At 7:05 a.m. Pacific Standard Time today focusIT started receiving reports of connectivity problems to all hosted systems. Upon investigation it was discovered that our data center vendor, SunGard, was experiencing an issue affecting our data center.
At 7:21 a.m. Pacific Standard Time all focusIT services were restored and operating normally. We have not received word from SunGard what the root cause of the outage was, but we expect this explanation shortly. As soon as we receive it we will provide it to our clients.
We appreciate your business and fully understand the substantial business impact this issue caused you. We will use all available resources to ensure it does not happen again.
Calyx has resolved the issue and all PointCentral users should be back online. We are in the process of testing access to PointCentral, but our initial results indicate all systems are returning to normal. We will send a final email out later today with precisely what occurred on the Calyx end which caused this outage, and how we are remedying the situation in the future, but for now all users should be back online and able to use Point.
10/18 - 7:50: FocusIT received alerts beginning at 10:30 p.m. Monday evening of client issues connecting to PointCentral. We have determined there to be some kind of issue with the PointCentral Resolver Service which is hosted by Calyx Software. Immediately upon Calyx technical support coming online this morning our teams have been working the issue.
Currently we do not have an ETA on this issue. We will send another update within 30 minutes.
FocusIT, Inc will be conducting a network upgrade on:
October 8th, 2011 from 8PM PST to 4AM PST.
The update will start at 8PM on October 8th and continue until 4AM on October 9th.
During the upgrade all focusIT servers and systems will be offline. Once the upgrade is complete the system will again be available. We have tried to schedule the upgrade during a time that has the least impact on our clients.
At 7:50 a.m. Pacific Standard Time today focusIT started receiving reports of sporadic connectivity problems to all hosted systems. Upon investigation it was discovered that our data center vendor, SunGard, was experiencing a massive connectivity issue affecting seven data centers and hundreds of thousands of users.
At 8:39 a.m. Pacific Standard Time all focusIT services were restored and operating normally.
SunGard determined the root cause to be one of their Internet providers, Level 3, was itself experiencing an outage. SunGard utilizes multiple feeds from separate providers, and immediatetly removed the connection to Level 3, which in turn fixed the issue.
Still unresolved is why a problem at Level 3 affected connectivity to our services, since alternate connectivity was available from other Internet providers. SunGard is working to find this answer for us, but this explanation could take days or weeks to definitively identify.
We appreciate your business and fully understand the substantial business impact this issue caused you. We will use all available resources to ensure it does not happen again.
Calyx Software made focusIT aware of an updated version of the new NMLS report. This template is available for download from your MyCalyx portal, but you can ignore this download as focusIT engineers have already successfully deployed the updated report to your server.
All users who have access to the NMLS reporting should now have the latest version available. No other action is required prior to using the updated report.
Calyx Software also released a patch to a known bug with the stacking order feature within their electronic documents solution. This patch will be applied to your PointCentral server within 30 days, and will NOT AFFECT your ability to use the new NMLS report.
Calyx is reachable for any questions at 800-362-2599. The focusIT Support Center is reachable at 480-346-1299 option 1 or by emailing us at support@focusitinc.com.
New federal mandates are coming in at an unprecedented pace. Since January 1, 2011 alone the introduction of new loan officer comp rules and the NMLS reporting requirement have caused quite a stir in the mortgage technology industry. Ensuring you are compliant with all these new rules and regulations is imperative.
One core challenge to meeting these requirements is staying current on your various technology platforms. An unfortunate byproduct of these new rules is less new features are being released by the major loan origination vendors, namely Calyx Software, DMD and Ellie Mae. Another unfortunate byproduct is higher prices by these vendors to maintain your software subscriptions, without many of the new features you might normally expect.
We can thank the feds for these higher prices and lack of innovation. The development and maintenance costs are increasing exponentially for these software vendors, as is the speed in which the releases are being produced. This translates directly into higher prices.
Also, as a mortgage broker or lender, you no longer have the luxury of skipping releases to keep your costs down. Letting your software subscription agreement expire even for a calendar quarter means you could be instantly out of compliance for all new originations (think the ever evolving GFE).
So how do you ensure you are staying in compliance? Simple, keep your software subscription current with your LOS vendor and, equally important, make sure your organization is applying all new version releases and services packs. This sounds like basic housekeeping for a software installation, and it is, but with multiple releases produced just in the first four months of 2011 this can easily be overlooked.
Calyx Software has released three services packs this year already, and DMD has produced two. Each release requires the involvement of your firm’s upper management team, as well as the tech team or outside support, to get it scheduled and installed. This is more time and expense as compared to years past, but it’s essential to keeping your systems up to date and compliant.
The lack of new features from the LOS vendors can be expected for at least the coming 12-18 months as new compliance requirements continue to hit. With the last of the major compliance initiatives likely over in the second half of 2011, it will take the software vendors 2-3 additional quarters to begin to develop and test any truly new features.
If you have needs outside of the core origination feature set, and you’re waiting on your LOS vendor to release them, be prepared to wait or start looking elsewhere for a complimentary solution. Sales and marketing automation, borrower communications solutions and general pipeline management solutions are all areas that will likely continue to fall outside of the LOS vendors’ “sweet spots” for quite some time to come.
It’s also important to note that numerous states are starting to require that your technology infrastructure also be compliant to new tougher security restrictions. Specifically, protecting borrower data continues to be at the forefront for many new state requirements.
Keeping your critical loan and borrower data inside your office, or worse, directly on a laptop, is quite often out of these compliance guidelines.
Most states accept that data stored within a SAS70 Type II data center is compliant to these new rules, as this is the FDIC mandate for all its chartered institutions. Getting your data to one of these facilities is easier than you might think, but it takes a bit of research and planning. First, you have to select the right vendor. Next, it’s imperative that this vendor provide its SAS70 report to you and require that they update it annually. Last, coordinating the move with your IT staff and end users for a time that is least disruptive to your production cycle is critical to success.
