Multi-clinic deployments
If your group runs two or more practice locations on OpenDental, this page covers the licence model, the recommended topology, what's isolated between clinics, and how to organise a single group purchase.
On this page
The licence-per-location model
iDentiCal Sync is licensed per practice location, where a location is one physical practice address. A single licence permits installation on any number of computers within that location and covers up to five sync targets there. If your group runs three sites — say, Newcastle, Gateshead, and Sunderland — that's three locations, each with its own £249.99 licence.
The rationale is operational, not commercial. Each OpenDental instance is its own database; each location's calendars belong to a different set of clinicians; the failure modes don't cross over. Pricing per location reflects the actual installation: each site runs an independent iDentiCal Sync service on its own server.
Recommended topology
For each location, install iDentiCal on the same machine that runs the OpenDental server. That machine usually:
- Already has the MySQL service iDentiCal needs to read from, on
localhost:3306. - Is on 24/7 anyway (because OpenDental users need it during clinic hours and you back it up overnight).
- Has outbound HTTPS to
googleapis.comavailable.
assets/docs/multi-clinic-topology.png
There is intentionally no central iDentiCal hub. Each location's installation is self-contained. This keeps the data-protection footprint small (no central system to compromise), removes a single point of failure, and means a network outage at one clinic doesn't stop the others syncing.
What's isolated between clinics
Because each location runs its own iDentiCal Sync:
- Each location has its own OAuth tokens, stored only on that location's server (encrypted with Windows DPAPI).
- Each location's clinic configuration is encrypted with a key derived on that location's machine — copying the config file to another machine doesn't decrypt.
- A failed sync at one location does not affect the others.
- Each location has its own log file, stored locally only.
When to consolidate vs separate
If you have one OpenDental instance serving several physical sites (some larger groups do this with a remote-desktop setup or a shared database), the licensing question is more nuanced. The terms tie a licence to a Location, so the simple rule is:
- One OpenDental instance, one physical practice address. One licence is fine. The five-target cap applies; if the practice has more than five providers, see the cap section.
- One OpenDental instance, multiple physical addresses. Best to treat as separate locations — one licence per address — because UK GDPR and your DPIA naturally treat each clinic as a separate processing context.
- Multiple OpenDental instances, multiple addresses. Definitely one licence per address.
If you're uncertain, write to sales@identicalsync.com with a short description of how you run your sites — we'll confirm the right arrangement before you buy anything.
Group discounts
From three or more locations bought together, group pricing applies. The table is a rough guide; bespoke arrangements are available for larger groups and corporate practices.
| Locations | Standard total | Group total (typical) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | £249.99 | £249.99 |
| 2 | £499.98 | £499.98 |
| 3 | £749.97 | ~£675 |
| 5 | £1,249.95 | ~£1,062 |
| 10+ | £2,499.90+ | Bespoke |
The Support & Updates Plan (£49.99/year per location) follows the same pattern: discount kicks in at three locations on a single renewal cycle.
Operating across locations
Day-to-day, each location is independent. The practice manager or IT contact at each clinic uses the local tray app to check status, view logs, and add or remove sync targets. There's no group dashboard — that's deliberate, and it's the right answer for the size of system we're talking about. If you genuinely need a unified group view of sync health, two options:
- Email digest: the Support & Updates Plan includes a weekly health summary by email per location. Forward all of them to one practice administrator.
- Status page: each location's iDentiCal service exposes a local HTTP status endpoint your IT team can poll. Documented under logs & troubleshooting.
How to arrange a group purchase
Email sales@identicalsync.com with:
- Number of locations and their addresses.
- Whether each location runs its own OpenDental instance or shares one.
- Whether you want all locations on the Support & Updates Plan from day one.
- A billing contact (name and email) — invoices are issued per group, not per location, for group orders.
We'll usually reply within one UK working day with a quote, a single invoice, and licence keys for each location.