Historical Release Notes

SmartVault Release Notes for January Bug Fix Release

Release Date: Jan 14, 2020

Bug Fixes

We recently had multiple reports from some customers who were migrated over to our new Dashboard View indicating that some of their folder names were being changed automatically. (Example: #123 Main St.pdf.) After some research, we found that:

Files names beginning with "#" (hashtag) was causing the parent folder of the file to be renamed with the name of the file itself.

As this was affecting multiple customers we made the decision to solve the problem and release the fix ASAP. The SmartVault portal can handle the special character (#) at the beginning of the file name.

SmartVault Release Notes for November 2019

Release Date: Dec 18, 2019

New Features

All these new features are for SmartVault structured plans (Tax and Accounting):

Dynamic Dashboard - Lets you add or hide icons on the Dashboard home page.
Customizable Client Sub Types (type qualifiers) - You can now add your own client subtypes to define specific templates, like Schedule C.
Customizable Client IDs - For your clients not in Intuit Lacerte or ProSeries, you can now easily add the client ID when creating the client.
The General Engagement template now displays a custom name in the SmartVault Connected Desktop.

Feature Updates

Support for Intuit Lacerte 2019
Support for Intuit ProSeries 2019
You can now add a hyperlink to the Disclosure section on the custom branding page.
If an e-signature request fails due to insufficient permissions, the requestor will be notified via email.

For our United Kingdom Accounting Plans

Added Monthly Engagements as a default engagement to the Payroll engagement folder.
Adjusted the icon in the TaxCalc Create My Password email.

Integration Updates

Static File Upload - You can now upload a static file to a specific folder whenever you create a client from Salesforce using the SmartVault-SFDC integration.
Bulk Client Vault Creation - Create your clients in batch from your Salesforce-SmartVault integration.

Bug Fixes

Fixed the Google Chrome issue which was signing users out intermittently.
My Apps Page in the SmartVault Dashboard now displays correctly.
Users can now delete blank contact cards in the client's Dashboard, such as if they are created accidentally.
Fixed link to SmartVault Support on the Launchpad.
Added link to the Client Portal Orientation in the Tax Activation email template.

SmartVault Release Notes for August 2019

Release Date: Aug 29, 2019

New Features

Added a SmartVault integration for Salesforce

Now Salesforce users can connect their SFDC instance to a structured SmartVault account

Feature Updates

Updates to the 2-Factor Authentication

Now you can choose to opt out of receiving 2-Factor Authentication code via email if you're primary choice is SMS or Phone

Improved SmartVault API package with tested and verified PostMan scripts to make it easier for developer to build their own integration with SmartVault

[US and UK Plans] - The Upload Notifications flag now set for the Employees group on all Send to Accountants and Client Source Documents folders *

[UK Plans Only] - Renamed AML & PM folder in Client folder template to AML*

[UK Plans Only] - Renamed WorkPapers folders in Tax, Accounting Services, VAT, Payroll engagements to Working Papers *

[UK Plans Only] - Show Year Crossover on all engagements, i.e Accounting Services 2017-2018, Payroll 2018-2019

* Only affects new accounts

Bug Fixes

"Select All" box inverses selection of objects in the Files view of the dashboard.

Of 5 items (files, folders or vaults), If you selected 2 of them and then changed your mind and clicked the Select All option, it used to select the other 3 and leave the original two unselected.

Removing a user from the account sends "Invalid Operation" error.

When a shared vault is closed in the Business plan, an error was being generated when trying to removed the shared user from the account.

Fixed a variety of folder template issues and their root causes

When applying a template, the following error would be displayed. "An item with the same key has already been added error"

Changes to folder templates feature so that it reduces the chances of the user's account going into a bad state.

SmartVault Release Notes for March 2019

March 2019 SmartVault Service Updates

Release Date: March 14, 2019

The following improvements were made to SmartVault:

Fixes to the Connected Desktop time stamp which was showing an hour later of the actual created/modified time. This issue started occurring after Daylight Savings took effect March 10, 2019.
Fixes to the Upload/Download Notifications Automated System.
Fixes to the Login page where if someone clicks on the Sign In button multiple times, it generated multiple 2fa (Authorization) requests.
Updates to the 2-Factor Authentication email body to try and reduce being marked as spam or blocked by customers' email providers.

SmartVault Release Notes for Dec 2018

December 2018 SmartVault Service Updates
Release Date: December 19, 2018

The following improvements were made to the SmartVault Client Portal - Applicable to the Dashboard View Only.

New Upload Documents Feature available for guests and clients of Tax and Accounting plans only* (click "Upload Documents" to see more about this feature)

*Please note that administrators and users will not see this feature

SmartVault Release Notes for April 2018

April 2018 SmartVault Service Updates

Release Date: April 25th, 2018

The following changes apply to all SmartVault accounts EXCEPT Business Basic and Starter Plans:

Integrated E-Signature Solution added:

All SmartVault Enterprise, Accountant, and Business Plans (except Basic and Starter) now have access to a built-in e-signatures solution, powered by DocuSign.