Maintaining compliant systems is difficult, to say the least, in today’s hostile environment. The easiest place to start is keeping your software current, and your data in a very safe facility.
Josh Bopp is the president of focusIT, Inc., the largest mortgage technology hosting company in the US. To learn more about focusIT visit www.focusitinc.com. Specific questions about this article can be directed to Josh Bopp at josh.bopp@focusitinc.com.
Point 7.4 Service Pack 2 & PointCentral 7.3 Service Pack 1 Are Now Available for Download from MyCalyx.com
Calyx Software made focusIT aware of several new mandated compliance forms that are now immediately available as part of the Point 7.4 Service Pack 2 release. Your company's MyCalyx.com administrator will push this update to you and is independent of your service with focusIT.
If you are the MyCalyx.com administrator, you may push the Point 7.4 Service Pack 2 anytime you wish to your end users. The associated server-side update, known as PointCentral 7.3 Service Pack 1, is NOT REQUIRED prior to upgrading your Point clients.
Separately, over the next 30 days, focusIT will install the server-side PointCentral 7.3 Service Pack 1 update. Again, there is no requirement to install the PointCentral update prior to installing the Point client update.
Calyx is reachable for any questions at 800-362-2599. The focusIT Support Center is reachable at 480-346-1299 option 1 or by emailing us at support@focusitinc.com.
Follow these instructions for installing the 7.4 electronic update:
**NOTE: The forms update for 7.4 is not distributed via MyCalyx and must be downloaded from each individual client computer that has Point 7.4 installed.
A File Download - Security Warning window may appear, clickRun.
When the download completes, an Internet Explorer Security Warning window may appear, clickRun.
From the Point Electronic Update window, clickNext.
From the Point Electronic Update - Directory window, clickNext.
ClickStartto begin the update.
ClickExitto finish.
Did the 7.4 forms update install successfully?
Download and install the 7.4 forms update again.
When you have already installed the update successfully, the installation will display a message "Nothing to do! The files are already updated". If you get this warning during the installation, then you are already updated.
The last few years have been tumultuous for the mortgage industry and the broader economy. As firms slowly climb their way out of this mess, and through the multitude of new federal and state laws, regulations and rules, having technology tools that help them manage these processes is more imperative than ever. In today’s climate mortgage professionals simply cannot rely on yellow legal pads and sticky notes to manage their books of business.
Selecting a technology tool that streamlines the loan workflow process, while also helping stay connected with your clients, is essential. There are simply too many compliance implications alone to manage without a technology tool in place. And with overall loan volumes substantially down from just a few years ago, there are more originators than ever chasing the same borrowers. Staying in constant communication with your potential prospects, current borrowers, and clients that have purchased from you in the past is absolutely essential to surviving in this market. And more importantly, selecting the right technology tool that simplifies and automates this communication is the difference between this essential task getting done on a daily basis and it falling by the wayside.
Nearly two decades ago, loan origination and underwriting automation software began to surface and take wide hold in the industry. The days of creating loan files and documents from multiple sources quickly moved to the computer saving immeasurable time and adding efficiency to the entire process. The management of your critical borrower information, including marketing and compliance, is now undergoing this same transformation. Selecting the right technology tool to address this critical piece of your business is essential to surviving, and thriving, with today’s climate.
First, and most importantly, is the vendor behind the solution. Make sure you do your homework and select a partner that knows the industry and has a proven track record of delivering solutions that work. Don’t be afraid to ask for references and make sure you actually follow-up on those reference checks.
Second, ensure you select a solution that integrates tightly with your other back office products. Most notably, it’s essential that your workflow and compliance solution easily share data with your LOS and banking platform. If it doesn’t not only will you have a huge duplication of data entry, but you will lose many of the efficiencies you are hoping to gain by investing in the solution in the first place. Make sure you ask your vendor of choice to show you exactly what is being replicated between your various back office systems, and again, ask the references how well this process works.
Last, with ever dwindling resources internally it’s probably a good idea to host your process automation solution “in the cloud.” What is this elusive cloud and how can it benefit your organization? The cloud is really nothing more than a hosted technology platform that you don’t have to manage any aspect of, including hardware and software upgrades, security management and backups. Keeping your solution in the cloud means you don’t have to spend any time or capital keeping your solution protected, up to date and in good working order. In short, cloud solutions allow you to do what you do best: close loans.
Find a solution that fits your processes and systems, and do it this year. Implementing the right process automation solution in 2011, while volumes are still at their lowest in decades, means you are well positioned to take full advantage of the market in years to come as volumes pick back up to more historic norms.
FocusIT, Inc., the market leader in hosted mortgage software solutions, will be launching our innovative sales, marketing, workflow and compliance automation solution, Pulse. To get the latest updates on this exciting new software from focusIT click the link below and enter your contact information.
focusIT want to wish you and your family Happy Holidays and all the best in the New Year. Thank you for your business and we are looking forward to serving you for many years to come.
Please note our holiday hours:
Day before Christmas Eve
December 23, 2010 - Closed at 12:00 p.m. MST
Christmas Eve
December 24, 2010 - Closed
New Year's Eve
December 31, 2010 - Closed
As always, focusIT will be open 24x7x365 for emergency business critical support. You can reach our support department at:
focusIT, Inc. 8655 E. Via De Ventura, Suite G200 Scottsdale, AZ 85258 phone: (480) 346-1299 fax: (480) 907-1231
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Josh Bopp is the president of focusIT, Inc., the largest mortgage technology hosting company in the US. To learn more about focusIT visit 
