Tech.Selling

Ten Things to Love About Nimble Social CRM

2012-03-01T11:08:00.001-06:00

Hovering over any of the
social network icons takes
you to your contact's profile,
giving you an instant update of
their background and recent posts.

Nimble delivers a new approach to managing your contacts, relationships, communication and time.

A new approach to CRM that includes the social stream, that means you see what your customer looks like and know all about info they post.
It's easy to use... no really. It kind of thinks for you.
Nimble automatically imports and updates all your connections from FaceBook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, Google+, CSV files and more.
Nimble automatically searches Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+ and Twitter for matching profiles for every contact
Nimble makes it easy to email or tweet your contacts, friends and associates.
Nimble automatically builds a history and stores all your communications and completed activities with each contacts' information.
Nimble creates Company and Contact records and connects people to companies automatically.
Works with PC, Mac, iPads and virtually all browsers.
No software to install or maintain no hardware requirements
Very low cost of entry

For more info on Nimble visit our website www.techsell.net/nimble

If you'd like to forgoe the visit to our website just click here and get started with Nimble!

Need to stay on top of LinkedIn. And everything else? Nimble

2012-02-18T22:48:00.000-06:00

It seems more folks are diving into LinkedIn these days. But how do you stay on top of all the connections? I'm pretty excited about Nimble, the new social CRM program.
It's got everything you need in a crm system plus live connections to all your social streams.
Try it for free here
Learn more here www.techsell.net/nimble
Or search nimble on this blog for details.

What's new in Nimble 2.0

2012-02-14T12:34:00.002-06:00

Nimble, the new and amazing CRM platform that brings the world of social networking to contact management has gone live with Nimble 2.0.
Check out the attached link to see what's new. Or Click

The Nimble Difference - A New World of CRM

2012-02-14T11:16:00.002-06:00

I'd like to share a great example of how Nimble will make a huge difference in Customer Relationship Management in the months ahead.
Yesterday I visited my assigned financial advisor for a major on line brokerage. Near the end of our hour long session, he asked me what I did for a living? I explained I was in the CRM consulting business.
He said "Oh we use SalesForce". I asked how he liked it and he said "well it's probably better for commercial accounts and since I deal with individuals it's not of much value. I'm supposed to track the sales process but I don't know if that applies to my clients".
The light bulb went on. I said, "Gee, we sell a new program called Nimble." If you had been using it, you would have known what I did, where I went to school, my job history, seen my picture, and even known that my puppy had done a bang up job at puppy class this weekend!"
Why? Because with Nimble, you put in a client name and email address, and it goes out and finds all the social streams; LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and Google+. It imports the contact and links to the streams and when you visit the client record it tells you what's on their mind. THAT IS HUGE!! That is what Customer Information is about. Do you see the difference between all that out of date stodgy "database" stuff and a real time social stream? It's big!
Ok, I'll settle down. This is a very cool program. Everyday I find several clients that I learn new info about. When I mention where they went to school, or some common interest it breaks down walls... and that helps build relationships.
I know the social stream is still a bit of a business mystery, kind of like we hear the train coming but we don't know what to do about it. BUT, Nimble is a great way to change and learn about our clients.
It's also cheap. The single user Personal Edition is free. Nimble Business is $15.00 per month per user. For that you get a shared database and a great CRM system that includes shared calendars, client info, history, email linked to the record, integration with Google Apps, MailChimp and more. Check it out or sign up now.

10 Must have apps for the road warrior

2012-01-18T06:06:00.001-06:00

CNBC.com Article: Top Apps for Road Warriors

Today's business traveler has plenty of essential tools, but none is more critical than the mobile phone. Once just a tool for communication, these devices began to morph into mobile offices over a dozen years ago with the introduction of the first Blackberry.

Full Story:
http://www.cnbc.com/id/45943762

Nimble Social CRM Announces Pricing

2012-01-10T08:57:00.002-06:00

Nimble the amazing CRM program that automatically connects all your social streams to keep you in the loop on all your contacts has announces pricing for the new multi-user "Business Edition".
The new, team oriented, version connects you and your associates to all your customers and prospects social streams from LinkedIn, Google+, FaceBook, and Twitter. Updates are received automatically and can be filtered and acted upon directly form the program.
Nimble support and syncs with individual and group calendars and syncs with Google Calendar. The included email messaging supports IMAP mail systems including GMail. In short it's an amazingly current tool that every company can use. Whether you already have a CRM system in place or not, Nimble opens the door to what's happening in the lives of your contacts.

There will initially be two offerings; Nimble Personal which will remain FREE. Personal is designed for individual users. Nimble Business will support unlimited users for only $15 per user per month.
Getting started is very easy. There are 7 instant wizards that walk you through importing contacts, connecting to your networks, and importing contacts from CSV or other file sources.
To learn more about Nimble or to try it today click here! Or if you have other questions call Tech.Sell, an authorized Nimble Partner at 847-382-4500.https://reg.nimble.com/#register?type=business_trial&lead_source=partner&lead_source_id=Techsell

GoldMine Releases Premium Edition 9.0.3

2012-01-04T10:28:00.002-06:00

GoldMine has released version 9.0.3.39. This update has two major enhancements. First it allows the use of the new GoldMine Mobile for iPad and iPhone.

Screen shot of GoldMine Mobile on iPhone

The second enhancement is a significant improvement in the Outlook integration. Customers are reporting a significant speed improvement when linking Outlook emails to GoldMine history. For more information contact us at 847-382-4500 or drop us an email.

Nimble Daily -Keeps you on top of your social stream and calendar

2012-01-04T08:55:00.001-06:00

Need a quick and easy way to keep track of your day and your social stream?

Nimble, the on-line contact manager now delivers a daily update of updates to your LinkedIn, Facebook, Google+ and Twitter contacts. It also delivers your daily calendar, which of course syncs with your Gmail calendar.

Try Nimble today

Android and iPhone Now Sync with RedHorse CRM

2012-01-03T12:48:00.000-06:00

Road warriors and other remote users will be freed of their laptop computers with Release v4.2 of RedHorse CRM. Answer an email or reschedule a meeting from the office or the mobile device (Android, iPhone, iPod, or iPad), and that action is reflected in both places. This eliminates double handling. The increase in efficiency allows remote users to be effective where the action is, rather than spending time in the office. One user of the system says the it is, "Frankly, addictive," and cannot imagine going back to what they had to do in the past.

Email PDF Print

La Quinta, CA (PRWEB) January 03, 2012

RedHorse CRM has gone mobile.

Updated RedHorse CRM and calendar information is now instantly available to remote users via their Android cell phone or other mobile platform, and they in turn, can update the home office using the mobile connection with their Gmail account. With the newest release of v4.2, RedHorse CRM allows automatic sync using capabilities built in to the android phones, and other mobile platforms designed to sync natively with Google, such as iPhone, iPod, and iPad.

“Be in charge, even when you are out of the office,” said Connie Koch, founder. “Now, you can monitor your business at the same time you check the pulse of your customers with in-person visits. The sync feature frees the business traveler from cumbersome laptops, putting essential company resources at their fingertips wherever they are, not just at WiFi locations.”

Android users need only sign up for a Gmail account to take advantage of the mobile feature. Nothing further than sign-up is necessary. Other mobile devices might require additional setup.

REDHORSE CRM CELL USER EXPERIENCE

Randy Tucker of Team Automation, a RedHorse Value Added Reseller (VAR), was even more emphatic. “If prospective buyers of RedHorse CRM want to free themselves from their desk and desktop, they can now sync their smart phone to RedHorse. I did, and my productivity has soared. I handle email directly on my phone, and I only need to change a scheduled activity one time, instead of the multiple times that I had to before. Wherever that change is made, it shows up on the company’s system, my desktop, and my handheld, automatically.” He added, “It is almost embarrassing, but in a very short time I’ve become an iPad addict.”

To find out more about RedHorse Systems and its products, call Tech.Sell Corp. or visit Tech.Sell's Redhorse Web Site. Tech.Sell provides a complete offering of services for RedHorse CRM. Call us at 847-382-4500.

ABOUT REDHORSE SYSTEMS INC.

RedHorse Systems is the developer of affordable small and medium sized business (SMB) software. RedHorse CRM integrates closely with Microsoft® Outlook®, Intuit® QuickBooks® and Google to create a complete business system which contains within it the abilities to do quoting and proposals, automatic bookings, work tickets, and project management, as well as marketing campaigns which include lead tracking. CRM information can be synced to mobile devices.

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Get More Beef with MasterMine New Video Intro

2011-12-21T15:14:00.000-06:00

Mastermine is one of our Favorite and most powerful add ons to GoldMine.
Open a new world of getting valuable information out instead of just putting data in.

For more info or to register for a personal demo click here of call at 847-382-4500

Four High Productivity GoldMine Add-ons

2011-12-20T14:24:00.003-06:00

Need to get more from GoldMine in 2012?

GoldMine is a powerful CRM solution but it doesn't do everything. How do you get an obvious payback from your GoldMine investment?
Tech.Sell is pleased to present 4 great productivity add ons for 2012.


	If you would like your users to access your GoldMine system live from a web browser of any device, we are pleased to present the latest December 2011 release of wMobile for GoldMine. wMobile delivers a complete GoldMine experience in your favorite web browser for PC, Mac, iPad, iPhone, Blackberry, Android, Windows Mobile or Palm. New in this release, wMobile will also automatically archive all email sent or received from any device into GoldMine.

&
	How long have you wished GoldMine could "talk" to QuickBooks? Well then you have to attend our webinar for GoldBook - the most complete integration between GoldMine and Quickbooks on the market today. Easily convert GoldMine contacts into QuickBooks customers or vendors, synchronize QuickBooks transactions and summary data back into GoldMine. Imagine being able to filter GoldMine contacts based on QuickBooks revenue data... now you can... so come and see it.

The holy grail of sales management is to increase productivity from their sales force. We will show you how you can double telephone sales productivity while increasing both your ability to track calls and your sales staffs morale. DialPad will integrate into your telephone system if it is either supports TAPI or SIP computer telephony standards. DialPad also supports SKYPE for remote users. Call us if you have questions about telephone systems - but don’t miss this opportunity to easily boost your telephone sales productivity.


	This tool delivers all your CRM information on geographical maps. If you want to know where your customers are, where your sales people went on appointments, where your forecasted sales are coming from, where your closest customer or prospects are, how to route the quickest route for a day of cold calling, MapView delivers. Integrating the powerful mapping tools of Microsoft MapPoint to the CRM information in GoldMine, MapView bring your information to life and spurs your creativity to find new ways of making the most of your information.

Call us at 847-382-4500 for info or a demo!

WMobile New Release Brings Major Facelift to iPhone

2011-12-15T14:19:00.000-06:00

W-Systems has release version 2.1 of it's Mobile app for GoldMine.
WMobile delivers dual interfaces as part of the $295 package.
For Smartphone users a great new interface making navigation much easier..

For iPad or remote users who want to log in without installing any software the WMobile desktop gives nearly full GoldMine features as part of the package.

Learn more or call us at 847-382-4500

Wmobile Desktop

GoldMine® Mobile Edition 9.0

2011-12-15T12:20:00.001-06:00

FrontRange has just introduced their new Mobile App for iPhone and iPad. It provides live access to your Goldmine database. No more syncing! Available through Tech.Sell! Call us at 847-382-4500 for details or a demo!

Manage, Maintain, and Improve Customer Relationships

GoldMine® Mobile Edition 9.0 provides mobile users with critical, real-time customer relationship management (CRM) information via their smartphones and tablets. GoldMine Mobile Edition gives you instant access to the latest customer information ensuring you never miss a sales activity or customer service engagement.

Give your sales agents access to their most important sales and service information while they are out of the office traveling on business. GoldMine Mobile Edition 9.0 works with GoldMine® Premium 9.0.3 and runs on the ever popular Apple iOS mobile devices.

GoldMine Mobile Edition 9.0 is a mobile CRM application that allows mobile users to access their critical customer and contact information, forecasted sales, case details, and daily calendaring activities while they are disconnected from the office environment. The easy to use and easy to install mobile application allows mobile agents to continue their customer engagement efforts that help drive better customer relationships and increase customer satisfaction.

Find out more about GoldMine Mobile Edition by downloading the GoldMine Mobile Edition 9.0 product brochure.

Features and Functionality of GoldMine Mobile Edition 9.0

Real-Time Access Anywhere
GoldMine Mobile Edition 9.0 allows instant, wireless access to mobile users using the widely popular Apple iOS mobile device platform.
Rich user interface
GoldMine Mobile Edition 9.0 user interface is designed with the look and feel of a native smartphone application. This UI makes the application easier to learn and use by the mobile users and supports standard touchscreen gestures.
Log contacts and track activities
Attach time-stamped notes of phone conversations, meetings and ideas, as well as view histories and activities for any contact.
Manage revenue-related activities
Help manage and identify forecasted sales, increase sales productivity and drive additional revenue through available mobile sales functionality.
Perform service engagements
Provide service technicians and other field service workers with instant access to customer, case and service activities for them to perform their field based problem to resolution processes.
Manage mobile activities
Actual screen shot from my iPhone

See all of your calls, meetings and to-do entries in the activities list available on the mobile device. In real-time update the activity record and associated CRM data so no information is lost and all teams are kept up to date on any activity performed in the field. SMS reminders ensure no activity is missed while you’re on the road.

