The National Provider Identifier is a government-issued, standard identification number for health care providers that will be required by federal law to be included on all electronic transactions like electronic claims, eligibility verifications, claims status inquiries, and claim attachments no later than May 23, 2007. Many dental plans may require NPIs on paper claim submissions as well. We have incorporated the new NPI-compliant ADA2006 forms into ViewPoint 5.0, available through AutoUpdate. For more information, click here: http://www.orthoii.com/KB/KW/Ortho2-ViewPoint/Insurance/KB-000944.asp. For more information on including the NPI number on your electronic insurance submissions, click here: http://www.orthoii.com/KB/KW/Ortho2-ViewPoint/Insurance/KB-000941.asp

The Vista version matters! ViewPoint 5.0 will run smoothly on Windows Vista Business and Windows Vista Ultimate. Do not attempt to run ViewPoint with other Vista versions. Certain features of ViewPoint rely on devices and drivers provided by third-party manufacturers. Please be aware that VP Fingerprint and VP Reminder do not yet function in Windows Vista because the Vista compatible device drivers for the U.are.U fingerprint scanners and supported telephony devices have not yet been released by their respective manufacturers. We expect these drivers to be released in the first half of 2007. In the meantime, please do not use Windows Vista on any computers that use these devices. We will update this statement as these drivers become available and have been tested.

Windows Vista is available in both 32 bit and 64 bit versions. ViewPoint runs well in either version. However, it appears that many companies are focusing on their 32 bit drivers first. This means that customers who elect to implement the 64 bit version of Vista as soon as possible may experience problems with various devices such as scanners, printers, etc. Our current advice for those wishing to implement Vista soon is to use the 32 bit version. If you wish to use the 64 bit version, we recommend you wait for the 64 bit drivers to be ready. Also, be aware that we recommend at least 4 GB of memory for machines running the 64 bit version of Vista.

Office 2007
Microsoft has also released an updated version of its Office products, including Microsoft Word. The user interface has been completely redesigned and looks entirely different from previous versions. Here are some things to keep in mind if you choose to upgrade to the newest version:

• Office 2007, by default, installs a normal.dotm template. At this time you must manually rename this template to normal.dot in order for the ViewPoint word merge to function.
• The word merge works with the new docx format, but be advised that older versions of Word do not recognize this format. There is an add-in available for Word 2003, but it has not been fully tested yet.
• The ePad integration (VP Signature) works with Office 2007 on Windows XP SP2. (ePad driver version 6.22)
• The email integration also works with Word 2007.

OneTouch and Windows Vista
Windows Vista is yet another major operating system removed from the days of DOS, and thus another reason to believe that OneTouch is nearing the end of its practical lifecycle. Windows Vista comes in 32 bit and 64 bit versions and OneTouch will not run in the 64 bit version!

But we have tested OneTouch with the 32 bit version of Vista, and it appears to function normally inside the core OneTouch program. We did experience some difficulty with the various integrations between OneTouch and other applications. We did not perform exhaustive testing and can't, in good faith, recommend our OneTouch customers use Vista. Despite its apparent functionality, if strange behavior related to changes in the 32 bit Vista DOS box occur, we will most likely be unable to resolve them. Proceed at your own risk.

Ortho II has added even MORE value to ViewPoint... and it's FREE!! Click here to learn more about the latest features that combine to make ViewPoint the most comprehensive practice management software available.

More ViewPoint Seminars! Responding to customer demand, we have doubled the number of free "ViewPoint Operations" seminars held in our corporate headquarters in Ames, Iowa. You now have 10 sessions to choose from throughout the year. For complete details, phone or e-mail Judy Brown at 800 346-4504, jkb@orthoii.com.

This status is presented to share our view of an uncertain future for OneTouch. It does not represent our intent to stop supporting OneTouch. Click here to learn more.

These on-line demos give an overview of the features and functions of ViewPoint practice management software. View the demo now!

With new viruses appearing daily, virus protection is critical. We strongly urge you to install virus protection software on every computer in your office and to keep it updated. If your system is not currently protected, please contact your Ortho II Systems Consultant for more information about protecting your critical data and operating files.

Auto-Update ViewPoint: AutoUpdate uses the Internet to update ViewPoint software to the current version on a particular machine. This will allow us to post bug fixes and enhancements, so that you can get them immediately! To run AutoUpdate, first make sure you are connected to the Internet, then click !Help in the ViewPoint Toolbar and select AutoUpdate.

New: Auto-Update Server With the release of ViewPoint 3.0 Build 1862, AutoUpdate now optionally allows updates to be downloaded to just one computer designated as the "AutoUpdate Server". The updates are then distributed to all other machines in your network from this computer. This helps make updating your workstations faster and easier.