Mark,
We have THREE offices and use AC. With respect to pricing and 'stand-alone', if each office were 'non-integrated' we would have required three licenses. However, all three offices (each have separate names) share the same data base and are part of a larger corporation (me) and share the same providers. So... we registered the practice, in AC, as Blank and Blank Family Practices. We share the same database, same EIN, etc. but have two/three locations and our current billing software separates the two practices at the close of batches each day so we can track the offices separately.
Second, with respect to how to 'connect' the databases we have played with multiple options including:
[1] VPN (Virtual Private Network across the internet at 2MB/sec)
[2] Remote Desktop Connection - software part of Windows and lets you log into your desktop or server at main office and take over that desktop or use the server to run AC.
[3] Synchronizing the databases each day.
Ideally, choice #1 above, VPN, would have been ideal and the best option in theory. In reality, unless you have a true T1 speed internet connection or cable modem with >10MB/sec and rock stable connection it does not work very well and the time lag transferring information makes it almost useless -- especially if you are importing information.
Choice #2, Remote Desktop Connection, is what we have finally settled on and are reasonably happy with this solution. We either remote into the server directly, or remote into our personal workstations/computers at the 'Mother Ship' -- any IT person can set this up for you easily. On a 1MB internet connection it is VERY fast, works well, and provides good integration. Downsides: You will need to import documents at the mother ship and if you use Dragon Medical it is usable but a bit quirky using Remote Desktop Connection.
Choice #3, daily synchronization, was not really an option for us -- too cumbersome, too much reliability on people being consistent and not screwing up, too much reliability on a snychronizing module from AC that was not robust nor reliable enough to trust at the time (v3.7).
I hope this is helpful.
Best regards,
James P. Clayton, M.D.
US Virgin Islands
