What is the nature of the specifications for equipment necessary to operate a Caring Transitions franchise?

r or install the items.

Computer Hardware and Software. You must obtain and use the computer hardware and software complying with specifications that we periodically establish, including hardware components, dedicated telephone lines, modems, printers, and other computer-related accessories and peripheral equipment (the "Computer System"). You will be issued an e-mail account that is capable of receiving and sending attached files. You will need a high-speed Internet connection through a commercial Internet Service Provider (ISP) for purposes of accessing our franchisee intranet site, CTBIDS.com, Seller.CTBIDS.com and the Seller NG Mobile App as well as communicating via email. The Computer System may store some data and information about your clients, finances, and operations based on

information you input. You must be able to open and edit Word® and Excel® documents to use any of our tools and resources. We estimate that the cost for the required Computer System will range from $2,000.00 to $3,000.00. The Computer System currently includes a laptop computer and data management software, mobile device with data plan, and peripherals. All employees of the franchisee must have access to the franchisee Computer System or have devices of equal to greater capacity/capabilities in order to handle functions of the business.

The minimum Computer System requirements include:

• Windows® 7
• 8 GB RAM
• Storage: 500 GB (HD) or 256 GB (SSD)
• Processor: 5th Generation i3 or newer
• a Microsoft Office 365 subscription
• Adobe® PDF reader
• Intuit QuickBooks® Online (you will use this as your accounting software; the data collected will consist of business accounts, expenses, payroll data, and financial statements)

For best Desktop Computer System performance, we recommend:

• Windows® 11
• 16 GB RAM
• Storage: 1 TB (HD) or 512 GB (SSD)
• Processor: 13th Generation or later
• Supported Browsers: Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Safari

For best Mobile Device performance, we recommend, at minimum:

• iOS Products:
• The latest Operating System (currently 16.4 in the U.S.)
• 4 GB RAM
• Storage: 64GB

We will have independent access to information relating to the franchised business that will be generated and stored in your Computer System via the Internet and accounting applications described above. There are no other contractual limits on our right to access the information and data stored on your computer system. You are contractually required to upgrade or update your computer system if we require it during the term of the franchise. There are no contractual limitations on the frequency or cost of any update or upgrade. We are not obligated to provide or assist you in obtaining the computer system, although we will provide you with the name of one or more vendors from whom you may purchase the equipment.

We recommend that you obtain local Information Technology ("IT") support for the operation and continued maintenance of the hardware, software and network configurations to support the franchised business.

Source: Item 11 — FRANCHISOR'S ASSISTANCE, ADVERTISING, COMPUTER SYSTEMS AND TRAINING (FDD pages 22–29)