Minimum System Requirements

GoldMine® Premium Edition 9.0.3
Apple® iPhone® or iPad®
Microsoft® Windows Server® 2008 R2, Windows Server® 2008, or Windows Server® 2003 R2

Where's the Beef in CRM - Get More From GoldMine

2011-12-13T17:25:00.008-06:00

Companies keep buying or subscribing to CRM software
and wonder why nothing happens to the bottom line.
Kind of like the old Wendy's commercial, "Where's the Beef"?

The CRM "Beef" is not found in the software, it's applying that
software to the critical areas of your business. We, Tech.Sell,
have been helping people get more from GoldMine and other
CRM programs since 1995. In the next few weeks we intend to
provide some good ideas based upon what we've learned in
the last 17 years. We will look at using CRM to:

Implement a simple lead tracking system
Implement and follow a sales process
Utilize reports to measurement sales performance
Segment and target customer and prospect into "Buckets"
Track untouched or neglected customers
Targeted email marketing campaigns
Track customer service issues
Increase customer contact through workflow and 'drip marketing" campaigns
Increase management utilization of the CRM system with management coaching

We will look at some of the highest payback add-on products for GoldMine:

Wmobile Phone and Desktop -Mobile access for phones and tablets with iGoldmine
DialPad - Total outbound call integration with GoldMine
GoldBook - New link between QuickBooks and GoldMine
QuoteWerks - Get your quotes organized and looking great! Quoting tool with GoldMine integration
MasterMine - Powerful reporting on anything in GoldMine using Excel

Oh and last but not least, we'll talk about training. Not Geeky "learn the menus"
training, but profitable, "how to get the beef to sizzle" training. You know, using
the program to build your business stuff. In short we'll be delighted to show you
the CRM "beef". If you can smell it cooking and don't want to wait, visit our
Get More From GoldMine test and we'll respond to your wish list.

QuoteWerks- Greatest thing since...Quoting Software

2011-10-31T11:10:00.000-05:00

Quoting is critical to every company, yet it is one of the most technically forsaken areas of business today. Why? Because in many small to mid-sized companies, quotes are created in Word or Excel.

Sounds OK but, there are some big problems with that method. Quotes can vary in composition, i.e. the terms and conditions may not be correct, logs or company info may be outdated.

These Word or Excel quotes are frequently stored on individual reps computers making retrieval, checking and follow up nearly impossible. So how can you get control of and improve the quoting process? Check out QuoteWerks.

What can QuoteWerks do for your company?

Cut quoting time in half (at least)
Establish a single location for all quotes (no lost quotes)
Deliver a professional image (every time)
Integrate follow up with your contact manager
Sync remote users with the main office
Integrate with QuickBooks
Create PDF and E-mail with a single click!

QuoteWerks fits into your existing environment of software. It works with the software that you store your customer information in like ACT!, ACT! for Web, Autotask, ConnectWise, GoldMine,Maximizer, MS Dynamics CRM, Outlook, Outlook BCM,salesforce.com, SalesLogix, and SugarCRM eliminating the need to re-type customer information. QuoteWerks also has its own built-in contact database.

For more info on QuoteWerks click here! or Call Tech.Sell at 847-382-4500

STOP LEAD LEAK!! With a Selling Machine

2011-09-16T14:14:00.007-05:00

FACT: 87% of all leads are NEVER pursued!

WHY? Because most companies don't have a Lead Tracking System!
Turning a lead into a customer takes NURTURING. On average a typical lead requires 6.7 touches to become a sale, yet 48% of all reps quit after just ONE attempt!

SOLUTION: Tech.Sell's SELLING MACHINES
Tech.Sell turns plain old underutilized CRM systems into SELLING and LEAD TRACKING Machines.

I am amazed at the number of sales opportunities that are literally walked away from or forgotten about. I'm talking about people who want to buy! Quotes that were requested but never followed up on by the seller.
Talk about throwing commissions and income down the drain.
Tech.Sell works with sales teams to implement a SELLING MACHINE. A simple yet powerful system to track every lead for follow up by both the sales rep and the manager. We create a lead tracking and sales process based upon best practices and your input. Your program can include automated follow up calls, drip marketing and reports to measure results in real time.
Our experienced consultants will coach you and go through reports to make sure that the program becomes part of your sales system.

SELLING MACHINES can be built on all versions of GoldMine or our cloud based systems Salesnet and LeadMaster. We also consult on other CRM systems.

What would a 50% improvement in lead conversion rate mean to your bottom line?
Call us at 847-382-4500 to speak to a consultant

Open an Excel Window into your CRM data-MasterMine

2011-08-17T15:17:00.001-05:00

The biggest bridge between a CRM investment and actual bottom line profit is connecting a piece of software to the daily activities of your staff, and plans of your business. Sounds simple but...

No plan no cigar! We see many programs where there is no plan, no user adoption, no measurement, and of course no success.
Do whatever you want! More typical is a system where some people use the CRM and the rest are allowed to skate by and use Outlook. Some users are in the CRM system and others just "do their own thing". There is no measurement, and no success.

The real deal! Then there are those rare systems where they "get it". They buy a system to do something for the business; build sales, track leads to closure, connect the inside and outside teams, increase customer touches, etc. After they install the system, they customize it to fit their business. They train each department until everyone gets it. And then they do something very important. They measure! They measure usage, field activities, sales process, lead tracking, neglected customers, the sales funnel, activity by market type, you name it, they measure it. And those companies are successful.

It's that simple. You need to figure out what the CRM system is supposed to do for you and then measure your progress and it's success in achieving your plan.

So I have now mentioned measurement 5 times and you might be saying so HOW do I measure all these critical success factors.

Well if your CRM system is GoldMine, there is one answer; MasterMine!

Of all the reporting tools available for GoldMine, MasterMine is tops!

It pulls data from any part of GoldMine and uses Microsoft Excel to create pivot tables. (I know that might sound scary) but even I figured out how to do amazing things with the data within a very short time.

You start with over 100 prebuilt templates that will address every business issue I've mentioned so far. You can create charts and graphs, if you are a fan of that sort of thing.

But most importantly you have unlocked the power of CRM by putting the data to work for your company.

Here's a great little video that's worth a watch.

If you have more questions or want to see a demo with your actual GoldMine data call or write us.

Join us for a closer look at MasterMine with creator and Excel Guru Rob Machalek on September 13 at 11:00 CST. Click here to register. You can also learn more at our website.

Take GoldMine on the Road with WMobile New Video!

2011-08-16T14:54:00.000-05:00

Need the power of GoldMine while you are mobile?
Check out WMobile. Now in two views for one great price.
No syncing with your smart phone, actual live connection to your server.
Learn all about WMobile here.

Have more questions? Give us a call at 847-382-4500 or sign in here.

Tech Sell Announces Solution Partnership with Nimble

2011-08-12T12:42:00.002-05:00

Press Release

Tech Sell Announces Solution Partnership with Nimble

New Social Business Platform Nimble Transforms the Way People Manage Relationships

Barrington, IL, August 1st, 2011 – Tech Sell has announced their solution partnership with Nimble. Nimble is a Social Business Platform that combines relationship management and social engagement into an affordable web-based solution. It integrates LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Google, email contacts and conversations into one seamless, intuitive environment, empowering small businesses in today’s socially connected world to attract and retain the right customers.

Created by Jon Ferrara, the founder of GoldMine, a pioneering SFA/CRM product, Nimble is the only solution on the market that integrates the “4 Cs” -- contacts, calendar, communications and collaboration -- to enable professionals to effectively manage the way they see, hear and connect with their company's most important asset: their business contacts.

“The problem today is our contacts and our communications are in too many places,” said Jon Ferrara, CEO of Nimble. “Between IM, text messaging, LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Skype and email, we can't keep track of it all. Trying to manage all of this in eight different tabs on your browser isn't the solution. We created Nimble to solve our own needs and we’re bringing it to the world to help small businesses solve theirs.”

Rick Mignano, founder of Tech Sell states, “We are excited to announce this new solution partnership with Nimble. We are pleased to offer our customers Nimble which unifies email, calendar and social channels in one application. This will allow our customers to easily see all of the communications made with their contacts no matter where the conversations took place.

Nimble is the next evolution in relationship management – a social relationship manager that makes it fun and easy to nurture personal and business relationships.

About Tech Sell

At Tech Sell, our goal is to build systems for your organization that will analyze your customers and opportunities, and help your company be more efficient by examining your current business, sales, marketing, and customer service processes. For more information, please visit our website at www.techsell.net or call us at 847-382-4500. You can also join us socially on Twitter @Techsell1 or on LinkedIn linkedin .com /in /rickmignano.

About Nimble

Nimble was founded in 2009 to help small businesses transform their communities into business opportunities. Nimble opens a whole new channel for businesses to engage customers in two-way dialogue, leveraging the power of traditional CRM and social media with its web-based social business platform, Nimble. Located in Santa Monica, Nimble is in the heart of the Southern California tech community. Please join the conversation on Nimble’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/nimble, LinkedIn and on Twitter @nimble.

Sign up for Nimble Today! It's Free

Improving ROI on your CRM investment

2011-08-09T09:46:00.002-05:00

The following was posted in the LinkedIn Nimble group. In response to measuring the cost of CRM, we listed some of the most "dangerous" thought processes in selecting a CRM system.
A great majority of companies realizing they don't have a customer management system, focus on the wrong things. They look at software or technology issues instead of business issues.
Here is a list of those nice to have tech items that won't impact your bottom line.

Does it link to Outlook?
Can I sync with my calendar on my iPhone?
Can I use it on my ipad?

Focus on these business issues to impact the bottom line.

Track all your leads to closure
Do targeted email campaigns
Measure neglected customers
Increase customer touches
Increase follow up by 100%
Measure field sales activities
Centralize and share all customer information in one shared location
Expand best practices to all users
Eliminate redundant repetitive time wasters.

While were on a roll, here are a few other program killers.

"It costs more than we wanted to spend" Develop a realistic budget with the help of a consultant who's done this before.
"We don't need to customize it. We can worry about that later." If your CRM program doesn't look act and work for YOUR business it won't work at all. Your system should reflect the work and language your people use everyday. Then it becomes a tool to improve productivity.
"Our IT department will manage the system." IT folks have unique skills and a hard job, but they rarely have run a business. Don't ask them to develop sales process, marketing programs, etc. It will not work!
"We don't really need any reports to start with." Without even the simplest measurements of who's using the program, you can not improve the system and many users will ignore it.
"We'll do our own training." Training is critical. It is complete when every one is using the program effectively. Work with a consultant who knows the program and has extensive business experience. Look for a blend of software and process experience.
"Top management expects this to work....but they aren't going to use it." Death!! A CRM system is a the core of customer related information. IT's not just an email client and a calendar. Top management needs to understand and adopt this powerful tool first.

That's for starters. I bet you have some of your own.

Need some help with your program? Tech.Sell has been getting more from GoldMine and other CRM systems for nearly 20 years. Give us a call at 847-382-4500 or stop by our website.

Measuring the cost of CRM

2011-08-04T07:07:00.000-05:00

In a recent LinkedIn discussion the above question was asked. Here was my comment.

Not to digress too far from the questions, but I think the real challenge is focusing on the return on the CRM investment. Whether Cloud or Premise based, we see so many companies who fail to fully implement the potential benefits of the solution. They fail to plan, customize and train on the role the CRM system can play in their organization. Usage requirements are not defined, usage is not mandatory and is not measured. I don't mean to sound negative, but poor implementation is by far the costliest factor in any CRM program. And it happens more times than not.

Need help planning or implementing, or fixing your CRM program give us a call at 847-382-4500. or visit www.techsell.net.

New MacBook Air Has Arrived

2011-07-20T06:08:00.001-05:00

The new Macbook Air is here!

Apple has taken a great little skinny laptop and made it a portable powerhouse.
Pick 11 or 13" screens.
They have full size keyboards and now they are backlit for use in the dark.
Tests have already shown performance scores nearly double the Nov. 2010 initial release thanks to faster Sandy Bridge I3 and I5 processors.Check out the comparison here.
Because of the Solid State hard drives they are amazingly fast and have instant on performance. Thunderbolt port add new high speed potential connections to remote devices. Right now there aren't many to chose from.

I think the new slim and fast airs are probably the best choice of a laptop and keep getting better! If you are debating between an ipad and the MacBook Air for a lightweight traveling companion, I suggest the Air!
See them at your Apple store or apple.com.

Remote Access for GoldMIne - On PC, Mac, iPad or iPhone!!