Some of the benefits of creating your DocuSign account via SmartVault include:

No additional monthly or annual subscription fees AND no additional fees per additional User.
E-signature Envelopes and Knowledge-Based Authentications (KBAs) purchased through SmartVault never expire.
You can even request payment and add custom branding to your DocuSign account created via SmartVault.
You can send over 30 different file types (.pdf, .xlsx, .jpg, .tiff, etc.) out for e-signature from the Connected Desktop or the File & Folders View in the Portal.

If you would like to know more or know how to create your new e-signature account, click here.

Please Note: Per Citrix, current RightSignature e-signature integrations with SmartVault will continue to function until August of 2018. If you would like instructions on how to disconnect your RightSignature account from SmartVault, click here.

The following changes apply to all SmartVault accounts:

Security Improvements: TLS 1.0 support being decommissioned.

SmartVault will be disabling support for legacy TLS protocols to stay compliant with new PCI Security Standards. Customers who use the SmartVault for Windows Desktop Client or WDC will need to update their WDC, while those who only use the web-based Portal will be unaffected.

Simply update the WDC when prompted after April 25, 2018 and you'll stay compliant.
If you are unsure if you have updated, simply follow this Guide on Manually Checking for Updates.
Customers who fail to upgrade the WDC will receive a "No Network Available" error when they try to sign in once TLS 1.0 support is disabled.SmartVault is already reaching out to Hosting Service providers (Cloud 9, Right Networks, InSynq, etc.) to ensure all clients are updated.The WDC includes popular SmartVault tools, such as the Connected Desktop, QuickBooks Toolbar, Inbox, and Mapped Drive.OS X / macOS users who have manually mapped SmartVault as a remote server/drive on their Mac will not be affected.

SmartVault Release Notes for January 2018

January 2018 SmartVault Service Updates

Release Date: January 29th, 2018

The following changes were made to all SmartVault accounts:

Security Improvements: Sessions and Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)

Enabling Sessions and Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) adds several new layers of security to your SmartVault account. Simply put, these new security enhancements protect SmartVault users by:

Automatically logging someone out of the SmartVault Portal if they are inactive for 15 minutes or if they switch to a new internet connection or network.
Asking users for a Verification Code if they attempt to log in to the SmartVault Portal from an unrecognized web browser or device.For more detailed information on how they work, please click on the Sessions and the Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) links in the sections below.

SmartVault Admins can now enable Sessions and 2FA for everyone on their account.

Click to learn more about Sessions and Auto Log-Out.
Click to learn more about Two-Factor Authentication and how to enable it.We recommend that all users on your SmartVault account update their SmartVault for Windows Desktop Client (WDC) before enabling 2FA or Sessions.If you use SmartVault in a hosted environment, your hosting service provider will probably have to update the WDC for you, so be sure that they have installed Version 18.0 or later before you enable 2FA. (Click here to learn how to find the version number of your WDC.)

All SmartVault Users, Clients, and Guests can individually enable Sessions and 2FA within their User Settings.

Click to learn how more about Sessions and 2FA and how to enable them on your individual user.We recommend that all users update their SmartVault for Windows Desktop Client (WDC) before enabling 2FA or Sessions.

The following changes apply to all SmartVault accounts EXCEPT Starter Plans:

New E-Signature Integration: DocuSign

You can now integrate a DocuSign account with SmartVault so that you can send files directly from your SmartVault account out for electronic signature.

If you have an existing DocuSign account and would like to integrate it with SmartVault, click here.
If you would like to create a free trial DocuSign account and try it out with SmartVault, click here.
Per Citrix, current RightSignature e-signature integrations with SmartVault will continue to function until August of 2018. If you would like instructions on how to disconnect your RightSignature account from SmartVault, click here. Files sent for e-signature from SmartVault will be tracked and signed through DocuSign and then automatically returned and saved in SmartVault. In SmartVault Accountant & Tax Plans only: if a document is sent for e-signature from a particular client's vault, then all the guest names and email addresses associated with that client vault will be pre-populated as recipients. DocuSign Account Admins can invite their employees to their DocuSign account by purchasing additional user licenses. Each employee should integrate their specific DocuSign User account with SmartVault; that way the DocuSign Admin will not get bombarded with updates and email notifications about every document that each employee has sent out for e-signature.

SmartVault Release Notes for November 2017

November 2017 SmartVault Service Updates

Release Date: November 29th, 2017

The following changes were made to all SmartVault accounts:

Security Improvements:

Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) - Phase 2 nearing completion:

Two-Factor Authentication is nearing completion and will be released by the end of December 2017, but you will have to opt-in to Sessions first to enable 2FA.Click here to learn more about Session Tokens and Auto Log-Out.
Click here to learn how to opt-in to Session Tokens.

Client Portal / Dashboard Files & Folders View:

"Drag Files Here" will now appear in any folder where an end-client or guest has upload or "create" permission.
Guests can simply drag and drop multiple files into their web browser to upload them.
Folders and their contents will be ignored; only files can be uploaded.

