Messaging

You can write your own messages to inform users of planned activities in Opera 3, for example that a batch invoice run will commence at a certain time or a end of period process is planned. For processes like these, that require exclusive access to data, users may not be able to use Opera 3 until the process is completed. You can also use messages for events that are nothing to do with Opera 3, for example to remind employees of company events or to send them season's greetings.

When you set up a message, you can add a title, date and time, frequency (once, daily, weekly or monthly) and the amount of time it is displayed on the Opera 3 desktop. You can also define a message as relevant only for specified users or specified user groups, and whether it should be displayed in all Opera 3 systems or only selected systems.

How does it work?

A timer program is installed on all Opera 3 client PCs. When Opera 3 is running this program also runs in the background. Each minute the program checks for messages that have been scheduled to be sent using the time on the Opera 3 server for its geographical location. When the timer program finds a message that must be sent, it is displayed on the user's desktop either immediately if they are using Opera 3 or when they log in to Opera 3 (as long as the message has not lapsed). The user can then close the message after they have read it and followed any instructions in the message.

In a network environment, it is possible that the time on a workstation computer is different to the time on the Opera 3 server. As the timer program uses the time for the geographical location on the Opera 3 server rather than the time on the client computer, if they are set to a different time it may look like message alerts are displayed at the wrong time. For example, if the server is located in Amsterdam (GMT +2 hours) and the client computers are located in the United Kingdom (GMT), the alerts will use the GMT +2 time.

General tab

Box	Description
Title	This is displayed on the message alert that is displayed on each selected users desktop. Further text can be entered in the Message box if required.
Start Date	The date the message will be sent. If a message is set up to be sent more than once, this is the first date the message will be sent. The other dates are set up in the Frequency boxes.
Time	The time the message will be sent on the selected date. If a message is set up to be sent more than once, this is the time the message will be sent on all chosen days.
Frequency	Messages can be sent once at a chosen time or many times over chosen days. You can select the following frequencies: Once - sends the message once Daily - repeated every x days (for example, every 4 days) Weekly - repeated every x weeks (for example, every 2 weeks) Monthly (Dates) - repeated every month on a specific date (for example, the 27th day of every month) Monthly (Days) - repeated every month on a specified week and day (for example, every second week on a Monday).
Expires After	This box has two purposes. 1. It controls the maximum amount of time that the message is displayed on desktops for those people that are already using Opera 3. If it is set to one hour, the message is displayed for one hour after the Start Time. Unless the user has already closed the message, it will disappear after one hour. 2. It controls whether the message will be displayed when a user logs on to Opera 3. Using the example of one hour, if a user logs on to Opera 3 within one hour of the Start Time, the message will be displayed. If they log on more than one hour after the Start Time, the message will not be displayed.
Message	This is optional text that can be displayed in the message along with the message title. The first line of this message is displayed on the main message form, the remainder of the message is displayed on another form that is linked to the main message. Use the Preview button to see how the message will be displayed on each selected user's desktop.
Active	This box is selected automatically when a new message is created. Active messages will be sent to users at the selected time/s in the boxes under Frequency. If the message is defined to be sent only once, the box is unticked after the message has been sent. Untick this box if you need to prevent a message from being sent.
Applies to	This lists the additional systems that have been set up in Opera 3. These allow up to 36 further companies to be set up in each system. You can select to show a message in all systems, only the main system or only a selected additional system. This box is only displayed if you use Additional Systems.

Box

Description

Title

This is displayed on the message alert that is displayed on each selected users desktop. Further text can be entered in the Message box if required.

Start Date

The date the message will be sent. If a message is set up to be sent more than once, this is the first date the message will be sent. The other dates are set up in the Frequency boxes.

Time

The time the message will be sent on the selected date. If a message is set up to be sent more than once, this is the time the message will be sent on all chosen days.

Frequency

Messages can be sent once at a chosen time or many times over chosen days. You can select the following frequencies:

Once - sends the message once
Daily - repeated every x days (for example, every 4 days)
Weekly - repeated every x weeks (for example, every 2 weeks)
Monthly (Dates) - repeated every month on a specific date (for example, the 27th day of every month)
Monthly (Days) - repeated every month on a specified week and day (for example, every second week on a Monday).

Expires After

This box has two purposes.

1. It controls the maximum amount of time that the message is displayed on desktops for those people that are already using Opera 3. If it is set to one hour, the message is displayed for one hour after the Start Time. Unless the user has already closed the message, it will disappear after one hour.

2. It controls whether the message will be displayed when a user logs on to Opera 3. Using the example of one hour, if a user logs on to Opera 3 within one hour of the Start Time, the message will be displayed. If they log on more than one hour after the Start Time, the message will not be displayed.

Message

This is optional text that can be displayed in the message along with the message title. The first line of this message is displayed on the main message form, the remainder of the message is displayed on another form that is linked to the main message.

Use the Preview button to see how the message will be displayed on each selected user's desktop.

Active

This box is selected automatically when a new message is created. Active messages will be sent to users at the selected time/s in the boxes under Frequency. If the message is defined to be sent only once, the box is unticked after the message has been sent.

Untick this box if you need to prevent a message from being sent.

Applies to

This lists the additional systems that have been set up in Opera 3. These allow up to 36 further companies to be set up in each system. You can select to show a message in all systems, only the main system or only a selected additional system.

This box is only displayed if you use Additional Systems.

Distribution tab

This tab displays the users or user groups that have been selected to receive the message alert. Only users that are logged in to the selected companies will receive the message on their desktop.