What is the difference between WonderDesk Standard and WonderDesk SQL?
There is almost no difference, other than the way the database information is stored. You may see slight differences because we upgrade Standard first, and then we bring SQL up to speed shortly after.
WonderDesk Standard
WonderDesk Standard uses flat file, pipe | delimited databases. Actually, it uses 4 databases: Open calls, Closed calls, Customer Info, and FAQ. Since your open call queue is very small in comparison to the closed calls, your day to day use of the WonderDesk will run at optimal speed.
We have also made a Microsoft Access and Excel import macro that will allow you to import the closed calls, open calls, and customer info database with a click of a button.
The advantage of using a flat file system, is the simplicity of installation, and direct access to the files on your web host (getting access to the SQL data is a bit trickier.) The WonderDesk Standard installs easily on almost any web server since the flat file system require no special software on your web host.
So what's the catch? Flat file databases are slower, and you'll be limited to the amount of data that can be stored. Read the volume comparison section further down.
WonderDesk SQL
WonderDesk SQL has the same features as WonderDesk Standard, except instead of using a flat file system to store the data, it connects with a SQL, MySQL, or mSQL server. The advantage of using SQL is speed and nearly an unlimited amount of data.
Volume Comparison
The SQL version can be used for any volume amount. If you have the Standard version, you might want to consider upgrading to the SQL version if you take in more than 50 calls per day. However, some companies have been using the Standard version with a volume of 300 calls per day.
The problem isn't the Open call database since it's generally very small compared to the Closed call database. For example, if you search through 5,000 closed calls with WonderDesk Standard, it can take anywhere from 1 to 15 seconds. Some web hosts are so slow, that they might 'time out' and not complete the search at all. We have seen some companies search through 10,000 closed calls in a few seconds with the Standard version, but that's probably pushing it.
If you can only afford the Standard version, and your volume is high, you'll want to archive your closed call database often to keep in the low thousands range. This requires that you log in and edit the closed.db file, cutting out some of the data.
The optimal solution is the SQL version which handles any volume, from 1 call per day to thousands!