Multi-Download (Beta) is now available.

You can now download multiple files at once instead of downloading each file individually in the Dashboard.
Please Note: your web browser must allow or enable pop-ups for this function to work.
Please Note: we recommend you set your web browser to, by default, always save files in the same location (like your Downloads folder, for example).
If your web browser displays a pop-up asking you each time where you would like to save a file, then you will see a pop-up for each file you have selected for download.

How to Opt-In to Session Tokens: If you are the Administrator of a SmartVault account and would like the Session Tokens feature enabled for all your clients and employees, you must do the following:

Update your SmartVault for Windows Desktop Client on all computers that you use with SmartVault.

Click here to contact SmartVault Customer Support

Tell Customer Support you would like to activate Session Tokens on your account.
Provide the Admin email address you use to access SmartVault.

SmartVault Release Notes for October 2017

October 2017 SmartVault Service Updates

Release Date: October 25th, 2017

The following changes were made to all SmartVault accounts:

Security Improvements:

Two-Factor Authentication (TFA) - Phase 1 Complete:

The October 2017 release includes many incremental security updates that will make Two-Factor Authentication possible on all existing SmartVault accounts.
We intend to make Two-Factor Authentication available when Phase 2 is completed as part of the December 2017 service update.

Password Information will no longer be stored or "remembered" by SmartVault.

The Remember Me option in the SmartVault Launchpad has been changed to Remember email.
Updating the SmartVault for Windows Software (which includes the Launchpad, Connected Desktop, Inbox, etc.) will no longer allow a SmartVault user to automatically log into the Launchpad as SmartVault will no longer remember their password.

The Stay Signed In option on the SmartVault Portal has been changed to Remember email.

Once a SmartVault user has signed-out of the SmartVault Portal, they will no longer be able to automatically log back in. All users will have to type in at least their password to sign back in to the Portal.

We highly recommend recording your SmartVault password or using password management software like LastPass or Keychain to secure your password.

Click here to learn more about SmartVault no longer auto-filling passwords.
Click here if you have forgotten your password and need to reset it.

Opt-In Feature: Session Tokens which enable Auto Log-Out Due to Inactivity and Location-Based Security features have been added to the SmartVault Portal.

Similar to many bank and insurance websites, SmartVault will ask a user if they would like to stay logged in to the Portal after 13 minutes of inactivity and, barring a response, will automatically log the user out after 15 minutes of inactivity.
Opening the SmartVault Portal in multiple tabs within the same web browser is supported by Session Token. Stay active in the SmartVault Portal in just one tab and all the other tabs will stay signed in as well.
SmartVault will also check if the first 2 portions of your IP address have changed, so you can stay logged in whenever you are within reach of your office WiFi network. However, you will be automatically logged out and asked to log back in if you try to connect to SmartVault through a different network, like at the airport or a local coffee shop. Click here to learn more about Session Tokens and Auto Log-Out.
Click here to learn how to opt-in to Session Tokens.

Opt-In Feature: Session Tokens which enable Obligatory Authentication and Location-Based Security features have been added to the SmartVault Launchpad / SmartVault for Windows Software.

The SmartVault Launchpad and its components (i.e. - Connected Desktop, Import Tool, etc.) will not automatically disconnect due to inactivity like the SmartVault Portal, but it will require users to manually log back in once every 7 days even if the user has not logged out.
As an added layer of security, SmartVault will automatically log you out of the Launchpad and its components if the first 2 portions of your IP address have changed (i.e. - you connect to SmartVault through a different network).
Click here to learn more about Session Tokens and Auto Log-Out.
Click here to learn how to opt-in to Session Tokens.

Login / Password Reset Help:

Help is now available through the Customer Support Chat icon in the lower right-hand corner of the SmartVault Portal login screen. Now end clients and customers alike can get help before even logging in to the SmartVault Portal!

The following bug fixes were made to the Connected Desktop:

Dragging and dropping multiple folders with subfolders into the Connected Desktop now preserves the folder hierarchy as intended.Customers can now drag a mix of files, folders, folders with subfolders, and files within folders and subfolders into the Connected Desktop and SmartVault will duplicate the Windows folder structure as expected.

How to Opt-In to Session Tokens:: If you are the Administrator of a SmartVault account and would like the Session Tokens feature enabled for all your clients and employees, you must do the following:

Update your SmartVault for Windows Desktop Client on all computers that you use with SmartVault.

Click here to contact SmartVault Customer Support
Tell Customer Support you would like to activate Session Tokens on your account. Provide the Admin email address you use to access SmartVault.

SmartVault Release Notes for September 2017

September 2017 SmartVault Service Updates

Release Date: September 20th, 2017

The following changes were made to most SmartVault accounts:

Many legacy SmartVault accounts have new features and pricing:

The Dashboard View is now available in all SmartVault plans.

Many new features, like drag and drop uploads and multi-file/folder select are available in the Dashboard View that are not possible in the old Advanced View in the SmartVault Portal.
Click here to learn more about the Dashboard View.

