Informant offers multiple editions and each edition includes its own different features and tools. Some of these features are automatically enabled upon upgrading, while others may need additional configuration before they can be used.


Depending on the edition you are upgrading to, you can review this article and relay this to your IT department to see what will need to be done on your end to ensure everything is working properly.


How to proceed


What you'll need to know and what additional steps you or your IT may need to perform will depend on which edition you've upgraded to:



After upgrading to Enhanced


After upgrading to the Enhanced edition, you will receive:


  • MediaPlus: Add an unlimited amount of attachments to any record in Informant.
  • Forms Manager (PA customers): Generate PA Search Warrants and Non-Traffic Citation Forms.
  • NIBRS (PA, MA, and FL customers): Submit NIBRS data to the state using the NIBRS tool in Informant.


MediaPlus will automatically be enabled after your license is updated.


If you are in Pennsylvania, the Forms Manager will also be enabled, but it will have a permission that needs to be enabled before a user can access the Forms Manager. An administrator can go to Administration > Update > User Groups > Forms Manager to enable the permissions for the desired user group.


NIBRS is available in this edition if you are in Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, or Florida, but will be turned off by default after upgrading. We typically turn this feature on when your agency decides they want to begin transitioning to NIBRS and get certified by the state. When your agency contacts the state and begins the certification, you can contact us and we will enable the NIBRS feature for you.


For more information about the NIBRS certification, you can view our NIBRS articles here: Transitioning to NIBRS


After upgrading to Elite


The features included in Elite and higher may require your IT department's assistance, as the Informant support team will need to be connected onto your Informant server.


After upgrading to the Elite edition, you will get everything in Enhanced as well as:


  • OnPatrol: Informant's remote access software, allowing users to access Informant from a vehicle or from another location outside of the department.
  • LEJIS Interface (PA customers): Integrate with LEJIS, the statewide data sharing system, by searching records shared by other participating agencies.
  • E-Citation Interface (PA customers): Writing a traffic or non-traffic citation in TraCS will also import those citations into Informant.


OnPatrol will require additional configuration before users can remotely access Informant. Specifically, our department will need a public static IP address assigned to your router by your ISP and your IT will need to configure a port forwarding rule in your department's router and/or firewall for port 11000. More information can be found in this article: Setting up port forwarding rules for the OnPatrol server


The LEJIS Interface, which is available in this edition for agencies in Pennsylvania, requires a LEJIS certificate and have it installed on the server computer. The Informant support team can assist with the installation, but your IT or someone from the department will need to email SAIC to request a valid certificate, and you or your IT will then need to install this certificate on your Informant server. 


A JNET User ID will also need to be entered in a participating user's User Account for users that will be performing LEJIS searches in Informant. This will require these users to have a valid JNET User ID with permissions to search LEJIS, which can be acquired through JNET if needed.


Instructions on how to get a certificate can be found here: How to get and install a LEJIS certificate


The E-Citation Interface which integrates with the TraCS "TraCS-to-local" (TTL) program in Pennsylvania, is a two-step process. The Informant support team will configure the E-Citation Interface settings on the server and create the folder where citations will be importing into. Once that step is completed, someone from the department will need to contact the TraCS support team to configure the transfer of exported records from TraCS into the designated folder. The Informant support representative will provide more details when they connect for the initial setup.


After upgrading to Enterprise


After upgrading to the Enterprise edition, you will get everything in Enhanced and Elite, as well as:


  • Dispatch Monitor: An interface that tracks incoming calls and monitors officer dispatch activity.
  • Evidence Manager: A comprehensive evidence tool that tracks property record information within the system. Can be used alongside a barcode scanner and label printer for easier tracking.


Dispatch Monitor will be automatically enabled after your license is updated. There are permissions that can be reviewed that controls what a user can or can't do.


Evidence Manager will be automatically enabled after your license is updated. It will use your current storage locations in Informant. If this has not been set up, you or an administrator can go to Administration > Setup > Storage Locations and configure your department's storage locations.