• Computer Problems Delay Online Filing for 99¢. Articles of Organization now ‘filable’ online for 99¢ Online filing of most business organization documents for he introductory processing fee of 99¢ has necessarily been delayed due to computer problems. Currently, annual reports, and now articles of organization for a limited liability company, may be filed online for 99¢. For more information, please refer below.
• Call Center and Help Desk Overwhelmed. Callers and email inquirers are experiencing long delays. For more information, please refer below.
• Expedited Services Curtailed. Until further notice, a request for expedited service will be fulfilled, if possible, within 72 hours of receipt of the request. For more information, please refer below.

99¢ Online Filing of Most Business Organization Documents Delayed

For 2 years, the Business Division has planned, developed, tested and eagerly anticipated deployment all-new business organization document management systems, processes and procedures. These new systems were required to accommodate the numerous changes in business organization laws that had been passed but were waiting to become effective July 1, 2004. As a part of the Business Division's conversion to its new systems, we had planned to enable Web-based online delivery of a dozen or so of the most frequently filed business organization documents (annual report, reservation of name, articles of incorporation, articles of organization, etc.) plus the newly liberalized articles of reinstatement, all with an introductory processing fee of 99¢.

However, extremely untimely computer problems (see below) forced an emergency reallocation of resources and interrupted our intensive, final testing and ‘tweaking’ of the new systems. Because the Department’s data center remains in a disaster recovery mode, with some key hardware that supports the new system still operating below full capacity and ‘at risk’, and in light of our hampered testing and final development efforts, we made the disappointing but more conservative decision to delay the enabling of online filing of the dozen transactions other than annual reports. At this time, online filing is available but is temporarily limited to annual reports, and now articles of organization for a limited liability company, which may be filed online for 99¢.

More Online Filing ASAP;
Interim Preparation of Mandatory Forms/Coversheets on Paper; Fees

We remain firmly committed to the release of additional online business organization document filing transactions as soon as we are satisfied that the Department’s data center will not be jeopardized by the additional demands on it that will attend expanded online filing opportunities. Please visit our Web site regularly for updates. Until online filing of a document is enabled, the document must be prepared and delivered for filing on paper and the paper processing fee will apply. Forms/cover sheets are mandatory. We recommend that these paper documents be prepared by visiting our homepage and clicking on “File a business document (Take me to forms)” under “Business Information”. This approach offers a pdf-fillable document which the new system then checks for compliance with filing requirements, reducing the risk of rejection. Alternatively, you may select “Forms List” under “General Information” which also offers a pdf-fillable document; however, this approach does not permit the system to ‘vet’ the document. If the system is unavailable or unacceptably slow in responding, you may obtain any mandatory form/cover sheet by calling our fax back service at 303 860 6975. This service will fax the requested form/cover sheet to you but you must prepare the document using a typewriter. If you have established a “prepaid account” with the Secretary of State's Office, you may deliver your completed paper document to the Secretary of State for filing via fax.

Call Center and Help Desk Overwhelmed

Additionally, at this time, we are experiencing an overwhelming demand on the Division's Call Center and Help Desk, which provide primary telephone and email reception for the Business Division. The vast majority of these inquiries are about the degraded quality of our services resulting from our computer problems. We regret and apologize for the long delays that some callers and emailers are encountering. For the near term, if at all possible, please limit telephone calls and emails to us so that we may concentrate on fixing the glitches that are the subject of most inquiries. We will publish updated information about our services here.

New System Glitches; ‘Slowness’ of Web Site

As should be expected with the implementation of any new computer system, and especially after taking into account the extraordinarily deleterious and lingering effects of our computer problems , we are experiencing some growing pains and glitches. For example, we are aware that our online applications were responding unacceptably slowly. We have taken a number of steps to rectify this problem and the Division’s homepage appears to be responding more quickly. Nevertheless, if possible, we recommend that you access our online services during non-peak demand hours (very early or late). Other glitches have been identified and resolved and a few solutions are still in progress. If you encounter an error message or any other unexpected event while using our homepage, please report it to us, preferably by email to email:sos.business@sos.state.co.us.

Expedited Services Curtailed

As a result of the many problems our constituents are encountering with our degraded services, we are experiencing an overwhelming number of requests for expedited services, especially expedited document filing. We are simply unable to deliver expedited filing service on a “while you wait” basis, as many of our users have come to expect and regrettably we must ask for more time to respond. Until further notice, we will make every effort to fulfill a request for expedited service within 72 hours of receipt of the request. Requests must be made in writing, clearly stating any pertinent information. Filers should check our homepage, preferable during low peak hours, to confirm whether a document has been filed and to obtain a copy and a certificate of good standing, if applicable. If these curtailed services cause undue hardship, please contact us.

Computer Systems Catastrophe

As you are probably aware, beginning on June 10th, the Business Division of the Secretary of State’s Office was impacted by unforeseeable, Department-wide, catastrophic and persistent problems with its computer systems. These unprecedented problems denied us reliable access to our mission-critical programs and databases for over three weeks. The Division’s Web-based online services were among the afflicted systems and applications, causing considerable inconvenience, and in some cases very real hardship, for those of our constituents who have come to depend on these services. To those users, we again offer our very sincere apologies.

Disaster Recovery

As of July 2nd, the Business Division had recovered to a significant degree from these computer problems and had generally restored all internal and online searching, image accessing and copying, filing and certification functionality. We continue to experience sporadic system failures. Unfortunately, these computer problems preceded and overlapped in part the Division's June 30-July 5 transition to its all-new computer systems and redesigned Web homepage which had been in development for two years and scheduled for launch on July 6. And to the extent these problems persist, they frustrate both our constituents and the Division as it continues to recovery.

New Laws Effective; New System and Web Site Deployed

Because extensive and substantial changes to the laws governing business entities became effective on July 1, it was imperative that we make the long-planned corresponding changes to our policies, processes, procedures and forms and deploy the internal version of our new computer systems, which we did on schedule on July 5. At the same time, we launched the Division's new Web homepage with its totally redesigned 'look and feel' and improved functionality, including online filing service (limited initially to annual reports).

We Apologize!

Once again, we are very sorry for the difficulties that the combined computer problems plus new system glitches are causing our constituents. We ask for and greatly appreciate your continued patience and understanding as we resolve these issues and refine our new applications. We are working diligently to correct all existing problems and to deliver reliable online applications, value and convenience. We are confident that you will be pleased with the end results.

Thank you.

The Business Division

Published on July 16, 2004 at 10:17 AM