The SmartVault Connected Desktop is now available in most plans.

You must install the SmartVault for Windows software to gain access to the Connected Desktop.
Click here to learn how to download the SmartVault for Windows software.
The Connected Desktop is a faster, more reliable way to upload and download files to and from SmartVault than the SmartVault Mapped Drive.
Click here to learn more about the Connected Desktop.

The Activity Log feature has been added to more plans.

Allows you to track and log all activities within your SmartVault account, such as customer uploads, file edits or deletions, documents view/downloads, etc.
Click here to learn more about the Activity Log.

SmartVault Release Notes for August 2017

August 2017 SmartVault Service Updates

Release Date: August 23rd, 2017

The following changes were made in the SmartVault Connected Desktop:

Dragging and dropping multiple 1MB or larger files from the Connected Desktop to Outlook

Dragging and dropping now works as expected and should only be limited by the maximum attachment limitations set by your email server.
Dragging and dropping should work from the Connected Desktop to any local email client (Outlook, Mail, Thunderbird, IncrediMail, etc.).

The following changes were made in the SmartVault Dashboard:

(These changes apply to ALL SmartVault Plans. SmartVault Business Plans, including Starter, Basic, Team, Pro, and ProAdvisor can access parts of the Dashboard by simply changing their default view in View Preferences - click here to learn how.)

Live Chat is now available within the Dashboard
(Please Note: you may need to clear the cache of your web browser and reload the Dashboard to gain access to this feature.)

You can now get help via chat from within our Administrative Portal: the SmartVault Dashboard.
Previously, live chat was only available through the company website (http://www.smartvault.com), but it is available in product and through our support website (https://support.smartvault.com).

Only files can be uploaded within the Dashboard

Clarified error message that would appear if folders were dragged into the Files & Folder View within the Dashboard.
Selecting multiple files and folders and dragging them into the Files & Folders View will result in the files being uploaded, but the folders and the files within those folders will be ignored.

Activity Log / Audit Reporting is only available in Pro Business Plans

Corrected an error that would sometimes allow Starter and Team Business Plans to view the Activity Log while in the Dashboard.
All Accountant Plans have access to Activity Logs and Audit Reporting by default.

SmartVault Release Notes for June 2017

June 2017 SmartVault Service Updates

Release Date: June 21st, 2017

The following changes were made in the SmartVault Dashboard:

Please Note: you may need to clear the cache of your web browser and reload the Dashboard to gain access to these new features.

A Custom Branded logo, if uploaded, will replace the standard SmartVault logo in the Dashboard view.

Dashboard view is not client facing by default. Custom logos were simply added here to let SmartVault Administrators know if their custom branded logo is visible to clients in the Client Portal.

Click here to learn more about:

Please Note:

The aspect ratios of the logos needed in the SmartVault Client Portal and the Dashboard are very different.
Instead of asking every existing SmartVault customer to create and upload a new logo that their end clients will never see, we simply resized each existing logo to fit the Dashboard.
The logo appears in the Dashboard to let you know that your Custom Branding is active, but it is not indicative of what your end clients see.
To view what your Custom Branding looks like to your end clients in the Client Portal:Open the Files & Folders View in the Dashboard.Click on the "eye" icon to the right of any Vault or Folder.

Intercom widget added to the Dashboard with pop-ups and reminders for new SmartVault users.

The current implementation is solely for giving new SmartVault customers guidance on using the product.

Additional features, like live support chat within the Dashboard, will be coming for all SmartVault customers.

The following changes were made in the SmartVault Dashboard:

(The following changes only apply to SmartVault Accountant Plans, including Tax Prep, Accounting Pro, and Enterprise. They are not applicable to SmartVault Business Plans, including Starter, Basic, Team, Pro, and ProAdvisor.)

The ability to Archive Inactive Clients was disabled in May's software update, but has now been restored.

By archiving old or no longer active clients, you remove them from your Client container and no longer see them in your Client view, but you still retain all of the client's data.

Click this link to learn how to Archive Inactive Clients

SmartVault Release Notes for May 2017

May 2017 SmartVault Service Updates

Release Date: May 24th, 2017

The following changes were made in the SmartVault Dashboard:

Please Note: you may need to clear the cache of your web browser and reload the Dashboard to gain access to these new features.

All new SmartVault Account Admins and Users will default to the Dashboard View when they log into the SmartVault Portal. Existing SmartVault customers who are Administrators or Users (i.e. employees) can take advantage of the new features available in the Dashboard View by switching their View Preferences - click here to learn how.

Dashboard View will, over the next few months, become the default view for all SmartVault Account Administrators and Users.
SmartVault Clients and Guests (i.e. end clients) will still default to the Files & Folders view within the existing Client Portal.
For more information on the Dashboard View, click here to Explore the SmartVault Dashboard

The text Drag Files Here will always be visible at the bottom of Vaults and Folders where you can drag and drop files to upload them within the Files & Folders view.