2011-07-19T13:18:00.003-05:00

With nearly 2 million GoldMine users, and more and more wanting to access their data from anywhere, we get lot's of questions about remote access.
Can I access it on my laptop, on my Mac, on my smartphone? And of course can I use my iPad?
Well with the right additions to your GoldMine CE or preferably Premium systems al of the requests can be met with iGoldmine 9 or WMobile.
IGoldMine provides access to GoldMine CE or PE and up to 18 other programs from any PC or Mac and now even with the iPad with a new App.
Logging into iGoldmine using Windows Server Security brings up a Program Manager window.

Users can select any programs set up as shown above. The programs run in a window on their desktop all their features. Here is GoldMine Premium on a Mac Desktop.

Goldmine PE accessed via Igoldmine on a MAC

Users can print to their local printer, use the clipboard to copy and paste and even save files locally or on the server.
Here is a shot of the actual iPad app for iGoldMine.

Ipad app. Note the A on the top of screen which brings up the keypad.
Holding finger on screen allows user to drape or scroll.

iGoldMine has a one time price of $295 per concurrent user plus annual maintenance and upgrade fee. 5 packs are $995.00 plus maint.

Option 2 is WMobile. WMobile comes with two interfaces; WMobile Phone (for Smartphones with a browser - basically all of them) WMobile Desktop for an in browser experience that looks very similar to the GoldMine Premium desktop.

WMobile Desktop (note the preview window) running in Safari on a Mac

Without installing any software users access customer info, calendar, even the email center.

It's important to note that WMobile is a live connection to your database. all updates on the remote are immediately on the office network and vice versa. Schedule field calls or new leads for the remotes. There is no syncing!!

For access from your iPhone or other SmartPhone, use WMobile Phone. A special streamlined menu makes everything easy, including getting directions to your next stop.

WMobile phone menu includes all GoldMine functions

WMobile Contact record single clicks to get anything done.

For more mobile coolness, you can click a phone number and dial the number, click an email to send an email, even click and address to get direction.

WMobile is $295 one time for both phone and desktop interfaces. There is also a nominal maintenance fee which covers upgrades and support questions.

Learn more about WMobile or IGoldMine at our website. Or shoot me an email and we can chat or let you take a personal look.

Nimble Adds Deal Management!!

2011-07-18T12:56:00.002-05:00

The most anticipated feature is here: Deals!

Nimble's new sales automation tools will enable you and your team to track all business opportunities! Connect team members to deals and sales tasks, anaylze your sales pipelines, assign stages and probabilities to deals, and forecast revenue.

Check out Nimble today! Sign up for your free single user copy. You'll be able to use the trial Team Version for the near future. See how Nimble can make a difference for you and your team!

LeadMaster offers a variety of cloud-computing software solutions:

2011-07-06T08:05:00.000-05:00

LeadMaster offers a variety of cloud-computing software solutions:

Sales Lead Management CRM Software - Everything you need in one easy-to-use online web-based application.
Lead-Xpress - A revolutionary new way for sales reps to receive and update sales leads.
Lead-Xtreme - It’s like caller-ID for your website. Website visitor info flows into LeadMaster CRM in real-time.
LeadMaster Voice - Click to call, power dialing and virtual phone switch integrated with LeadMaster CRM.
Call Center Solutions - Combining LeadMaster solutions provides a complete virtual call center system.

LeadMaster’s on-demand customizable SaaS solutions combine sales lead management software, lead tracking solutions, sales force automation tools (SFA), customer relationship management features (Sales CRM), LeadMaster Voice solutions and virtual call center solutions. This powerful web-based application has helped companies large and small from virtually every industry.

The LeadMaster sales lead management CRM solution is intuitive and easy to use, providing real-time lead capture, lead distribution, lead tracking, lead nurturing, custom reporting and email marketing. LeadMaster makes it easy to qualify and convert leads from virtually any source – landing page, call center, webinar, sales lead suppliers and more.

The LeadMaster sales lead management CRM product is straightforward and easy to learn yet has robust features like workflow automation, round-robin lead distribution, mobile access, CRM analytics and now improved Outlook integration.

Tech.Sell is an authorized LeadMaster Partner. Call us at 847-382-4500 or visit our website.

Take a look at Nimble New Video Tour

2011-06-27T08:50:00.000-05:00

Nimble is the new way to organize and stay on top of all your social connections.
Here is a video tour that shows you how valuable and EASY Nimble can be.

Oh and did I mention that your single user copy is FREE?

A Team version is available and for a limited time you can invite other members of your team to share your Nimble environment.
Check it out! or get your Key Code Here!

NIMBLE IS READY FOR YOU Get Your Social Network in Order

2011-06-23T08:24:00.001-05:00

Introducing Your New Nimble: The Next Evolution in Social Business

We've just announced some major product news, and we wanted to give you a preview of all of the cool updates.

Nimble is Ready!

Nimble for single users is now out of beta and available to the general public with a backend that has been re-tooled for speed. Now you can access all your contacts, events, and social streams in the blink of an eye. We've also added advanced search functions to help you pinpoint specific information.

Nimble for Teams is Here!

Today, Nimble is launching collaboration features that enable your team, department or business to build and nurture trusting relationships. By accessing the multi-user functions in your settings, you can invite team members to join you in practicing Social Business. Easily check any contact and see what is pending, who is going to do it, what has been done, who has done it, and see all of the conversations that have occurred. From there, you can schedule, delegate, and comment on activities, enabling your whole company to work more effectively.

And yet, this is just the beginning...

Coming Soon - Sales and marketing features!

Keep your eyes peeled for our great new sales automation and campaign management tools. Soon you will be able to automatically capture leads off of your website into NImble, put those leads on drip marketing tracks using our new MailChimp integration, and track your top prospects with our new opportunity manager.
Coming Soon - Custom fields
Nimble is getting nimbler. It will soon allow you to add your own fields and customize NImble to your specific profession or industry.
Coming Soon - Open API
Need to extend Nimble to work with your other business applications? No problem. In the coming weeks, NImble will launch an open API that will allow advanced users to extend NImble in any direction they choose!
Find out more
Have a look at our press release, visit our website, or send us a message via Twitter. We look forward to sharing these new features with you! Get your free single user key code today!

Nimble Launches Company-Wide Social Relationship Manager: The Next Evolution in Social Business

2011-06-21T11:59:00.000-05:00

Nimble Launches Company-Wide Social Relationship Manager: The Next Evolution in Social Business

GoldMine Visionary Jon Ferrara Simplifies Social CRM with Nimble

2011-06-17T09:50:00.000-05:00

GoldMine Visionary Jon Ferrara Simplifies Social CRM with Nimble

An informative article on Nimble. Tech.Sell is a Nimble Solution Partner.

Visit our website to sign up for your free single user copy or for more info.

What is the URL?

www.nimble.com

A brief synopsis of the website / application?

Nimble is a Web Based SaaS platform that helps small businesses attract and retain customers by enabling their team to work more effectively together and stay top of mind with their prospects and customers.

Nimble was designed to enable small business to attain the same benefits larger companies have achieved with their CRM strategies without the associated costs and complexities. Nimble CRM combines the power of relationship management, unified conversations/communications, social media tools, and team collaboration under one roof.

Nimble keeps you and your team organized and allows more effective communications between your company and its contacts from one centralized SaaS platform regardless of what they are using: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, IM, text message or email.

Why did you start this company?

Jon Ferrara

I created Nimble after recognizing that the CRM space had become old and stodgy and that no one was adequately leveraging the immense power of social media for business. With the advent of social media, the way we communicate with each other has changed, yet business needs stay the same. Now more than ever before, relationships drive business success — friends, family, classmates, colleagues, partners, prospects, customers, and even complete strangers can positively impact sales in a small business. Those same individuals are talking amongst themselves in countless places on the Web about what companies they like and what products they are going to buy. Traditional relationship building models need to expand to include social channels, and Nimble allows its users to nurture their relationships without having to go to 15 places all at once.

Who is your competition, and what do you do better?

Unlike complex, old-school and expensive Salesforce CRM, Nimble is a modern web app that’s affordable, easy to use, and unifies your entire social world. And Hootsuite is solely a listening platform, while Nimble links the listening and engagement to the contact. In addition, it enables actions based on user-defined triggers. Another one is Gist. Gist is a social add-on to other relationship platforms, while Nimble is a complete relationship platform, unifying contacts, calendar and social listening and engagement.

Why would a small business, entrepreneur, freelancer, etc use your product?

Nimble is a lot of fun and is very simple to use. Its intuitive screens get you up and running easily, and allow you to focus on relevant and critical information. With Nimble, the heavy lifting is done for you. Connect Nimble to any social network, and Nimble will unify all your contacts and empower you to send or receive messages. It also automatically searches social media sites, identifies relevant connections and ranks them in relevance. Once key information is identified, fully integrated collaboration tools allow you to share that information among those who need it most in order to accelerate sales, marketing and support processes.

How could you effectively use these tools?

Nimble was created to help individuals and teams to build better relationships by integrating and unifying all of the points of Contacts and Social Communications. Nimble imports, merges and unifies Contacts, Calendars and Communications, from Google, IMAP, Skype, and social networks like Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter. This enables users to have one place to read/respond to direct and indirect communications, while linking all of that communication to the people they are communicating with.

Nimble unifies the “3 Cs” — contacts, calendars and communication — and empowers its users to leverage online communities, blogs and social media to listen and engage, linking these direct and indirect communications to people’s records. Furthermore, we enable teams to more effectively communicate and collaborate via micro-blogging, which is tied back to the record.

A short bio of your company

I founded Nimble in 2009 to help individuals and teams build better relationships by unifying their contacts and social engagement. Located in Santa Monica, Nimble is in the heart of the Southern California tech community. Prior to Nimble, I created and sold GoldMine, an early pioneer and market leader in the customer relationship management (CRM) space. In its time, GoldMine was ranked #154 on the 1997 Inc. 500, a national “Fast 500″ company, and was recognized as PC Magazine’s “Editor’s Choice” (August 1993, August 1995, April 1996 and August 1997).

Do you offer free online or offline tools?

Yes, Nimble Contact for the individual user is free.

Are there different pricing levels?

Nimble’s suite of products ranges from solutions for individuals to solutions that enable team collaboration, and robust business reporting, automation and forecasting. Nimble elegantly combines contact management, activity management, sales and marketing automation, traditional and social media communication tools, and collaboration features into one affordable Web-based solution. Nimble Contact for the individual user is free.

Do you have a blog that keeps users updated? Facebook, twitter, or ?

Blog: www.nimble.com/blog

Facebook: www.facebook.com/Nimble

Twitter: @Nimble

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/groups?mostPopular=&gid=2572555&trk=myg_ugrp_ovr

How long have you been in business?

We are only about two years old, but even though we are such a young company, we are already known for our friendly and responsive approach to customer service and other customer interactions. Those familiar with the Nimble vision and solution, as well as those who use the product, perceive Nimble as a cutting-edge tool that was created with their needs in mind. We are using their invaluable feedback to fine-tune the platform with regards to scalability and user experience.

Number of current users?

Nimble is in pre-launch mode with over 1000 users using our beta product. We have opened the private beta to early users to deliver early feedback and build relationships ahead of the launch. Through this early participation, we have established a solid beachhead in the social CRM and social media spaces, with worldwide brand recognition. Early users have helped us garner feedback, build messaging and branding. Currently, there are over 1000 users in the Nimble private beta with a waiting list that grows daily.

How do you see your company in the next 2-5 years (more products or services?)

Nimble’s suite of products will range from solutions for individuals solutions that enable team collaboration, and robust business reporting, automation and forecasting. Nimble elegantly combines contact management, activity management, sales and marketing automation, traditional and social media communication tools, and collaboration features into one affordable Web-based solution.

The long term vision for the product is to create a core platform that suits the needs of our constituencies while enabling the community to extend the platform and sell and share those extensions in our app store. We want to create a culture of community in which people and businesses are successful by using, developing and selling the platform.

WMobile Presentation - A closer look at GoldMine for Remote Users

2011-05-19T10:16:00.001-05:00

If you are a GoldMine Corporate or Premium organization, you'll want to know about WMobile. It provides live access to all your GoldMine data on any browser equipped smart phone, IPad, Laptop or whatever. Following is the presentation made on May 18, 2011 by WMobile creator Chris Wettre and Rick Mignano.

Note: you can use the progress bar on the bottom of this presentation to move forward or repeat a section.
If you've been thinking about switching to a web based CRM or Sales system, think about WMobile. You can be up and running within a day and you have no monthly subscription costs or data conversion costs. Those can be huge. Demos and trials are available. Call us for more info @ 847-382-4500 or visit our website.

What's your CRM program doing for your bottom line?

2011-05-17T16:26:00.001-05:00

Draw a line in the sand with your CRM or Sales Automation program!
What's important and what's not.

Tech.Sell's CRM SFA Survey helps examine what's important and how your CRM system meets those goals.

