Frequently asked questions
Where is our project data kept?
Where you choose: locally on each computer, in your own PostgreSQL database reached over your VPN, or in SharePoint lists on your own Microsoft 365 site. Your project data is never sent to Orbelle.
Do we need Forecast, Jira or SharePoint?
No. All three are optional. Orbelle reads projects, phases, tasks and team members from Forecast, and issues, releases and epics from Jira. A new Jira issue can be raised from a record when you ask. SharePoint is one of two ways to share a register; the other is your own database.
Does it work without a network connection?
Yes. With a shared register, work carries on locally when the connection drops and is sent when it comes back. If two people change the same record, their changes are combined field by field. Orbelle also runs on networks with no internet access at all. Orbelle Offline, a separate installer for those sites, never contacts the internet, and updates come as a signed file brought in on approved media.
Can it hold classified information?
Orbelle can show a protective marking, such as OFFICIAL: Sensitive or PROTECTED, at the top of the app and in every Word and Excel export. Whether a system may hold information at a given classification is decided by your organisation’s security assessment. The security overview gives your IT team what they need to start one.
What devices does it run on?
Orbelle runs on current versions of macOS (Apple silicon and Intel) and on Windows 10 and 11. A hosted edition that runs in the browser is in development.
How do updates work?
Orbelle checks for updates when it opens and every six hours, and installs only updates signed by Orbelle. Projects and settings are kept, and nobody needs to uninstall or reinstall. On a site with no internet connection, each update is also available as a signed file with release notes and SHA-256 checksums, installed from Data and settings with the same signature check.
Can we bring in what we already have?
Yes. Registers kept in Excel or CSV can be imported into a project. Orbelle matches each sheet to a register and each column to a field, shows what will be added or updated, and changes nothing until you confirm. Importing the same spreadsheet again updates the records rather than adding them twice. Projects and their teams can also be brought in from Forecast. Forecast tasks and Jira issues labelled as risks, issues, actions and so on are offered for review before they are added.
What happens when a licence ends?
Orbelle becomes read-only. Everything stays visible and can still be exported to Word, Excel or a backup file, so nothing is ever locked away.