Currently this feature does not support the uploading of Folders- just one or multiple Files.
Folders must be manually created or copied/moved from another location with the Files & Folders view.

The Delete Company File action will now work as expected in the Files & Folders view in the Dashboard.

Click here to learn how to delete a QuickBooks, QBO, FreshBooks, Reckon, or Xero company file from SmartVault.

The following changes were made in the SmartVault Dashboard:

The Redistribute Clients action will now work as expected in the Files & Folders view in the Dashboard.

Click here to learn how to Redistribute Clients in the Dashboard.

SmartVault Release Notes for April 2017

April 2017 SmartVault Service Updates

Release Date: April 26th, 2017

The following changes were made in the SmartVault Dashboard:

Please Note: you may need to clear the cache of your web browser and reload the Dashboard to gain access to these new features.

A Refresh folder hierarchy icon has been added to the Navigation Pane of the Files and Folders view in the Dashboard.

Clicking on the Refresh folder hierarchy icon refreshes or updates all the files and folders displayed in your entire SmartVault account.
Clicking on the Refresh folder contents icon only refreshes or updates the contents of the currently selected folder or vault.

Left-clicking on the name of a File in the Files and Folders view in the Dashboard now opens a preview of that document in a new tab in your web browser.

This replaces the old behavior where left-clicking on a file name allowed you to edit the file name.
To edit a file's name, you must left-click on the "pencil" or icon to the far right of the file name.

Left-clicking on the name of a Folder, Vault, or Container in the Files and Folders view in the Dashboard now opens that Container, Vault, or Folder and displays its contents in the Details Pane.

This replaces the old behavior where left-clicking on the name allowed you to edit the name of a Folder, Vault, or Container.
To edit a Folder, Vault, or Container's name, you must left-click on the "pencil" or icon to the far right of the name.

The ability to Delete or Move a Company File has been added to the Files and Folders view in the Dashboard.

Navigate to the FreshBooks, Reckon, QuickBooks, or Xero Company File you wish to move or delete.
Left-click on the "Item Properties" to the far right of the Company File name.
Select "Move Company" or "Delete Company" from the Actions Tabs that appear.
If you select "Move Company" you will be asked to select a new Vault for the Company File to be moved to.Company Files can only be Moved to another Vault; they cannot be placed in a Folder or Container.The destination Vault must already exist; you will not be given the option to create a new vault when moving a Company Vault.

The following changes were made in the SmartVault Dashboard:

You can now make Vaults Private in the Files and Folders view.

Select a Vault and click on the "Container Properties" or icon.
Click on the "View Properties" Action tab and then check the box labeled "Make this vault private".

Please Note:

Making a Vault private will automatically remove everyone's access to that Vault except the Admins on the SmartVault account.
An Admin can manually give Users (employees), Clients, and Guests access to a Vault after it has been made Private by using the "Access and Notifications" Action tab.
Only Vaults in the Clients Container can be made Private. Any Vault created by an Admin outside of a Container is, by default, only accessible by Admins of that SmartVault account.

You can now Redistribute Clients in the Files and Folders view.

Click on the Clients Container and then click on the "Container Properties" or icon.
Select the "Redistribute Clients" Action tab and then click on the "Submit Redistribute Request" button.
Many SmartVault Admins create an additional Container within the Client Container named "0-9" for clients or businesses with names that begin with numbers (for example, "10 Downing Street" or "1 800 Flowers").

Please Note:

Container names must be exactly 3 characters long and include a hyphen or "-" as the middle character. For example, "0-9" or ""A-H" are valid Container names, but "A-" or "AA-BZ" would not be.
You must create all of your new Containers within the Clients Container first and then redistribute your clients accordingly.
Creating overlapping containers (for example, "A-B" and "A-D") and redistributing your clients from one container to another will not work.You cannot create sub-containers within new or existing Containers inside the Clients Container.

SmartVault Release Notes for March 2017

March 2017 SmartVault Service Updates

Release Date: March 23rd, 2017

The following changes were made in the SmartVault for Windows Desktop Client:

ProConnect no longer freezes if SmartVault is already running when Lacerte 2016 is launched.

You will see a pop-up window or a system tray reminder telling you, "Action Required: log in to Lacerte 2016..."

Simply open Lacerte 2016 and authenticate.

You no longer have to log in to ProConnect and authenticate before logging in to SmartVault to prevent a program freeze or system lockup.
If you are already logged in to SmartVault, simply re-authenticate in ProConnect and continue.
You do not need to quit and restart SmartVault or Lacerte 2016.

The following changes were made in the SmartVault Dashboard:

(Business Plans, including Starter, Basic, Team, Pro, and ProAdvisor, currently do not have access to the SmartVault Dashboard)

Please Note: you may need to clear the cache of your web browser and reload the Dashboard to gain access to these new features.

A User Settings icon

has been added to the top menu bar of the Dashboard.

Clicking on the User Settings icon allows you to:

Change settings just for your user.
Sign out of the Dashboard.Download SmartVault applications for Windows, Windows programs, and mobile devices.
Switch between SmartVault accounts (if you have access to more than one).