Submit the form and spend a complimentary 30 minutes with a Tech.Sell CRM and SFA pro. We'll listen to the pro's and cons of your system and make some suggestions that can help you get a better payback. We've learned a couple of helpful dos and don'ts of CRM over the last 16 years.

Take the CRM SFA survey now!

LeadMaster Rolls Out New Interface Enhancements

2011-05-03T06:18:00.000-05:00

LeadMaster is a great on line sales CRM system that flies under the SalesForce.com radar.

For $60 per month, users get a complete array of features INCLUDED with the program. Things like Outlook synch, Quote Module, Unlimited customizations that you can do, text or email notification, workflow automation and much more. Call us for details 847-382-4500 or click here

New Interface Enhancements

This weekend LeadMaster rolled several interface enhancements into production.
First, you’ll notice that the Quick Search box has been moved above the short cuts box on the home page. Enter the first few characters of the company or contact’s last name, click Go and you’ll be taken directly to the search results of matching records. Or, just click Go and you’ll see the latest records that have been added to your database. I use this feature frequently to see what records have come in from landing pages.

Quick Search Moved Above the Shortcuts Box

Next you’ll notice that many of the features, functions, menus and links now have a roll-over preview.
Shortcuts and MySearches now provide drop down menus. If you’re like me and you use the Shortcuts and Saved Searches a lot you’ll like that it takes one less click to access your shortcuts and searches.

Shortcuts - Down down menu / preview

You’ll see the first 20 shortcuts and saved searches sorted by name.

Saved Searches Menu

The shortcut to the calendar now provides a preview of today’s calendar when you mouse over today’s date & time.

Calendar Preview Available with Mouse-Over

When positioning the mouse over the New Leads link you’ll see a preview of those records.

Mouse Over New Leads Shows a Preview of those Records

When positioning the mouse over many of the links in the ‘Call Backs/Events’, ‘My Cases’ and ‘My Tasks’ lists, a preview of the content for the link displays.

My Tasks Preview

Sales Forecasting. Art or a science? LeadMaster Makes It Easy

2011-04-28T15:41:00.000-05:00

Is sales forecasting an art or a science? After all, the sales forecast is trying to predict the future. No matter how hard we try to quantify the future we can only get close. But close is better than a crystal ball.

The more current reality you include in the forecast, the more likely it will be achieved. If you forecast quarterly, you miss any new opportunities that arise between forecast dates. Any lost opportunities are still reelected in the numbers. Reps can become discouraged or complacent. Updating forecasts as part of daily sales activities adds much more reality to your numbers.

When tied to a sale process even more reality is injected into the mix. Reps use less "gut feel" and more factual probability based on the step in the process.

Sales forecasting is as much an art as it is a science.

Fortunately LeadMaster has tools to help. When it comes to sales forecasts, one way to predict the future is to examine the past. The LeadMaster Sales Force Automation system makes it is easy to pull up historical data. Accurate sales forecasting requires analysis by sales person, by territory, by customer segment, by product, by partner, by service etc. You’ll find all this and more with LeadMaster.

An accurate sales forecast also requires the input from the sales team. LeadMaster makes it easy for the sales team to update their sales forecast. All of their accounts and opportunities are in the system so all they have to do is use pull down menus to update the status and plug in the dollar value of the opportunity.

Sales Rep Forecasts are quick and easy with LeadMaster

Choose the forecast report either from the shortcut on the home page or the reports menu,
Use the drop down menus to update the forecast date, opportunity, opportunity value, win probability, sales status and sales stage. (the sales status and sales stage are user definable so no matter how you define your sales process LeadMaster works).
Click submit and you’re finished.

Sales reps and sales managers can update their forecasts in minutes. Do you need to put the forecast in a presentation? No problem, you can download it in an Excel format and work with it on your desktop.

Take LeadMaster for a free Test Drive. or call us to talk about your lead management situation.

Tech.Sell Offers a Selling System for GoldMIne Users

2011-04-14T13:03:00.001-05:00

Having a hard time keeping track of your opportunities?

Finding quarterly forecasts hard to manage and always out of date?

Tech.Sell has created the Selling Machine for GoldMine which combines a simple sales process, with automatic forecasting and the daily scheduling process of sellers to provide constantly current sales pipeline info to sellers and managers.

Sellers simply update the current status of each opportunity by selecting the proper milestone from a pick list. Their selection updates the Stage, Probability and Forecast automatically.

A comprehensive group of reports provide info on:
Accounts with no follow up call scheduled or a past due follow up date.
All opportunities closing in X days
Opportunities by source
Comparison of all sellers funnels

and many more.

To learn more about the Tech.Sell's Selling Machine for GoldMine register here or call 847-382-4500.

PC Magazine Reviews Nimble Contact - Editors Choice

2011-04-12T07:09:00.000-05:00

Pros
Simple, sleek interface and effective navigation. Unique, skillful integration of contacts, social networks, e-mail, and calendar. Keeps updates and other data synched with native sites. Lets you explore connections of connections. Paid business versions.

Bottom Line

Nimble Contact integrates your Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn connections and data, as well as your Google mail messages, contacts, and calendar. It's a major accomplishment, a great site.

If you haven't tried Nimble to pull al your contact info and social streams together sign up for your free copy here!

Tech.Sell provides training and implementation support for Nimble and other great CRM systems.

Is Nimble the Perfect Contact Manager for the Social World?

2011-03-24T10:34:00.001-05:00

Is Nimble the new Outlook? Or is it better?

Nimble is very cool. Check it out. One on line program that puts all your contact info in one place with live streams from all your social networks.

Contacts - Imports from Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter, Outlook, Google with a click.
Adds and updates and merges new contacts with a click.
Companies - Automatically creates a company record and attaches the people to the company.
Calendar - Syncs with Google Calendar
History - Automatically creates a history of emails, tweets, completed tasks etc. with the appropriate contact and company.
Social stream - Real time updates on each contact for FB, LI and TWT, for both individuals and your entire contact list. Add status updates, tweet, retweet, etc.
E-mail - Send and receive mail from your GMail or Imap accounts.
Access on-line - No software to install. Works on Macs, or PCs or anything with a web browser.

Nimble is amazing and the single user version is FREE!

Get Disconnected - Enjoy the freedom of WMobile 2.1 Sign up for Web Demo

2011-03-10T12:22:00.000-06:00

You are invited to attend one of our 30 minute live web events where we will demonstrate our new wMobile capabilities and answer any of your questions.

New Web Based Desktop User Interface
Finally a web based user interface that mirrors the GoldMine Premium user experience. On a laptop or desktop computer, PC or Mac, your users can connect live to your central GoldMine Premium data, connecting quickly through a web browser such as Internet Explorer, Safari, Firefox or Google Chrome.

High Performance and Scalable Technology

Phone and Desktop Edition will scale to support 100’s of users on a single web server. wMobile’s light weight web clients support worldwide access to GoldMine from a single web server location.

No Remote Installations
Your wMobile users are up and running in seconds with no software to install. Just add a new web address to your web browser and you are up and running.

No Monthly User Charges
wMobile is an inexpensive one time purchase giving you a perpetual license to web enable your remote CRM users.

New Email Integration to GoldMine
wMobile can be configured to automatically link email sent to and received from contacts to their GoldMine Premium CRM contact interaction history. Remote users can send and receive email using any smart phone or web based email system without plug-ins or any user action to add the email to the central GoldMine contact history.

New Support for Multiple GoldMine Contact Sets
For GoldMine Premium systems using multiple contact sets - wMobile now supports users switching at will between contact sets.

New Dedicated Google and LinkedIn Tab
Show Google satellite map, directions, blog or web searches for the currently viewed contact. Check to see if the current contact is in your LinkedIn network.

New Automated Process Support
wMobile users can now attach automated process tracks on contacts to automate marketing and administrative tasks using GoldMine’s powerful automated process feature. wMobile also shows the processes tab on contact records to allow users to manage existing tracks.

New Filter Based User Security

wMobile supports a new easier to manage security model of limiting users access to information subject to a common GoldMine filter rule rather than complex ownership and curtaining maintenance.

New Relationship Tree Handling
New Support of GoldMine Premium Relationship Trees in Both Phone and Desktop cEditions of wMobile.

Macbook Pro Hard Drive Showdown Hybrid Momentous XT vs. 7200 Sata

2011-03-09T08:51:00.004-06:00

A Hybrid Drive combines a normal 7200 RPM spinning drive and a Solid State Drive (SSD) in one very fast and inexpensive alternative to a straight SSD drive. A 500GB SSD costs about $1500 the hybrid drive costs $100.
Here is a comparison of two MacBook Pros. The machine on the right is my older 2.53 Ghz with 8 GB of Ram and a 500 GB 7200 Rpm SATA hard drive.

On the left is a new 2 Ghz Core i7 QuadCore with a 500 GB Seagate Momentus 7200 RPM Hybrid drive.

It cuts start up time by about 50%.

It "learns" what you work on and keeps getting faster at opening and updating your commonly used programs. It's very cool and cost about $99.00 at Amazon.

BTW replacing a MacBook Pro hard drive takes about 5 minutes. It's very easy.
You would need to use Carbon Copy Cloner or Super Duper to duplicate your exiting hard drive first.

Highly recommended!

Got a Leaky Sales Pipeline? LeadMaster is the Sales Plumber!

2011-03-07T15:57:00.005-06:00

Here are some frightening statistics on leads:

80% of all trade show leads are never followed up on.
The typical sales rep spends only 47% of their week selling.
39% of a sales reps time is spent on administrative tasks.
40% of qualified telemarketing leads have only marginal follow up.
50% of qualified telemarketing leads are never called.

Everyday, I talk with Company Presidents and Sales Managers who are in major pain over lead loss. Do any of these sound familiar?

We spend a fortune on leads and yet at the end of the day, I don't know what happened to them. Were they called, were they qualified? Did we sell them?
We don't really have a standardized process to handle leads from entry to closure.
Follow up! Follow up! Follow up! Follow up on the prospect until we get a yes or no! Follow up on my sales rep to make sure they stayed with the lead till conclusion. Follow up on me! (The manager) to remember to follow up on the leads and the sales reps.

OK! I know you get it. So is there an answer? We are excited about LeadMaster. It's a powerful but simple lead management and tracking system disguised as a full featured on-line CRM system.

Here's what it does by the numbers:

A lead is entered by, importing an Excel Spreadsheet, a visit to your website, or manually.
The lead is assigned to company rep or a partner rep or a team.
The rep gets a text and an email advising of the new lead with name phone etc.
The rep calls the lead and updates status on a simple, (yep you guessed it) lead status update screen (Below) by clicking a box and selecting from a drop down menu.
Manager checks very cool dashboard for high level status on leads.
LeadMaster automatically nudges sales rep (and manager) if a lead hasn't been updated in X days!
Manager reviews lead status report for actions by rep.
Lead closed or converted to opportunity
Quote generated from LeadMaster....oh but that's another story.

Lead status update screen.

Want to solve a lead leak problem? Call us about a free tour and 30 day trial. 847-382-4500

Visit our LeadMaster page for more pics and info.

Nimble DEMO - Your Social Network CRM - Presented by Jon Ferrara

2011-03-02T05:33:00.006-06:00

About twenty years ago a young man just out of college saw a need and an opportunity. The man was Jon Ferrara, the need was contact management and the opportunity was the new world of PC networks.
Jon saw a new world where people were buying PCs like crazy to use in their businesses. They needed to keep track of their contacts, their calendars and communications, which in those days were Word or Word Perfect (remember them?). Unlike Act! and other early personal info managers, Jon said what if everyone in the office could share and contribute to the same contact manager and customer info base over the network in the office? WOW!! And the rest of that story is history. He and a friend created the first networked contact manager called GOLDMINE!

Fast forward about 10 years, Jon gets an offer he can't refuse and sells GoldMine. He goes off and enjoys his young family and life in general. But the still young entrepreneur keeps an eye on the need and opportunity in the environment around him. This time he heard and saw a new rumbling, perhaps stronger than the PC network, it was the social network.

He saw hundreds of millions of people sharing personal and professional info on FaceBook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Google and email. He saw a need to consolidate all these new sources of info in a single living location, where contact info would include live feeds and the ability to comment, respond, tweet or whatever with your contacts.

Jon saw the need and created Nimble, a Social Network CRM system for the next great wave of information and communication.

Hear and see Jon introduce Nimble in the video below.

Exciting? You bet. What does it mean for you? If you are in the social stream, you are probably already wondering how to get your copy. If you aren't, Nimble is a great way to get started. You will gain a new perspective on the amazing world of living information. Not just a bunch of old data in a database, Nimble brings you what people are saying and thinking in real time. In one place.
Should you throw out your current CRM system. No, that's part of your business today. Should you have Nimble on you PC, Mac or iPad today? YES!
Nimble Contact is Free. It is ridiculously easy to use. And we will be offering free get started sessions to our clients.
Nimble Contact is a single user application but in a short time Nimble Team will be available to connect your work group and share this new world of information.
How will the Social Network impact your business? No one knows the answer other than it will. Just like we didn't know the impact of email or the Internet. I haven't seen a better way to get involved than to have a daily connection. Nimble is it.

