 10:08PM -0700 ^

[AndrewRoth]

So, what I am seeing so far is that there are a few small choices, but
no dominant winner.

What space owners/operators are looking for is:
An easy to use check in system that can track who uses what resources,
and how long and when.
This system should integrate with some kind of billing/accounting/
report system in order to properly bill users for their activities.

Do I have this correct?

I am a freelance web programmer and system admin. I would love to
help build a system for coworking spaces that satisfies all of the
needs. I know a couple people mentioned they built something in-
house. What are the requirements for the systems?

What kind of systems do you make available to your users? (i.e.
Windows/MacOS/Linux)
Do you have people "sign-in" to the computers, or at the door?

~Andrew Roth

[ruyoung]

when i said that we would want a check in system eventually, i should
have added that it would rock if we could tie it in with an entry
system that uses keycards/keyfobs.
r.

[merrida]

YEES! That is exactly what I am looking for, a check in system like
what a gym would use or a chiropractor's office. My chiropractor uses
a medical system called Vericle from Billing Precision. The patients
have a key card that they scan in when they arrive and also scan when
they have particular services performed like an adjustment or
something. Something like this would be great to have!!

[Jacob Sayles]

I've looked into door lock integration and I see two viable options.  1)  The folks over at Workentile are rolling their own door hardware.  It's very promising and totally open.  James is actually now a member of both Workentile and Office Nomads.  2) the ISONAS system we use here at Office Nomads has an API that can be hooked into to bypass their atrocious software system.  Traditional electronic door locks are closed systems and hard to work with.

Jacob

---
Office Nomads - Individuality without Isolation
http://www.officenomads.com -  (206) 323-6500

[mark gilbreath]

intriguing technology from "openways"  www.openways.com  delivers an audio access code via text message.     turns any cell phone into a key.   the only rub is that it requires the retrofit of an existing electronic lock assembly.  however to the good, it provides for massive portability of the "key" ie your phone.       

...and yes, we wrestled with ISONAS ourselves at VengaWorks.

[Jacob Sayles]

OpenWays looks like interesting technology.  Mark, are you guys using this?  Do you have it AND an ISONAS system?  Still doesn't answer the integration question...

Jacob

---
Office Nomads - Individuality without Isolation
http://www.officenomads.com -  (206) 323-6500

[mark gilbreath]

Jacob

we were using just ISONAS at VengaWorks.  however to simplify things for our members, we also used the individual ISONAS id numbers for our Cisco Unified Communications (VOIP) login, as well as our our home grown space reservation intranet and our Konica Minolta print services.  ...one id number to log into any IP based service.  We called it the "LiquidKey".     

i just stumbled on OpenWays,  to your point, they are both simply technology components... that could be integrated into a more comprehensive solution...which i am giving thought to.

Mark

[Glen Ferguson]

Speaking of using cell phones, I looked at BlueGuard http://www.emxinc.com/blueguard.html as an option. I haven't ruled it out yet.

Glen

[mark gilbreath]

interesting.  thanks Glen, I had not seen this.  Looks like another viable component technology that could be used as part of a system.  

the emerging NFC (near field communications) protocal would work in a similar fashion to this Bluetooth approach

[Jerome Chang]

Old discussion...Anyone use this OpenWays system since this group last discussed it a year ago?  Website outlines some really good features.  EMX seems to have the right components as well...

Jerome

______________
BLANKSPACES
"work FOR yourself, not BY yourself"

www.blankspaces.com
5405 Wilshire Blvd (2 blocks west of La Brea) Los Angeles, CA 90036
1450 2nd Street (@ Broadway), Santa Monica, CA 90401

323.330.9505 (office)

[Jacob Sayles]

I'd also be interested to know how many spaces aren't using anything.  Seems a lot of models out there don't track activity and instead get by with simple auto-billing systems.  

Jacob

---
Office Nomads - Individuality without Isolation
http://www.officenomads.com -  (206) 323-6500

[Will Bennis, Locus Workspace]

We're not using anything. Not because it wouldn't be nice, but because
it hasn't seemed to justify the cost yet. All our members have
security keys. Been open just over 1 year (anniversary May 4th!) and
haven't much missed a better system yet.