The Account Settings icon remains, but it now displays settings pertaining to the SmartVault account and the account administrator only.

You can Sort files in the Files and Folders view by the following columns: Name, Size, and Date Modified.

Folders can be sorted too, but only by Name and Date Modified.

An highlighted upward or downward facing arrow before the column name indicates whether the files and folders are being sorted by:

Name from A to Z (upward arrow) or Z to A (downward arrow)
Size from smallest to largest (upward) or largest to smallest (downward)
Date Modified from oldest to most recently modified (upward) or most recently modified to oldest (downward)

Folders will always appear at the top of any view that contains files and folders. So, if sorting a vault's contents by Name from A to Z, the resulting sorting order would be:

You can now create Containers in the Files and Folders view by clicking on the icon.

Containers can only be created at the Account level or within another Container.
You cannot create a Container within a Vault or Folder.

SmartVault Release Notes for February 2017

February 2017 SmartVault Service Updates

Release Date: February 15th, 2017

The following changes were made in the Dashboard:

A large Files and Folders icon has been added to the Dashboard landing page to simplify document access.

The Client Information Screen for each vault now displays invitation status next to each email address associated with that vault.

Invitation status is listed as: Activated, Invited, or Not Invited to SmartVault.
You can get to the Client Information Screen for a particular vault by going to Dashboard = Clients and then clicking on the symbol next to the client's name or within the client's contact V-card.

Clicking on the Vault icon on the Client Information Screen will immediately open and display that client's vault in the Files and Folders view within the Dashboard.

The following changes were made in the SmartVault Portal, Dashboard, and Connected Desktop:

The About SmartVault pages include updated credits and third party licensing information.

SmartVault Release Notes for January 2017

January 2017 SmartVault Service Updates

Release Date: January 18th, 2017

The following changes were made in the Connected Desktop:

The Client Information tab has been added to the Connected Desktop.

Left-click on the client's name to select them and then left-click on the Client Information tab to display their information.
Users can now view basic information about their clients inside the Connected Desktop without having to open the SmartVault Portal or Dashboard.

Client Information cannot be altered or amended within the Client Information tab, but it can be highlighted and copied and pasted where needed - e.g. in an email or e-signature request.

To edit a client's contact information, the process remains the same from the Connected Desktop:

1. Right-click on the client's name in the Clients View in the Connected Desktop.
2. Select "Open client in Portal" from the drop-down menu that appears.

3. Sign in to the SmartVault Portal if you haven't already done so.
4. Left-click on the "Pencil" icon near the top left corner to edit the client's contact information. Change the client's information as needed.
5. Left-click on the Save or "Disk" icon near the top left corner to save your changes.

SmartVault Release Notes for December 2016

December 2016 SmartVault Service Updates

Release Date: December 21st, 2016

The following changes were made in the Connected Desktop:

The Auto-Refresh feature has been added to the Connected Desktop.

Users no longer have to select the "Refresh clients" option in the View menu or click on the Refresh button in the Client View to make the Connected Desktop update - it will now do so automatically.

The Connected Desktop should automatically refresh every few seconds, but users can still force an immediate update by using the options mentioned above.

Updating to the latest version of the SmartVault for Windows software will cause the following pop-up to appear whenever the user signs in to the SmartVault Launchpad and successfully connects to the auto-refresh service:

E-Signature requests can now be sent from the Connected Desktop

Users must have a RightSignature account and integrated it with SmartVault before this feature will work.
Discounts are available to new and existing RightSignature customers if they sign up through SmartVault.
To begin the process of creating or using an existing RightSignature account and integrating it with SmartVault, please start here: Getting started with E-Signature.

Once integrated, the feature is very easy to use:

Select a document in the Connected Desktop that you want to have electronically signed and click on "Get Signature" in the Client View or right-click on the document and select "Get Signature" from the drop-down menu:

You will be taken directly to your RightSignature account and can proceed following the instructions available on their website and through this short training video: Sending a Document for Signature
Once your client(s) have signed the document, you will receive an email notification from RightSignature and the document will be viewable immediately through RightSignature's website. The original document in SmartVault will be automatically updated to the signed version of the document within the next few hours.

Release Date: December 1st, 2016

The following changes were made in the SmartVault Portal:

Corrected issue were some Primary Contacts on existing SmartVault Business and legacy plans were unable to update their Payment Information.

To verify or change the Primary Contact on a SmartVault account, you must be an Administrator on the account.
Follow these steps if you wish to view or modify the Primary Contact on a SmartVault account: Change Primary Contact of a SmartVault Account.
Follow these steps if you are the Primary Contact and would like to modify your Payment Information: Update Payment Information.

Fixed a bug within the Employees Tab of the Dashboard so that it will correctly display all employees in alphabetical order across multiple pages.

All SmartVault accounts with fewer than 50 seasonal or full-time employees were unaffected by this bug.
Follow these steps if you are an Administrator on a SmartVault account that has access to the Dashboard and you would like to invite an additional employee to SmartVault: Invite an Employee.