New wMobilePC Desktop Browser User Interface for GoldMine

2011-03-01T11:16:00.001-06:00

W-Systems has introduced a dynamite new version of the browser based GoldMine interface called WMobile PC. You get full screen access to a GoldMine look screen with most of the GoldMine functionality. Since it works on any web browser, there is no client software to install and works on PCs or Macs.
Many wMobile customer use wMobile as a thin web client from a regular desktop browser in addition to using it from their mobile phone. For those customer we are launching an additional user interface to wMobile that takes full advantage of a desktop browser. This additional user interface will be free to existing customers under maintenance and included with all new sales of wMobile. The cost of wMobile will stay the same at USD$295 per license.

If you would like a quick preview of our new desktop browser interface, download a powerpoint here.
The user interface is currently in open beta / preview available to all customers and included in the latest wsetup.exe file please send us a quick note if you'd like to try WMobile 2.1.

The new browser interface is available now as part of WMobile in a late Beta edition.
See more screen shots and get info from us here.

New Social CRM Platform Nimble Transforms the Way People Manage Relationships

2011-02-28T13:37:00.004-06:00

PALM DESERT, CA -- 02/28/11 -- Nimble Contact, the long-awaited social CRM platform that combines relationship management and social engagement into an affordable web-based solution, today launched as a public beta at the DEMO Spring 2011conference.
Nimble Contact integrates LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Google, email contacts and conversations into one seamless, intuitive environment, empowering small businesses in today's socially connected world to attract and retain the right customers.

Created by Jon Ferrara, the founder of GoldMine, a pioneering SFA/CRM product, Nimble Contact is the only solution on the market that integrates the "4 Cs" -- contacts, calendar, communications and collaboration -- to enable professionals to effectively manage the way they see, hear and connect with their company's most important asset: their business contacts.

"The problem today is our contacts and our communications are in too many places," said Jon Ferrara, CEO of Nimble. "Between IM, text messaging, LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Skype and email, we can't keep track of it all. Trying to manage all of this in eight different tabs on your browser isn't the solution. We created Nimble to solve our own needs and we are bringing it to the world to help small businesses solve theirs."

Industry expert, Mary Wardley, VP, CRM and Enterprise Applications, IDC, explains, "Seeing Nimble for the first time reminds me of the Alice in Wonderland story, going down the rabbit hole. Let Nimble navigate to the information (social, communications and transactional based) while you enjoy the ride. It's a rethinking of CRM in a social world."

Nimble Contact is the next evolution in relationship management -- a social relationship manager that makes it fun and easy to nurture personal and business relationships. Nimble Contact's core benefit lies in its ability to unify email, calendar activities and social channels, and automatically link all three to business contacts. This allows businesses to easily see all of the communications they and their teams have had with their contacts, no matter where those conversations take place, and without having to jump from window to window, tab to tab, network to network, or application to application.

"Nimble has brought together the perfect combination of cloud, collaboration, social and CRM into one product," said Matt Marshall, executive producer of DEMO. "I'm excited to help bring them to market on the DEMO stage and think they are poised to do well."

Nimble's Key Features
One Unified Solution -- Nimble connects contacts to calendars, communications, tasks and social conversations -- all in one easy-to-use interface.
Social Listening -- Nimble lets companies monitor the most popular social networks -- LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook -- from one screen.
Social Engagement -- Nimble's unified inbox helps companies respond to conversations and engage prospects more quickly via email or social media networks.
Works with your existing tools -- Nimble synchronizes with Google Apps, including email and calendars, so users can continue to use their familiar tools.
Easy to Use -- Unlike more traditional CRM systems, Nimble's sleek interface reveals the information companies need to see and hides the rest.
Web-based -- As a web-based solution, Nimble requires no set-up or maintenance, making it far easier to get up and running.
Secure -- Nimble Contact's encrypted security and redundant servers are built to keep information safe.

Endorsements & Awards
While only in private beta until today's launch, Nimble Contact has already received kudos from industry thought leaders who understood its breakthrough status out of the gate, including Gerhard Gschwandtner, Editor, Selling Power Magazine, who said, "Nimble is a visionary product. Finally, someone has figured out Social CRM and made it simple, fun and efficient. I predict that Nimble will leapfrog all traditional CRM solutions."

Nimble was also recently named to "The CRM Watchlist 2011" by Social CRM expert and best-selling author, Paul Greenberg. Published by ZDNet, Nimble was one of only seven companies selected for the "Social Mainstream" category from a field of nearly 130 companies.

Pricing & Availability
The standalone product, Nimble Contact, is free and available online at www.nimble.com. The product is designed to scale as businesses grow and will be adding even more functionality in the coming months.

About DEMO
Produced by the IDG Enterprise events group, the worldwide DEMO conferences focus on emerging technologies and new products innovations, which are hand selected from across the spectrum of the technology marketplace. The DEMO conferences have earned their reputation for consistently identifying cutting-edge technologies and helping entrepreneurs secure venture funding and establish critical business. For more information on the DEMO conferences, visit http://www.demo.com/.

About Nimble
Nimble was founded in 2009 to help small businesses transform their communities into business opportunities. Nimble opens a whole new channel for businesses to engage customers in two-way dialogue, leveraging the power of traditional CRM and social media with its web-based social CRM platform, Nimble Contact. Located in Santa Monica, Nimble is in the heart of the Southern California tech community. Please join the conversation on Nimble's Facebook page at www.facebook.com/nimble, LinkedIn and on Twitter @nimble.

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Media Contact:
Brenda Christensen
818.307.9942
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New Social CRM Platform Nimble Intro at CES 2011

2011-02-28T07:11:00.004-06:00

Nimble the Social CRM program that easily pulls all your Social content and contacts into one slick location is now available. Learn more and sign up for your FREE copy.

Put all your contact info, INCLUDING live links to Social updates from LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter on your desktop!

Learn more at our website or watch this video from the Consumer Electronics show.

Read more:
New Social CRM Platform Nimble Transforms the Way People Manage Relationships

Hands on with the New MacBook Pro 2011 - To buy or not to buy?

2011-02-28T06:53:00.002-06:00

I raced out and bought the new MacBook Pro 15" 2.0 Ghz I7 QuadCore. Nice but not wildly different from my 2.53 Ghz DualCore MBP. The processor and the new "THUNDERBOLT" port are the big changes. Thunderbolt is a wait and see since nothing connects to it yet, but the promise is transfer rates 10 times faster than USB 2.0. Allegedly the new processor is about 50% faster than my old one, but I'm not so sure. It wasn't as obvious as I would like having just dropped $1800 on the latest and greatest.
So since the end result wasn't as exciting as I was hoping, I thought I'd share some interesting discoveries along the way of getting the new machine up and ready to roll.
Hard Drive - I was pretty excited about the prospect of a SSD drive for the Operating system that was highly rumored. Unfortunately that is still rumored for another day. But in the process of googling around, I discovered the Seagate Momentus XT hybrid drive. It's a 500GB 7200 RPM hard drive with a 4 GB SSD (Solid State Drive) that reportedly increases performance by 80% over standard drives. THE good news I bought it at Amazon for $99. Apple would have upgraded my 500GB 5400 RPM drive to an 256 GB SSD drive for $600 or $1200 for a 500 GB SSD! Allegedly the drive has to "learn" how you work and picks up a lot of speed as you "teach" it what apps you use. Here is a nice video that compares the Hybrid to other drives.

I'll give an update when my drive gets "smarter".

Memory - Apple wanted $200 to upgrade the 4 GB of ram on the off the shelf machine for a special order machine. I picked up 8GB of Corsair Ram on Amazon for about $70. Ram is cheap these days.

Dual Monitor Support If you haven't tried dual monitors, go for it. The extra real estate on your desktop is great and with the cost of monitors being so cheap it's a no brainer. If you nee to run Windows and Mac at the same time this is a great way to do it. A key to keeping the cost down is a little USB dual monitor adapter. In short you plug this USB thing in and connect a monitor to it. THe adapter runs about $65 at Amazon or other spots. I have a Kensington but there are lots of options. The interesting part was when I tried to load the Kensington software drivers, they told me that I needed an intel processor. Excuse me!! I have the newest hottest Intel processor the Sandy Bridge. Oh there I am on the dangerous bleeding edge again. Well, you gotta love Google, in about 2 minutes I found that all these things are made by a company called DisplayLink and they have newer drivers. I downloaded them and bingo, dual monitors with my new Mac.

Migration Assistant - Finally, I have to mention one of the greatest features of being a Mac owner. Migration Assistant. This little utility taeks all the pain out of upgrading to a new machein. YOu connect the old mac to the new one, either wirelessly or with a firewire 800 cable and go do soemthign else for about 20 hours. WHen you come back, your old mac has become your new mac. Everything comes over; all your settings applications, email, etc. PERFECT!. Try doing that with Windows!
Summary - I'll give updates when there is something to report about the new MacBook Pro 2011, Right now I'd say if you have a Unibody MBP and you are looking for a big change you might want to wait for what many of us were hoping for, the MacBook Air like, slimmer, sleeker, SSD driven, MacBook Pro. Maybe next time which will probably be next year.

Can Your CRM Grow With You?

2011-02-23T16:35:00.001-06:00

Maybe now is a good time to invest in getting the most from GoldMine Premium Edition 9.0 to help with sales and customer loyalty.

You can deliver better customer service for your loyal customers with the new case management module - add your customer service reps to make sure nothing gets dropped when your customers call in.

You can provide your field team with real time information while they are in the field servicing customers or working on new business with web access options like iGoldMine, terminal services, or W-Mobile.

You can add Outlook users onto your CRM for automatic linking of customer emails and access to client meetings, tasks, and GoldMine data while in Outlook with the new Outlook client.

You can give managers in sales and customer service real time graphical summaries of important activities and forecasts as well as issues in customer services.

You can now add seats to your existing Corporate Edition or Premium Edition and save $100 per seat added (minimum 2 - must be current on maintenance).

Are you on an old version of Standard Edition? Want the new features of Premium Edition 9.0? Ask us about "Up & Bump" - a great way to upgrade and add users at over a 20% discount.

For a closer look at how to maximize the value of every customer engagement, give Tech.Sell a call or visit the GoldMine Premium section of our WebSite , "

To contact Tech.Sell Corp. at 847-382-4500 to speak with a GoldMine expert.

It's not just about buying CRM software. It's about what you do with the CRM software you buy!

P.S. See the New GoldMine Premium Edition 9.0 in Action - Register Here to View the Flash Demo.

Introducing Google Calendar Synchronization for the LeadMaster Cloud Lead Tracking System

2011-02-23T06:07:00.005-06:00

Roswell, GA (Vocus/PRWEB) February 23, 2011

LeadMaster announces new functionality, synchronization with Google calendar.

Using the new Google calendar synchronization feature,LeadMaster CRM users may sync LeadMaster and Google calendar events bi-directionally. This enhancement is available for all LeadMaster users free of charge.

This product enhancement further allows LeadMaster users to ramp up productivity and reduce inconsistencies due to double entry and/or lack of up-to-date calendar data. Since Google calendar integrates with a wide variety of cell phones and computer calendars changes in one calendar will be reflected in all calendars that are synchronized with Google. This allows for keeping appointments and information up-to-date regardless of the calendar the information is entered into.

Regarding the Google Calendar synchronization, LeadMaster’s CMO, Andy Brownell states, “I have a calendar on my cell phone, laptop, desktop and in LeadMaster. This is a terrific productivity boost. Within seconds of entering an appointment in any of my calendars it shows up in all of them. Whether I’m on the road or at my desk I always have an up-to-date calendar. It’s a great to know I’m always looking at an accurate calendar.”

LeadMaster’s built-in scheduling system can be configured to alert users to important callbacks and appointments, improving productivity and reducing both double entry errors and missed opportunities. With Google calendar integration users have additional flexibility and options for calendar notifications.

Brownell adds, “Our research indicated that many of our customers wanted Google calendar synchronization and people who use LeadMaster in a call center environment especially needed Google calendar synchronization to help them see available time slots while setting appointments for field sales and service reps. This new enhancement gives our call center customers exactly what they’ve been asking for - the ability to set an appointment for a rep in LeadMaster with the customer on the phone and know that the rep is available during that time slot. Additionally, I believe all LeadMaster customers will benefit from the new Google calendar synchronization. More and more people are keeping their calendar on their cell phone, LeadMaster wants to provide excellent functionality for our users who interface with LeadMaster primarily through their mobile phones.”

Get a LeadMaster Demo from Tech.Sell or let us give you a personal guided tour.

