Guided Update Services (GUS)
A comprehensive overview of the purpose, services, training, pricing, promotions and important customer considerations.
Order it on ABELDent Marketplace Here| DESIGNED FOR ABELDent v14 or earlier | TRANSITION Update to v15 and Upgrade to ABELDent Cloud | DEPLOYMENT PATHS ABELDent Cloud |
Publication note
Pricing, promotional credits, monthly service fees, and Microsoft product support statements can change. The amounts and conditions in this document reflect the linked source document and should be verified before external publication or quotation.
Summary
Guided Update Services (GUS) is ABELDent’s structured program for helping practices using ABELDent v14 or earlier prepare to update to v15 and then upgrade to ABELDent Cloud. It combines your needs assessment, project coordination, database services, guided learning in a cloud sandbox environment with a copy of your actual practice data, implementation support, and post-update guidance into a single program.
The program is intended to reduce disruption and update risk by helping staff learn the new version and prepare for the update before going live. Because ABELDent v15 builds on workflows and design concepts already familiar to pre-v15 users, the transition is a modernization of the practice’s existing system rather than an entirely unfamiliar platform that would require extensive training.
Jump to:
1. Purpose of GUS
- Prepare the dental team for a smooth transition to use v15 confidently and proficiently before the production update.
- Coordinate the technical, operational, and training activities required for a successful transition.
- Minimize staff downtime during the update process.
- Help modernize security, workflows, and supported technologies.
- Prepare the practice for ABELDent Cloud, Patient and Cloud Services (PCS), AI-enabled features and future enhancements.
2. Who GUS is for
GUS is designed for teams using ABELDent v14 or earlier that are preparing to update to ABELDent v15. The program supports practices updating to v15, upgrading to ABELDent Cloud, and experiencing ABELDent Cloud for one month at no additional charge, and downgrading to ABELDent Local Plus only if necessary.
3. What is included
| Service area | Included support |
|---|---|
| Assessment and planning | Needs analysis, pre-implementation assessment, update planning and coordinated project management. |
| Database readiness | Database update and integrity verification. |
| Learning Management System | Comprehensive video-based training is delivered through ABELDent LMS. |
| Practice environment | Access to a cloud sandbox containing v15 and a copy of the practice’s actual data. |
| Flexible access | Access to the LMS and sandbox environments from existing office computers. Office or access from home computers supports self-paced learning without additional devices. |
| Instructor-supported learning | Access to live and recorded ABELDent group training webinars, plus unlimited online training leading up to go-live. |
| Security configuration | Security and user credential setup. |
| Workflow preparation | Preparation for paperless and chartless workflows. |
| Implementation | Cloud implementation services where applicable. |
| Go-live support | Go-live assistance and post-update guidance. |
| Cloud introduction | One month of free ABELDent Cloud usage, including PCS, RMS, R&A, and any available AI functionalities after go-live. |
4. Training and transition approach
Learn the new environment
Use video-based Learning Management System content and group webinars to understand ABELDent v15.
Master ABELDent using sandbox with clinic data
Use the cloud sandbox loaded with v15 and a copy of the clinic’s actual data.
Prepare operations
Configure and set up workflows for your practice.
Go live with support
Complete the update with implementation help, go-live assistance, and follow-up guidance.
5. Benefits to the practice
- Reduces update risk through expert planning, validation, and preparation.
- Saves staff and IT time by drawing on ABELDent specialists.
- Allows the team to train in advance and use a copy of its own clinic data.
- Improves protection against evolving cybersecurity threats through modernization and supported technologies.
- Minimizes disruption to daily operations and patient care.
- Provides structured learning resources that support faster adoption.
- Creates a supported path from planning through go-live and beyond.
- Bundles services that may cost significantly more if purchased separately.
6. Pricing and current promotional offer
| List price | Special offer | Potential learning credit Up to Go-Live Date |
|---|---|---|
| $4,000 | $2,500 + taxes | Up to $1,000 Net price $1,500 |
Offer structure: GUS is available at a one-time special offer price of $2,500 plus taxes, compared to the $4,000 list price. A practice can earn up to $1,000 in credit by having at least five team members complete a self-directed learning program in the ABELDent Learning Management System.