If you receive an error whenever you try to invite an additional employee to SmartVault through the Dashboard, you may have exceeded the number of User licenses available or tried to use an existing email address for another Guest or User on the account. Click on the correct error message below to resolve the issue:

Error Message: Adding this user would exceed the user limit for this account.
Error Message: Sequence contains no elements.

The following changes were made in the Connected Desktop:

Fixed a bug in the Issues Tab so that date and time stamps are automatically saved.

Users have the option to "Archive All" or "Archive Selected" issues.

Archived Issues are removed from the Issues tab in the Connected Desktop and are converted into a .csv file.

The user can select where they wish to save the .csv file within that specific client's vault.
The archived Issues files are given a default name of "Issues-<client's name="Name">", but users may overwrite the name if they wish.</client's>

SmartVault Release Notes for October 2016

October 2016 SmartVault Service Updates

Release Date: October 26th, 2016

The following applications can now integrate with SmartVault:

Lacerte 2016

SmartVault integration and functionality within Lacerte 2016 is identical to the 2015 version of Lacerte.

ProsSeries 2016

SmartVault integration and functionality within ProSeries 2016 is identical to the 2015 version of ProSeries.

Hubdoc integration has been working for a while, but customer support pages for both companies have now been updated.

The following changes were made in the SmartVault Portal:

The Send Tax Returns workflow within the Dashboard now includes tiled filters.

The "Funnel" or Filter Icon has been removed from the middle menu bar as its functionality has been replaced by the tiled filters.

Clients can be filtered by Client Type (Individual, Partnership, SCorp, etc.) and Year by clicking on the Client Type and Year drop-down menus in the top right corner of the Send Tax Returns tab. (See: Send Tax Returns to Clients for more information).

Clients can be filtered by Tax Return Email Status (Sent to Client or Not Sent) by clicking above or below the gray-white line within the large colored tiles at the top of the Client Dashboard. (See: Send Tax Returns to Clients for more information).

A new tab for sending Financial Statement emails has been added to the edit Client Information screen within the Client Dashboard.

You can navigate to the Client Information screen by editing an existing contact in the Client Dashboard or by right-clicking on a client in the Connected Desktop and selecting "Open Client in Portal" from the drop-down menu.

No functionality has been removed; the Send Financial Statements workflow and the ability to send financial statements to multiple clients at once remains the same, but now you can perform the same function for one select client within the Client Information screen without having to search for them in the Send Financial Statements tab.

A new Tax Return email template for non-individuals has been added to the Email Templates section of the Dashboard.

There are now two Tax Return email templates that can be edited and customized for different client types:

Tax Return - Individual: this email template will be used to notify an individual or couple that their tax return is complete.
Tax Return - Non-Individual: this email template will be used to notify all non-individuals (S-Corps, Partnerships, Trusts, etc.) that their tax return is complete.

All new SmartVault accounts and existing accounts that never modified the original default Tax Return email template will have different default text in their new "Tax Return - Non-Individual" email templates.

All existing SmartVault accounts that have customized and applied a new version of the Tax Return email template will have their modified text made the current version of their "Tax Return - Individual" and "Tax Return - Non-Individual" email templates. (See: Customize Email Templates for more information).

The following changes were made in the Connected Desktop:

Issues can now be archived in the Connected Desktop.

Users have the option to "Archive All" or "Archive Selected" issues.

Archived Issues are removed from the Issues tab in the Connected Desktop and are converted into a .csv file.

The user can select where they wish to save the .csv file within that specific client's vault.
The archived Issues files are given a default name of "Issues-<client's name="Name">", but users may overwrite the name if they wish.</client's>

SmartVault Release Notes for September 2016

September 2016 SmartVault Service Updates

Release Date: September 21st, 2016

The following changes were made in the SmartVault Portal:

The Client Dashboard now includes tiled filters that not only display the invitation status of your currently selected group of clients, but also allow you to further filter which subset of clients are shown by simply clicking on a tile.

The "Funnel" or Filter Icon has been removed as its functionality has been replaced by the tiled filters.
Clients can be filtered by Client Type (Individual, Partnership, SCorp, etc.) by clicking on the Client Type drop-down menu in the top right corner of the Client Dashboard. (See:Client Dashboard: New Tile Filters & Settings for more information).
Clients can be filtered by Invitation Status (Not Yet Invited, Invited with Pending Activation, etc.) by clicking on the large colored tiles at the top of the Client Dashboard. (See:Client Dashboard: New Tile Filters & Settings for more information).

Separate tabs for creating Engagements, sending Organizer emails, and sending Tax Return emails have been added to the edit Client Information screen within the Client Dashboard.

You can navigate to the Client Information screen by editing an existing contact in the Client Dashboard or by right-clicking on a client in the Connected Desktop and selecting "Open Client in Portal" from the drop-down menu.
No functionality has been removed; the Send to Clients workflow and the ability to create new engagements in the Client Dashboard and the Connected Desktop remains the same, but now you can perform both functions within the Client Information screen as well.
Once in the Client Information screen, you can find the new Engagements, Send Tax Returns, and Send Organizers tabs near the middle of your screen.