About LeadMaster

LeadMaster offers a variety of cloud-computing software solutions:

Sales Lead Management CRM Software - Everything you need in one easy-to-use online web-based application.
Lead-Xpress - A revolutionary new way for sales reps to receive and update sales leads
Lead-Xtreme - It’s like caller-ID for your website. Website visitor info flows into LeadMaster CRM in real-time.
Opportunity Management - Track and manage sales opportunities.
CRM - Track and manage interactions with customers.
E-Marketing - Cost-effectively send marketing messages.
Lead Nurturing - Nurturing leads until they are 'sales ready'. Turning cold leads into warm leads and warm leads into hot leads.
LeadMaster Voice - Click to call, power dialing and virtual phone switch integrated with LeadMaster CRM.
Call Center Solutions - Combining LeadMaster solutions provides a complete virtual call center system.

The LeadMaster sales lead management CRM solution is intuitive and easy to use, providing real-time lead capture, lead distribution, lead tracking, lead nurturing, custom reporting and email marketing. LeadMaster makes it easy to qualify and convert leads from virtually any source - landing page, call center, webinar, sales lead suppliers and more.

LeadMaster products and services are available through a global network of value-added resellers, consultants and system integrators.

New MacBook Pro 2011 Redesign Coming Thursday Feb. 24?

2011-02-21T17:01:00.005-06:00

The Apple site is stating an lead time of 3-5 days for shipment of the MB Pro. It used to be 24 hours, which is the lead time on both the plastic MacBook and the MacBook Air. The Rumor Mills say announcement, and maybe availability on Thursday 2/24!

RUMORS:

Amazon and Best buy are out of stock!
European retailers have been told to expect sealed shipments. They are not to open them until they are told to do so. ALso they are reminded that they could lose their reseller status if they open the shipments! (Very cool Apple espionage!)
New machines will be completely new design, skinny and light like MB Air.
OS will be on a 8-16GB SSD drive for faster startups and performance. A standard SATA drive will handle file storage. Large SSD drives will be available. (New updated info)
No Optical drive
New Sandy Bridge Intel Chip up to 20 hours of battery life and better graphics
New LightPeak technology port with transfer speeds of 10 GB per second vs. Firewire 800 at 800 Mb per sec. (I have no idea what this new Apple and Intel invention would connect to, but I like the concept).

Personal Wish list:

I'm hoping for a combo hybrid storage solution, like 128 or 256GB SSD for the OS AND a SATA HD, possibly removable up to 500 GB @7200 RPM for file storage. Currently the upgrade for a 512GB SSD is $1300. Maybe Apple will bring that down in the new model. (See update above)
Back lit keyboard!! (The biggest negative of the MB Air!)

Well the MacBook Pro faithful will have a tough time sleeping until Thursday as visions of shiny new laptops dance in their heads! Stay tuned for breaking news .... and rumors.

Hands on with Nimble Social CRM

2011-02-09T16:45:00.001-06:00

I've been playing with Nimble for about 7 months. First I'd open it once every week. Now I have it open all the time and actually am managing my calendar and email with it.

I have to say I like Nimble more every day. Having spent 16 years as a CRM consultant, believe me, I've tried lots of CRM programs. Nimble is different.

Why? It's very simple but does a lot of things automatically. I actually enjoy using it. So here in no particular order are some of our impressions of Nimble Social CRM.

It's easy to use... no really. It kind of thinks for you.
I like seeing the faces of my contacts, and I didn't have to put their pictures in. The pictures came from the photos they put into LinkedIn or Facebook, etc.
It automatically imports and updates all your connections from FaceBook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, CSV files and more.
It makes it easy to email or tweet your contacts, friends and associates.
Nimble automatically builds a history and stores all your communications and completed activities with each contacts' information.
Nimble automatically creates Company and Contact records and connects people to companies.
I like the one click, add a comment to a task. Or creating a task from an email or tweet.
I'm excited about the ability to search all these groups of contacts and then export a list of them to excel for email contact.
I like looking at what a contact has to say about themselves.
Works on my PC, Mac, iPads and virtually all browsers.
No software to install or maintain.

When can you get your hands on Nimble?

We expect Nimble Contact, the free single user edition to be available in the next 30 days.

Following that expect the Team Version which will allow users to share contacts and calendars, around the end of Q1.

There will be a nominal change per user for the Team edition.

Looking later in the year, Nimble will add a sales version which will allow sellers and teams to track leads and opportunities through the funnel.

Beyond that we expect Nimble to continue to add more CRM features, making it one of the top CRM choices available.

You can learn more about Nimble on our website. You can also sign up for a free beta key while you are there.

What? Another CRM System? Why Nimble? Why Now?

2011-02-02T08:26:00.002-06:00

As Nimble approaches it's long awaited release, we thought it would be fun to repost Jon's article from last may. Btw Nimble is really looking good.

You can register for a free beta trial at www.techsell.net/nimble

What? Another CRM System? Why Nimble? Why Now?
May 21, 2010 | By Jon Ferrara

OUR STORY Today more than ever, businesses need to attract and retain customers. But the way they do it has radically changed. The old days of yelling at their customers “Hey Buy My Product!” with yellow page ads, advertising, cold calling, faxes and direct mail, are dead and gone.
Smart companies recognize that their prospects are talking amongst themselves about what they are going to buy in countless places on the Web. They need to identify where their prospects are conversing, listen to those dialogs and engage with them via channels that they want to communicate on, which these days rely more and more on things like email, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Text Messages and IM.

It’s important for business people to communicate with their co-workers. Companies need an easy way for their team members to learn about each other, share critical business knowledge as it relates to their outside contacts and collaborate on projects. It is not enough for companies to practice social externally, they need to do it internally as well.
Most of the CRM products available today are too costly and complex. Our studies found that the majority of companies use only 10% of the features in their CRM products, essentially using them as glorified contact managers. I saw a need for a relationship management system that was lean, clean, dare I say Nimble, but had the power and flexibility to scale and grow with companies.
Additionally, CRM systems focus on Customer Relationships and ignore all other Relationships that also drive business success. Friends, family, classmates, colleagues, partners, and even complete strangers also positively impact sales in a small business.
Nimble was born from these realizations. As our marketing folks would put it, Nimble is the only solution to offer small businesses the best features of high-end CRM systems combined with the communication power of social media and collaborative tools… all in one simple and affordable SaaS solution.
Nimble is moving into private beta soon and I invite you to join us on our journey by signing up for the beta today. Your feedback will be key so that we can incorporate your ideas into the final release of our tool. We look forward to listening to your needs and engaging in conversations about how we can make Nimble a better solution for you.

Get updated info on Nimble.

LeadMaster makes it easier to stay on top of lead follow up - with Task Manager

2011-01-28T10:13:00.001-06:00

LeadMaster is starting the new year off with a major enhancement to Workflow Automation called Task Manager. This enhancement adds time-based task management and a business rules feature for managing leads and accounts.

Here's how it works. Tasks are assigned to one or more reps for specific records. Each task has a condition that must be completed in a specific period of time. Examples of possible conditions include things like making sure the lead has been contacted or updating the sales progress. If the condition is not satisfied within that time period then the Task Manager triggers one or more actions (e.g. reassign the account, notify the sales manager etc). The tasks, time-frames and resulting actions are all user-definable by clicking the mouse.

The LeadMaster Task Manager will help sales managers manage more sales activity more effectively by automating the oversight of individual sales activities and alerting the sales manager when goals aren't met. The Task Manager will allow the sales manager to focus their time on revenue production instead of lead management.

Reps will also enjoy using the Task Manager because they can setup reminders to help them with their sales process. For example, suppose that a rep wants to interact with long term leads at least once a month but they've forgotten to add a callback to their calendar for a particular prospect. They can create a task that will send them a reminder if that prospect's record hasn't been updated in 30 days.

Some examples:

The sales manager wants internet leads followed up within 5 minutes. Create a task so that if the lead status doesn't change within 5 minutes the lead is reassigned via round-robin. Alert the rep who is getting the reassigned lead with a text message or email.
The sales manager wants to know if sales progress has stalled. If each step in the sales cycle takes 1 week and the sale hasn't progressed in two weeks send an email to sales rep & sales manager.

The sales manager wants to know the size of the opportunity within two weeks of a new lead coming in. Create a task so that if the lead value hasn't been entered within two weeks of assignment then send an email to the sales manager and cc: the rep.

The sales manager wants reps focusing on bigger deals and inside sales to work on the smaller deals. Create a task so that if the lead value is below a certain $ value then assign the lead to inside sales.

The sales manager wants to know if a deal hasn't closed in 60 days. Create a task so that if a lead reaches 60 days and hasn't closed, assign it to the sales manager for review.

The sales manager wants inside sales to talk with a customer if a deal hasn't closed in 90 days. Create a task so that if a lead reaches 90 days and hasn't closed it is assigned to inside sales and the sales manager is notified.

The sales manager wants to make sure the sales team is continuing to work on all of their leads. Create a task so that if a lead hasn't been updated each week the sales manager receives notification.

A new lead has come in from the website where a customer has expressed interest in a software demonstration. The lead is assigned round robin. The sales manager wants to know that the demo has taken place. Create a task to watch for the 'demo completed' checkbox due anytime within the next weeks. If the task isn't completed an email is sent to the rep, cc the manager reminding them the customer wanted a demo.

The sales manager is having a hard time keeping track of sales leads. Many leads have the lead status 'could not reach' for months. It appears the rep tried to reach them a couple of times and then forgot about them. Create a task so that whenever a new lead is assigned if lead status = 'could not reach' an email is sent to the rep every couple of days with a reminder to call that prospect until 30 days later when it is reassigned to inside sales.

The sales manager wants to know about any big deal. Many of the reps leave the 'lead value' field empty. The task is for the sales rep to enter a value (other than $0) into the Lead Value field within the first week. If the lead value hasn't been filled in within a week reassign the lead. Once the value has been filled in, send an alert to the sales manager if the lead value is in the 'big deal' range.

LeadMaster is a powerful on line tool for processing and tracking leads.

For more info call Tech.Sell at 847-382-4500 or visit the LeadMaster section of our website.

Next Macbook Pro to Include SSD and Light Peak: Blog Rumors - Data Storage - News & Reviews - eWeek.com

2011-01-20T06:27:00.001-06:00

Here's an interesting article on what the next MacBook Pro my be.

"We don't believe this will be a simple refresh of the MacBook Pro; rather, Apple will deliver an all-out redesign, the big brother of the MacBook air," Reschke wrote. This is in line with Jobs telling the crowd during the MacBook Air launch that they can expect similar things from all MacBook models in the future.

I think they are right on the money. I think we are looking at a thinner, sleeker, MBPro with SSD storage, and probably the latest generation intel processor for more battery life and speed.
I also noticed of late that some Apple resellers are offering discounts on the MacBook Air, the 17 MB Pro and the 13 MBPro. I also noticed that on the MB Air and the 13" MB Pro they added the comment, " while manufacturers supplies last. Now if that isn't a clue.....

Prediction is for an April release.

Read the full article here...

Apple's Next MacBook Pro to Include SSD and Light Peak: Blog Rumors - Data Storage - News & Reviews - eWeek.com

CRM upstart aims to undercut Salesforce.com - Mobility - Technology - News - CRN Australia

2011-01-20T05:54:00.003-06:00

CRM upstart aims to undercut Salesforce.com - Mobility - Technology - News - CRN Australia

LeadMaster provides an amazingly simple yet effective lead management and tracking system.

LeadMaster is available through Tech.Sell. We also provide coaching setup and training services.

Visit our website for details and free trial.

Hot from CES 2011: Motorola Atrix 4G, laptop & HD multimedia docks

2011-01-12T06:12:00.001-06:00

Rated by many as the BIG announcement at the recent Consumer Electronics Show, the Motorola Atrix.

In a nutshell, it's a powerful cell phone that doubles as PC, Laptop, and Media device.

Imagine plugging your phone into a dock or laptop shell so that it was your only device.

When you think about the shift to web apps, the cloud etc, why not?

Here is the Motorola Demo from CES.

I think this is going to be very big!

What do you think?

AirPrint Activator - Printing from ipad and Iphone to "any" printer

2011-01-10T10:10:00.000-06:00

One of the items high on the wish list of iPad and iPhone owners has been the ability to print.
The sort of good news, with the announcement of IOS 4.2 was the addition of Air Print. The problem is that AirPrint only works with 11 or 12 HP newly designed printers.
So how about the millions of us that have networked or wireless printers that we can't print on from our cool iDevices.

Good news! Enter AirPrint Activator. An awesome little free app (donations are gladly accepted) that let's you print to any existing networked printer.

The software loads on your Mac. By simply removing one of your networked printers and then adding and sharing it you are printing from your iPad or iPhone with IOS 4.2. Click here for AirPrint Activator.
Here's how to do it!

Late news flash! Now there is an AirPrint Activator for Windows, download it here!

It's easy and worked for us. AA opens up a whole new world of production with your iThing. Tech.Sell is not responsible for any negative issues. Of course try it at your own risk.

GoldMine update 9.01 announcement

2011-01-07T14:21:00.002-06:00

The GoldMine product team is has announce the release of GoldMine Premium Edition 9.0.1. GMPE 9.0.1 is available on the partner NFR site and will be generally available to GoldMine clients next week. An announcement will be sent to all GoldMine customers at this time.