On May 9, 10:46 pm, Jacob Sayles <ja...@officenomads.com> wrote:
> I'd also be interested to know how many spaces aren't using anything.  Seems
> a lot of models out there don't track activity and instead get by with
> simple auto-billing systems.
>
> Jacob
>
> ---

> Office Nomads - Individuality without Isolationhttp://www.officenomads.com-  (206) 323-6500

>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> On Mon, May 9, 2011 at 1:27 PM, Jerome Chang <jer...@blankspaces.com> wrote:
> > Old discussion...Anyone use this OpenWays system since this group last
> > discussed it a year ago?  Website outlines some really good features.  EMX
> > seems to have the right components as well...
>
> > Jerome
> > ______________
> > BLANKSPACES
> > "work FOR yourself, not BY yourself"
>
> >www.blankspaces.com
> > 5405 Wilshire Blvd (2 blocks west of La Brea) Los Angeles, CA 90036
> > 1450 2nd Street (@ Broadway), Santa Monica, CA 90401
>
> > 323.330.9505 (office)
>
> > On Jun 10, 2010, at 1:59 PM, mark gilbreath wrote:
>
> > interesting.  thanks Glen, I had not seen this.  Looks like another viable
> > component technology that could be used as part of a system.
> > the emerging NFC (near field communications) protocal would work in a
> > similar fashion to this Bluetooth approach
>

> > On Thu, Jun 10, 2010 at 2:53 PM, Glen Ferguson <glenf...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> >> Speaking of using cell phones, I looked at BlueGuard

> >>http://www.emxinc.com/blueguard.htmlas an option. I haven't ruled it out
> >> yet.
>
> >> Glen

>
> >> On Thu, Jun 10, 2010 at 4:23 PM, mark gilbreath <mfgilbre...@gmail.com>wrote:
>
> >>>  intriguing technology from "openways"  www.openways.com delivers an
> >>> audio access code via text message.     turns any cell phone into a key.
> >>> the only rub is that it requires the retrofit of an existing electronic lock
> >>> assembly.  however to the good, it provides for massive portability of the
> >>> "key" ie your phone.
>
> >>> ...and yes, we wrestled with ISONAS ourselves at VengaWorks.
>
> >>> On Thu, Jun 10, 2010 at 2:17 PM, Jacob Sayles <ja...@officenomads.com>wrote:
>
> >>>> I've looked into door lock integration and I see two viable options.  1)
> >>>>  The folks over at Workentile are rolling their own door hardware.  It's
> >>>> very promising and totally open.  James is actually now a member of both
> >>>> Workentile and Office Nomads.  2) the ISONAS system we use here at Office
> >>>> Nomads has an API that can be hooked into to bypass their atrocious software
> >>>> system.  Traditional electronic door locks are closed systems and hard to
> >>>> work with.
>
> >>>> Jacob
>
> >>>> ---
> >>>> Office Nomads - Individuality without Isolation

> >>>>http://www.officenomads.com-  (206) 323-6500

[thilo]

Hi,

I'm involved with developing cobot, which we initially build to run
our space, before providing is as a service to other spaces.
Cobot can check in member - in sense of granting them access to
resources of your space - via wifi. Its very convenient as
returning members will be remembered once they authenticated their
device. This was the least invasive and most
affordable check in system we could think of.

It can also be integrated with a door look system, preferable a open
one, as cobot provides an ever growing API, although a
bit glue code will be required, which we are happy to help with.

Talking about integration, @Mark i tried to reach you via email to
talk about the integration of liquid space. Can you get back to
coordinate a skye call?

@Felicity great to hear that you wanna puplish your system with the
community, really like to share what we learned so far with cobot and
how you approach the task. Mind if I get in touch with you off list?

@Cadu sorry that localization of cobot took too long for you. We are
about to release the translation interface next week, hope you can
still help to translate cobot into Portuguese.





On May 10, 7:27 am, "Will Bennis, Locus Workspace"

> > >>http://www.emxinc.com/blueguard.htmlasan option. I haven't ruled it out