Due to the large number of improvements made to the Client Dashboard over the past two months, we have created a new tutorial video and support pages about the Client Dashboard:

Direct link to the video: Client Dashboard Update: New Tile Filters & Settings

SmartVault Release Notes for August 2016

August 2016 SmartVault Service Updates

Release Date: August 25th, 2016

The following changes were made in the SmartVault Portal:

The Client Dashboard has been updated so that clients can be viewed in List View or the existing V-Card View. (See: Client Dashboard: New Tile Filters & Settings for more information).

The Client List View allows you to export your client contact information in .csv format. You can export client contact information for up to 100 clients at a time this way, depending on the "Page Size" listed in "View Preferences". (See: Change your Default Page Size in the SmartVault Portal for more information).

You can select which columns of client information will be displayed in List View.

Only the contact information for the primary contact on the account is displayed in List View.

List View will be the default client view for all new SmartVault accounts created after the August release.

The Page Size setting within the View Preferences page within the Portal will now save correctly and will allow you to view a maximum of 10, 20, 30, 50, or 100 items per page within the Portal and Dashboard. (See: Change your Default Page Size in the SmartVault Portal for more information).

The language within the default Email Templates has been updated and the emails include a link to a short training video for end clients on how to use the Client Portal when appropriate.

The Default Email Templates that were updated are: User Activation, Send Link, Client Organizer, Client Organizer Reminder, Tax Return, Tax Return Reminder, Financial Statement, Financial Statement Reminder.

SmartVault Release Notes for July 2016

July 2016 SmartVault Service Updates

Release Date: July 20th, 2016

The following changes were made in the SmartVault Portal:

Performance improvement of load time of the client details page when editing a client.

For customers with a large number of clients in SmartVault, the Dashboard was taking up to six minutes to load the client details. After various improvements on the server side, it takes significantly less time to load client details.

SmartVault Release Notes for May 2016

May 2016 SmartVault Service Updates

Release Date: May 18th, 2016

The following changes were made in the SmartVault Portal:

Navigation performance within the SmartVault Portal has been improved. SmartVault accounts with thousands of client vaults will now load much more quickly.

The following changes were made in the SmartVault Launchpad:

Fix Print Driver Configuration tool was added. Used to repair SmartVault PDF Print Drivers that may have become corrupted or are missing following an upgrade to Windows 10.

SmartVault Release Notes for March 2016

March 2016 SmartVault Service Updates

Release Date: March 26th, 2016

The following changes were made in the SmartVault portal:

On the SmartVault sign in page, the phrase “Having trouble signing in?” has been changed to ‘Reset Password”.
When sending tax returns to clients in bulk from the ‘Send to Clients’ in the portal, the ending year in the default filter was changed from 2016 to 2015. This way, only clients’ TY15 engagements will appear by default. On November 1st, the year for the “current tax year” will change from 2015 to 2016.
After manually adding a new client in the Dashboard, the portal now stays on the new client record, rather than returning to client list. This makes it easier to perform other tasks on the newly-added client, such as inviting the client to use the SmartVault portal, assigning an employee, or adding a tax engagement.
When signing up or activating a new a SmartVault user, SmartVault now sets the default value of user’s time zone to the current time zone in user’s web browser.

The following changes were made in the Connected Desktop:

When sending a link using your default email application (e.g., Outlook), SmartVault now populates the To: and CC: fields in your mail application with client email addresses from SmartVault.
Protection from accidentally sending unencrypted documents as email attachments: When sending documents as attachments, the default has been changed to encrypting PDF files by default, and a warning will appear if you attempt to send unencrypted documents as attachments.
Protection from accidentally copying or moving folders: If you attempt to copy or move an entire folder, a confirmation dialog will appear.
Easier way to go directly to a folder or file in the SmartVault portal: There is now a new right-click option for folder and files to open the folder or file in the portal.

Following bugs were fixed in this release:

Some PDF readers were able to open PDF files that were sent as encrypted attachments from SmartVault, but were not able to print the file. This has been fixed.
In the Windows Desktop Software, user settings were taking too long to load. This performance has been improved.

SmartVault Release Notes for February, 2016

February 2016 SmartVault Service Updates

Release Date: February 17, 2016

The following bugs were fixed with this release:

We’ve fixed an issue where the page was not being refreshed when an employee was assigned to a client in the Dashboard.
We’ve corrected an issue where files could not be uploaded via the SmartVault Print Driver when focus was on the Issues tab in the Connected Desktop.
We’ve fixed a defect in the Activity Log where the removal of a user from an administrator or vault group was resulting in incorrectly showing as being added.
We’ve fixed an issue where the creation of client issues in the Connected Desktop would cause an error when certain time zones were selected in My Info.
We’ve made performance improvements for “Collapse All” and “Expand By Year” in the Connected Desktop.