As with all GMPE service packs, the biggest driver for GMPE 9.0.1 is product quality. This release contains over 50 fixed issues for improved product stability and quality. For a complete list of fixes and improvements refer to the GMPE 9.0.1 release notes. GMPE 9.0.1 also supports Microsoft Office 2010 (32 bit version). Shown below.

The new integration syncs contacts, calendars and emails automatically between GoldMine and Outlook 2003 or higher. This is great for syncing to most smart phones as they typically sync with Outlook or Exchange.

In the photo you see links to key parts of GoldMine directly from Outlook. Most recently viewed contacts. On the upper right you see links to the contact info from GoldMine. a single click takes the user to the contact record.

Finally notice the check boxes and company names, indicating that the emails are stored in GoldMIne's history tab. There are several other new features in the integration. Call for details.

For assistance with the update or questions, please call Tech.Sell at 847-382-4500.

Nimble wins 2010 Willy award for SAAS SOHO

2010-12-27T07:34:00.003-06:00

Nimble CRM has been awarded the WILLY award by Rich Bohn of SellMoreNow.com. He is excited about the promise of this new CRM program in the burgeoning world of Social CRM.

Sellmorenow has been reviewing and rating CRM systems for many years. See what they have to say about Nimble.

Sign up for a Free copy of Nimble Contact

2011: The Year Social CRM Goes Mainstream

2010-12-27T07:18:00.001-06:00

INC. on line presents an interesting look at what's to come in the CRM (customer relationship management) arena in 2011. As we've commented recently, one of the biggest challenge or opportunity for businesses will be how to participate in the social networking phenomenon.

Most of the business folks we've spoken with have very little understanding of this new world.

A major focus of Tech.Sell's efforts in the new year will focus on Social CRM and how to gain from this movement.

The University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management recently held a three-day course called "Managing Customer Engagement Using Social Media and CRM." The course included sessions on measuring the value of customers, the ROI of social CRM, and driving user adoption with change management. It's a sign of things to come.

"The changing corporate culture

"The challenge is that most companies have been wired from the ground up to operate in a world of company-controlled communication, and they're simply not equipped to engage in conversations. But, the rules have changed," says Greg Gianforte , founder and CEO of customer experience solutions provider RightNow. "To be truly conversant with social customers, companies are rewiring their operations to be more customer-centered, more relationship oriented, and more transparent. They're collaborating across departmental silos, working beyond the capabilities of traditional CRM tools, and weaving social into business as usual. " Read More....

Interested in Social CRM? Get a hands on copy of the new social CRM app Nimble Contact

Coming Soon to Social CRM - Nimble

2010-12-08T06:41:00.003-06:00

Social CRM is a rumbling volcano, that we believe will be a major story and direction enhancement for many companies during 2011.

How do you tap into the social networking scene? Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and so many more. This is a world where you deal with people talking and updating daily! No more dead data, from some imported mailing list? It's a lot like when e-mail was new and there was a thing called the internet and they had these silly web page things. Remember?

We've been watching a program called Nimble. It's a whole new approach to CRM from the social networking perspective. Nimble is the brainchild of Jon Ferrara, co-founder of GoldMine. Jon is a true visionary and after taking time to raise his young family and enjoy life, he's back with a new passion - Nimble CRM.

Here is a quick snapshot of Nimble, there will be more to come in the weeks ahead...

Nimble is a social relationship management solution that expands on the traditional notion of customer relationship management by transforming your entire community into business opportunity. It does this by leveraging the best of customer relationship management, social media and communication tools to engage any individual no matter where they are talking.

Nimble elegantly combines contact management, activity management, sales and marketing automation, traditional and social media communication tools, and collaboration features into one affordable Web-based solution.

Unlike bloated CRM systems, Nimble is designed for simplicity. Its easy-to-navigate interface is based on decades of practical relationship management experience and has been intentionally developed with intuitive screens to get you up and running easily, and to find business-critical information in a single mouse click.

With Nimble, the heavy lifting is done for you. Connect Nimble to any social network (Linkedin, Facebook, Twitter, Gmail, IM, Skype and more) and Nimble will unify all your contacts and empower you to send or receive messages. It also automatically searches social media sites, identifies interested prospects and ranks those individuals according to their business potential. Once key information is identified, fully integrated collaboration tools allow you to share that information among those who need it most in order to accelerate sales, marketing and support processes. And as a Web-based solution, you can rest assured that your information is always accessible, no matter where you happen to be.

Nimble is designed to fit your needs. As an individual user, you will enjoy many of Nimble’s powerful features free-of-charge. As a small company, you can realize all of the benefits of Nimble’s product family for one low monthly subscription. And since Nimble is a Web-based solution, there are no costly IT infrastructures or yearly maintenance contracts – you simply import your contacts and you’re off and running.

In today’s social connected world, Nimble is simply the best way to grow your business.

For more info on, or to try Nimble, call us at 847-382-4500 or shoot us an email to join our mailing list.

GoldMine ends support for Corp Edition 6.6 & 6.7

2010-12-08T06:02:00.001-06:00

FrontRange Solutions, publishers of GoldMine software, has announced the discontinuance of support for GoldMine 6.6 and 6.7 CE Corporate Edition: Details follow, but in our opinionthis is a timely move as the old technology is problematic on newer Microsoft OS. (Server 2008, 64 bit systems, and Windows Vista and 7). If you are still running an old CE system, call Tech.Sell at 847-382-4500 for details on some move up promotions. Take the tax savings this year and start the new year off on a positive note. Get complete details on GoldMine PE.

GoldMine 9 offers a totally new user experience

From Greg Anderson, Global General Manager of FrontRange Solutions;

The purpose of this letter is to provide our partner community product and support information for GoldMine Solutions 6.6 & 6.7 customers. The industry standard of supporting software applications is to support the past two application version releases from the most recent version release. FrontRange Solutions and GoldMine products have far exceeded these industry standards throughout the past. FrontRange Solutions is announcing our plans to discontinue support for GoldMine Solutions 6.6 & 6.7 releases. As our ongoing commitment to GoldMine customers, and to allow for a smooth and orderly transition off GoldMine Solutions 6.6 & 6.7 releases to a more recent version of GoldMine, FrontRange Solutions will continue to provide customer support for GoldMine Solutions 6.6 & 6.7 releases until December 30^th 2011.

A customer communication letter will be sent to all GoldMine Solutions 6.6 & 6.7 clients. We encourage you to help your GoldMine Solutions 6.6 & 6.7customers migrate to the latest GoldMine product release in order to gain powerful business benefits. These products include:

GoldMine Corporate Edition 7.6

- The Quintessential, award-winning contact management tool designed for businesses that need robust functionality, low total cost of ownership, with uncomplicated integration and configuration capabilities.

GoldMine Premium Edition 9.0

- Provides complete CRM customer lifecycle features, including Relationship Management, Sales & Marketing capabilities, as well as, complete Customer Service and Support functionality. And, a newly designed user interface provides an enhanced end user experience based on the latest user interface standards found in the market today!

GoldMine Corporate Edition clients currently on maintenance are able to upgrade to the latest version GoldMine Corporate Edition 7.6 at no additional cost.

GMCE clients currently not on maintenance have options for upgrading to the latest releases of GoldMine. Please read below for more information.

Because GoldMine 6.6 & 6.7 customers have been key to FrontRange Solutions success, we are offering a one time only promotion for these customers to upgrade to GoldMine Premium Edition. This promotion is only for our GoldMine Solutions 6.6 & 6.7customers. Please contact Tech.Sell for promotional details at 847-382-4500.

Top Ten Things You May Not Know About GoldMine Premium Edition 9.0

2010-12-06T08:10:00.000-06:00

Join Paul Petersen of FrontRange Solutions to learn the

Top Ten Things You May Not Know About GoldMine Premium Edition 9.0

We interviewed GoldMine Premium Edition (PE) 9.0 users to find out the positive impact PE has had on their business.

Join me as I share our findings.

GoldMine Premium Edition has been a hit since it was introduced approximately two years ago. Premium Edition has been a huge difference with its new powerful dashboards, superior Outlook integration, Windows 7 and 64 Bit support, and much more GoldMine Premium 9.0 can serve organizations' CRM needs better than ever.

Additionally, as the year comes to the end, I would like to remind you that now is a great time to finalize your decision - the Section 179 deduction for computers and pre-packaged software is the highest it has ever been and the depreciation option the fastest its ever been ... but it expires on December 31, 2010.

I look forward to showing the benefits of working with Premium Edition as well as answering your questions.

Date: Thursday, December 9, 2010
Time: 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM Pacific Time
Register Now.

If you have any questions call 1.847-382-4500 for information.

Building the Ultimate Sales / CRM System with GoldMine 9

2010-11-29T15:26:00.005-06:00

Recently a potential client came to us looking for the "complete" CRM solution.

In a time when the majority of prospects just want to know "how much for the software?", period. Not how to use it effectively, just buy some software and hope to fix a problem. I found this very refreshing, a company who actually had the vision of a CRM system that would deliver results that could help build their entire company.

They expressed a desire to do what it takes to be successful in CRM. (Apparently they had tried and failed four time in the past 10 years). They also wanted a premise based system that they could control themselves and avoid the ongoing subscription payments of an on-line. They called Tech.Sell because they wanted a partner with experience to guide their program.

So here is what we put together and why.

Solid Contact Management - GoldMine Premium delivers a very solid, out of the box contact manager, featuring; easy customization, instant search from any field, shared calendar, history, linked documents, the ability to build targeted lists of contacts on the fly. Integration with MS Office and particularly Outlook. The interface was redesigned 3 years ago and we find the need for training has declined significantly. It's a very natural environment.

Email Management - Our world revolves around e-mail. Our client had experienced some major disasters using other CRMs but particularly Outlook. Some users had lost or corrupted their PST files and the entire history of emails was gone. With other users critical messages were only on a local machine and not available to the team. GoldMine has it's own internal email client which integrates with POP or IMAP servers. Emails are automatically linked to the history of the related contact in Goldmine. It also provides the same functionality through Outlook. Either way there are no lost e-mails. They are shared by the team and part of the client record.

Marketing machine - Our client realized they were missing an opportunity to target market to their clients and prospects. They weren't really using email to follow up or "poke" clients and prospects. As a result they were losing market share. They occasionally did Snail Mailings, but these were so expensive and time consuming that campaigns rarely got off the ground. We showed them how their GoldMine system used a simple 4 step process to create their marketing machine. 1. Define the target audience, create a group or filter to lock in the recipients. 2. Create an email template in GoldMine including merge fields that personalize each message. 3. Click send to deliver the message to the target group. 4. Create an automated process, schedule follow up calls and further email contacts automatically.

Sales Machine - After the message is sent, an ironclad system to track leads, forecast sales and manage the status of opportunities is critical. Amazingly, anywhere from 60 to 80% of leads never get followed up on. Combining a solid sales process built into GoldMine's opportunity manager, with solid reporting for reps and managers, can stop this "lead leakage". Tech.Sell has added to GoldMine's built-in tools with the Selling Machine add on and reports. Manager and sales coaching increases the effectiveness of the overall sales buy-in.

Reporting/Measurement - What gets measured gets done. Why put data in without getting anything out?

These two statements are so critical to the CRM program becoming part of management practice. A solid group of reports will help steer the ship, create metrics to support objectives and pinpoint areas for improvement. In our GoldMine system, the chosen reporting tool is MasterMine. With over 120 prebuilt templates, it's not only easy to get info out, but it's easy for mere mortals to create powerful reports. Since MM exports data to Excel, the results are familiar to just about everyone. MasterMine is an add on to GoldMine but probably delivers the biggest bang for the buck.

Phone integration Combining the phone with the CRM program really adds a huge dimension to the program. We are recommending DialPad from W-Systems. It's a powerful integration that helps schedule and track calls, prep the user with client history, and even prompts for data to be captured and brought back to GoldMine for sales process and prospect tracking. Learn more

Document management - Our GoldMine super system has two key document components. The first is the document library where all users share a collection of Word and email templates complete with attachments. These Ready to Go templates provide fast follow-up and consistent quality to communications. Part two lies in the automatic linking of all documents, attachments and related files to the appropriate contact record. All users can quickly access important files, attachments and quotes.

Remote access / mobility - How to open the data and info channel to the remote user. Our system has two key components, IGoldMine and W-Mobile. IGoldMine allows remote users on Mac or PC to access the GoldMine system via an internet connection. They work in the full GoldMine and get immediate updates to the system. Part two is for SmartPhone or iPad users. WMobile provides a simple interface directly to the GoldMine system through the web browser of any mobile device. There is no syncing involved.

A third option is GoldSync which provides a full free standing GoldMine system for users who need to access their contact data while an Internet connection is not available. They sync bi-directionally via the internet.