7. ABELDent Cloud ongoing fees and usage charges
| Scenario | Fees |
|---|---|
| Existing ABELDent Portal users | Ongoing fees remain unchanged. Once you upgrade to ABELDent Cloud, we do not recommend returning to Local Plus because doing so would reintroduce greater cybersecurity risks, server hardware and SQL licensing costs, and additional complexity in supporting cloud-based patient communications with locally hosted data. |
| Non-portal users | $150 per month increase for Patient & Cloud Services (PCS). PCS is a fully integrated platform that includes patient communication features, AI capabilities such as ABELDent Scribe, and many more features coming soon. Once you upgrade to ABELDent Cloud, we do not recommend downgrading to Local Plus, as doing so would mean losing these integrated capabilities while reintroducing the cybersecurity risks and costs associated with maintaining a local database and providing third-party access to it. Where third-party patient communication software is required, access can be provided to ABELDent-certified third-party vendors. |
| Text messaging | 10,000 monthly text messages available for $50/month or, optionally, text messages billed monthly at a rate of 1 cent per 160 characters. |
8. Important SQL licensing considerations
Microsoft support for SQL Server 2016 ended on July 14, 2026. Customers continuing to use a local ABELDent server therefore need supported SQL licenses for the server and every workstation that accesses the local SQL Server database or move to ABELDent Cloud to eliminate the additional cost.
Microsoft’s list price is approximately $1,350 for the SQL Server license, plus $315 per Client Access License (CAL). By comparison, ABELDent’s regular price is $260 per SQL Server/CAL license, representing substantial savings for our customers.
Customers moving to ABELDent Cloud can significantly reduce or eliminate this cost:
- Upgrading to ABELDent Cloud as soon as scheduling permits: 100% discount
Customers who purchase Guided Update Services (GUS) and are ready to upgrade to ABELDent Cloud at the earliest available opportunity do not need to purchase the SQL Server 2025 license updates. If the Cloud upgrade must be delayed because of ABELDent’s upgrade scheduling capacity, ABELDent will provide access to a supported version of SQL Server software at no charge during the interim period, provided the customer remains ready to proceed promptly when an upgrade date becomes available.
- Upgrading to ABELDent Cloud later: 50% discount
Customers who purchase GUS and intend to upgrade to ABELDent Cloud but choose to schedule their upgrade for a later date receive a 50% discount on the SQL Server 2025 licenses required in the interim.
- Continue to stay on a local server-based system: regular price
Additional ABELDent workstation pricing
For customers remaining on a pre-v15 version, the current cost of adding a workstation is:
- $500 per additional ABELDent workstation license
- $260 per SQL Server 2025 license
- $15 per month in additional maintenance and support
For customers upgrading to v15 and immediately to ABELDent Cloud, additional workstations are only $20 per workstation per month, with no upfront license cost.
This makes upgrading to ABELDent Cloud not only the simplest way to avoid the cost and complexity of maintaining local SQL Server licensing, but also a more predictable approach to adding workstations as your practice grows.
9. Frequently asked questions
Updated on an ongoing basis
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Is GUS just a software installation? | No. GUS is a broader program that combines assessment, project management, database work, training, sandbox environments, configuration, implementation support, and post-update guidance. |
| Can staff train before go-live? | Yes. Staff receive access to a Learning Management System (LMS), recorded and live webinars, and a v15 sandbox environment so they can learn and practice before the production transition. |
| Will the practice train with its own data? | Yes. The Guided Update Services program includes an updated cloud sandbox containing a copy of the practice’s actual data. |
| Does GUS support both Cloud and Local Plus? | Yes. GUS supports updating to v15 and upgrading to ABELDent Cloud. As detailed in Section 8 above, downgrading to ABELDent Local Plus is not recommended. |
| Is there support after the update? | Yes. Go-live assistance and post-update guidance are included. |
| What is the current price? | $2,500 plus taxes as a one-time special-offer fee, compared with a $4,000 list price. A credit of up to $1,000 may be earned through qualifying self-directed learning. |
| Is one month of ABELDent Cloud included? | One month of free ABELDent Cloud usage, including PCS, is included after go-live. |
10. Closing Summary
ABELDent Guided Update Services gives your practice a structured, supported path to ABELDent v15. Your team can learn before go-live through video-based training, webinars, and a cloud sandbox environment that includes a copy of your clinic data. ABELDent specialists coordinate planning, database preparation, security setup, workflow readiness, implementation, and go-live support to help reduce risk and minimize disruption to patient care.
The special-offer price is $2,500 plus taxes as a one-time fee, compared with a $4,000 list price. Practices may also qualify for a credit of up to $1,000 by undertaking self-directed learning for at least five team members.