Quoting system - Our client has had a real problem managing quotes. They get lost, become outdated or have no built in tracking and follow up mechanism. We incorporated QuoteWerks into the system. Quotewerks provides a shared database for all quotes. It automatically links the quote to the GoldMine contact record, schedules a forecasted sales and opportunity, sends the quote via email and creates a follow up! What else could we want? How about linking between GoldMine and Quickbooks. It's a sweet system.

Training and coaching - Finally, but of utmost importance, is the support to make sure the investment becomes part of the culture. That happens through training and ongoing coaching. Making sure that everyone gets it. Measuring results against key goals of the program. Pointing out the pitfalls. Helping the leadership team incorporate all the new technology based info into their daily processes. This support continues indefinitely. After the program is in place, we will participate in management meetings to make sure that new goals and programs are being supported by the CRM system. In most cases they can be.

So there you have it. The CRM Super System built on GoldMine 9. We've gone far beyond just selling some software. Our client has added a new facility to their company. A new way of sharing information, connecting the teams, accelerating marketing, customer information and strengthening the sales process.

For more information call us at 847-382-4500.

Office 2011 for Mac Be Aware

2010-11-19T15:13:00.001-06:00

Just a quick note for any mac users who are thinking about upgrading to Office 2011. There are some generally cool features see them here, but if you spend the extra money $130, for the Home and Business version see the details here, be aware that there is a big difference in Outlook.

Outlook is the primary reason to spend the extra money for the H&B version, BUT it doesn't work with any version of exchange other than 2007. Which also means you must be running a 64 bit OS on your server.

So if you don't have a Exchange 2007 or 2010 server save the money, forget the Outlook and stick with your old Entourage or use Mail on your Mac.

Get more out of your GoldMine CRM - MasterMine!

2010-11-17T11:47:00.000-06:00

We've been a Solutions Partner for GoldMine software for 16 years now. In that time we've seen 1000s of GoldMine or other CRM installations. One of the biggest wastes of money is that people buy CRM software without a plan.

They know they need it but aren't sure how to apply it's power to their business. So they install the software and use it like a glorified Outlook. You know address book and shared calendar.

They put stuff in but rarely get anything out.

So here you have this very powerful tool, just waiting to help you grow your business, manage your team and touch more customers and prospect and NADA! it remains a pretty dormant piece of software. What to do?

Let's think about getting data out of the application, not just putting it in. That means reports.

Of all the reporting tools available for GoldMine, MasterMine is tops!

It pulls data from any part of GoldMine and creates pivot tables. (I know that might sound scary) but even I figured out how to do amazing things with the data within a very short time.

You start with over 100 prebuilt templates and off you go. You can create charts and graphs, if you are a fan of that sort of thing.

But most importantly you have instantly taken that address book and calendar and turned into a management information tool of amazing proportions. There are some other bonus features, like you can instantly create groups out of your data. That means you can email them or schedule calls or assign them to an auto process.

Here's a great little video that's worth a watch.

If you have more questions or want to see a demo with your actual GoldMine data call or write us.

You can also learn more at our website.

Quickly find bad data, click-through to GoldMine and update records and fix it! Using MMUpdater
Includes dozens of prebuilt templates to get you started - Click here!

2010-11-16T15:29:00.000-06:00

Leveraging the Microsoft Outlook Integration for Productivity Gains

The GoldMine Microsoft Outlook Integration provides users a preview of GoldMine information directly from Outlook without having to switch back and forth between the two applications. GoldMine information is not only viewable, but users can drill into GoldMine records for edits or further business follow-up.

This powerful integration helps improve user adoption and knowledge sharing across the company. See how you too can realize these productivity gains.

Thursday, November 18, 2010
11:00AM - 12:00PM Pacific Time

Topics will include:

GMPE 9.0 Outlook integration - Calendar features:

Benefits users who use Outlook as their day-to-day activity management application, and improves visibility so users can report on these activities for better CRM activity reporting
Schedule appointments, meetings, and tasks in Outlook and link them to contacts, opportunities, projects, and cases so they are viewable in GoldMine
Show GoldMine contact information and related records when viewing activities in Outlook
Centralizing Customer Information

GMPE 9.0 Outlook integration - Email features:

Benefits include ease of use when delivering and receiving email communications, and improves email / information visibility and knowledge sharing amongst team members
Link messages from Outlook into the GoldMine database so they are a visible part of the contact history
Use GoldMine email templates in Outlook to personalize messages and improve productivity
Send messages between GoldMine users that can be read in Outlook or smartphones
Show GoldMine contact information and related records when viewing emails in Outlook

GMPE 9.0 Outlook integration - Other features:

Benefits users by allowing them access and views into both the Outlook and CRM paradigm without having to switch back & forth between applications, andallows clients to administer the process & data better between the two applications
View / navigate to other GoldMine records from Outlook
Synchronization between GoldMine and Outlook, including support for recurring activities, so your GoldMine calendar is accessible in Outlook and on your smartphone

Thursday, November 18, 2010
11:00AM - 12:00PM Pacific Time

This webinar is sponsored by FrontRange Solutions. FrontRange Solutions manufactures GoldMine Software used by more than 130,000 companies and over 1.7 million users worldwide to optimize sales, marketing and customer service performance.

To find out more information regarding GoldMine Solutions contact Tech.Sell or call 1.847.382.4500 to speak with a consultant. Visit www.techsell.net/goldmine to learn about the benefits of GoldMine CRM.

5675 Gibraltar Drive, Pleasanton, CA 94588, TEL.: 800.776.7889

SCRM? Social CRM - It's a whole new ballgame!

2010-11-03T15:58:00.001-05:00

In the last few months I've become very aware that the old paradigm of CRM is changing, in a very big way.

The monstrous growth of Social Networking has created a force that can't be ignored. You can't just store a bunch of data on customers and then send them email blasts inviting them to your boring website that hasn't changed in 2 years.
The prospects and customers are out there communicating with each other, and perhaps your competitors on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Plaxo, blogs and wherever. The internet has become an instant realtime network, for shopping, comparing, asking questions, getting answers, reading reviews and more.

There are hundreds of millions of people on line everyday, all day tweeting and texting and communicating. So if we sit at our desks or in our cars and aren't in this tidal wave of communication, we are missing something...BIG!

I'm not sure that we can quantify what that something is right now, but it's big. These social channels represent a mind boggling tidal wave of data. Topics, questions, info and a lot of mundane "I'm having my third latte", "I'm bored" and "yada yada" crash by, but folks are picking out the topics they are interested in. Then they follow those topics or the people or companies that send them. Then a relationship created by the customer begins to form and at that point it needs to be tracked and subtly monetized. If the prospect likes the info or relationship they may buy what you are offering. They may follow, they may "share", they may review. It happens with a click and that click spreads to one or 10,000 other devices (computers, phones, mobile devices, ipads, etc.) just like that.

If you haven't been paying attention to this paradigm shift, it should either be making you very excited or very nervous.

So how do you adapt to the new social world? How do you get your business or ideas or value proposition in front of the audience?

Do what I've done. Get company pages at FaceBook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Plaxo. Start a blog at Blogger or WordPress. All this stuff is free. You will be pretty amazed at the number of "friends" and followers you can accumulate.

After you get a feel for the social sites, tell your customers that you are there. Put links on your web page and email signatures.

In the near future, we'll be sharing info on SCRM and a program called Nimble, which tracks the social interactions of your contacts. But for now, if this is new, take off your shoes and socks and dip a toe in.

BTW, you can follow us by clicking any of the little logos under this posting.

iPad vs. MacBook Air - Hands on with the MacBook Air 13

2010-10-27T06:27:00.001-05:00

The new Macbook Air arrived yesterday and I've had several hours of "hands on" time. Here are my observations and comparison to the iPad. ...

Ipad vs Air

Feel, fit, finish: It is a very solid machine. the aluminum unibody is like a rock. It's brushed aluminum finish looks and feels great. It's 2.9 pounds vs 1.9 of the iPad is very reasonable, particularly compared to a 5.5 pound full size laptop. Keyboard feels great, but I really miss the back lighting on the keyboard. Buy a little USB light to use in the dark. Typing on the MBA vs the Ipad is much more sure and solid. Touchpad is very large and has more gesture capabilities than I have time to figure out.

Screen: Nice clear and bright, actually it can be too bright if turned up all the way. The new 1440x900 resolution is great. Gives you the same real estate of a 15" macbook pro and the fonts are not too small for senior viewers.

Side view

Speed and storage: Amazing! My MBA has 128 GB of Flash storage and I upgraded the Ram to 4GB ($100). This is a very fast machine. I haven't noticed any lag time at all no spinning beach balls. From a complete shut down it takes 15 seconds to fully boot. From hibernation it's instant on. lift the lid and you are working. Vs. the iPad, it's equal ground.

Ports: 2 USB ports is better than the old 1 port on the prior MB Air. I'd still recommend a little pocket port hub. I have a Belkin 4 port so now USB ports aren't a problem. I bought a USB ethernet adapter and that works great to get on the office network. The Wifi is easy and fast also. The display port is the same as my unibody Macbook Pro so I can use the same adapter at home or the office without an additional purchase.

Battery: Steve Jobs promised 7 hours of surfing time. I'm going to guess about 5 in normal use. Still pretty good.

Air vs. iPad? : For business or general use the MBA is the clear winner. Still little and light but with no cons. iPad wins for reading books, web surfing, and apps that are touch screen oriented. THE MBA runs all Mac programs including office and will run Windows with Parallels or VMWare. And don't forget printing. At this point it is quite challenging to print anything from an iPad. When Apple ads "apps" to the Mac (within 90 days) the skinny MBA could really dent the iPad decision.

Not much difference

For Windows users: One note I'll add. If you are a Mac user and use Parallels or VMWare Fusion to run Windows, you may have to wrestle with wasting 30 or 40 GB of your Flash "hard drive" with your Windows. I loaded my Windows 7 image on the internal drive as well as a 4500 RPM pocket drive and a 7200 RPM external drive. Amazingly the best boot up time was 2:15 on the internal drive, the 4500 external was about 3:30 and the 7200 was 3:00. So bottom line, Windows is a dog! Put it on an external drive and don't waste the space on your air. Probably the best bet if you travel is a notebook USB portable 7200 rpm drive.

As an additional note, I've been running Windows 7 and the fan has been on all day... Hmmm.

New MacBook Air -where does it fit?

2010-10-21T06:56:00.000-05:00

Yesterday Apple announced their update to the MacBook Air. It was the first major remake of the Air in 2 years. Apple says they took everything they learned from the iPhone and iPad and put it in a Mac. They said it's the future of the laptop. It's available in both 13.3' and a new 11.6" versions. Of course I ordered one. (not available at the Apple store yet.)

Here's what's new and exciting:

Thin and light- .68" at thickest spot .11" at thinnest. 2.9 Lbs. for the 13.3 and 2.3 for the 11.6" version. I ordered the 13.3" - the iPad weighs 1.5 lbs.
No hard drive- completely solid state flash memory= instant on. I ordered the 128 gb model a 256 gb is also available.
More ports 2 USB versus 1 on previous model. THey added a SD Card reader on the 13.3.
Lower price- the low end is $999.00. mine was about $1500 with 4 gb of ram.
7 hours of battery life

I've owned a MacBook Air for about a year. I also have an iPad. There is an ongoing comparison at our house about which is better. I go with the Air over the iPad for these reasons.

The keyboard - the iPads on screen keyboard is not for any kind of serious typing, especially is your a lousy typist like me.
The ability to run real applications versus scaled downed lite versions.
The ability to multi-task, though this is coming to the iPad in Nov.
The ability to print!
Flash - I don't care if Steve Jobs hates Adobe, but it's a pain to keep missing content because the iPad doesn't run flash.
I think the ipad is a little hard to hold and work with.

My MB air is scheduled to arrive by October 28. We'll see if it can rival my MacBook pro for "my only mac" rights.

Would you spend $300 more for a 11.6" screen Macbook Air full computer with a keyboard and the above benefits vs. an iPad with 9.7" screen and the above shortcomings? Get all the details here

Think Before You Upgrade...

2010-10-18T13:28:00.000-05:00

It's very tempting to upgrade your PCs or server to the latest greatest operating system or upgrade your MS Office Suite to 2010. However make sure your existing software is compatible before taking the leap.

If you do not have the most current version of GoldMine, you could be asking for some challenging issues. For example, GoldMine v8.5 is not technically compatible with Windows 7. We have seen it work, but if you have problems, FrontRange won't support you, even if you are current with your maintenance contract. Officially Windows 7 has not been tested with GoldMine v8.5 and therefore not compatible. Also be careful with 64 bit. Only the latest version 9.0 officially works with 64 bit. IGoldMine does not run or load on a 64 bit server.

GoldMine's integration with Microsoft Word will not work with Office 2010. We are beta testing the latest update for v9 that will be compatible with Office 2010. However, a release date for that new build is not known.

So, don't just take the leap - call us first. We can tell you what will or won't work with your current GoldMine.