CRM System for Contacts

Easy with OneNote....
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as a matter of fact, you can drag and drop the file or "print to OneNote" and it will put the actual open document in to it. You can also send any e-mail directly to it under any client's name.
 
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Leads360 has a free version to get started with, agencyiq is pretty fairly priced, and YIO is a great value and just a 1 time fee, especially since you also get training with it.
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I like Frank and YIO, but personally I don't like having all my client info stored on my PC.

I much prefer hosted CRM's, so I can access the info I need from any computer.

I use ZOHO and BROKER OFFICE.

If you don't have automatic login and use encryption your data is reasonably secure. I back up all my files through mozy, and keep them on my pc, and don't use paper but I keep everything encrypted, I mean someone could steal that, but by the time they could break the encryption all the clients would be dead.
 
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If you have Microsoft Office, try using OneNote. Not many people know about it, but it works really well with outlook and google calendars and is "free" if you have office.


I thought most people used OneNote inside of Outlook. Maybe I am special.....LOL
 
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Actually v5.0 is the current one. It is the total re-write that will be "cloud-ready".

Um... what does "cloud-ready" mean in the context of YIO? Is the next YIO going to be web-based? Is that what you are saying?
 
Um... what does "cloud-ready" mean in the context of YIO? Is the next YIO going to be web-based? Is that what you are saying?

That really isn't a term I use but I assumed that means web-based. If it isn't then I don't have a clue what the question is. Actually I expect the next one to be more lofty than just clouds. :)

The next YIO is suppose to present the agent with three options. Computer based as it is now, web-bases and a third version that will be designed specifically for a PDA. I haven't seen anything yet but that is what the guys programming it have told me.
 
The next YIO is suppose to present the agent with three options. Computer based as it is now, web-bases and a third version that will be designed specifically for a PDA. I haven't seen anything yet but that is what the guys programming it have told me.

Any idea when the next version will be released?
 
What database back-end are you going to use on the web-version?

You might consider using a database abstraction layer which would make your code easily adaptable to all of the major databases. A free one is called ADODB. I've used it for years and it is solid. Your programmers should know about it.

Personally, I would suggest you use MySQL as it is free and robust. Please, please, PLEASE don't use Access.

Please... I hope you are not using ASP.Net on the web, if for no other reason then you will probably require it be hosted on a Windows server and you are looking at a maintence or security nightmare. Stick with tried and true LAMP (linux, apache, mysql, php) platform and you can sleep at night!

You have two basic roll-out choices. Is this going to be run as a web-service where people pay YOU each month to use, as we do with our Jaya123 system? OR will this be a system that someone can buy, download and install on their OWN web serverserver or locally, similar to how SugarCRM works (which has it's own "statck installer" to install the necessary PHP, Apache, and MySQL components?

No wrong answer... just curious how you architected (which is really not a word, but is used all the time in geek-land) the new YIO.

How will this system be different from Radius or AgencyWow and the other insurance web-based CRMs out there?

Now is the time to start your marketing on this... find out what people are looking for, what they will be willing to pay, etc.

One HUGE suggestion... if you are going to run the new Web-YIO as a service, make sure you host it on a dedicated, locked down server at a reputable server farm (I use PairNetworks.) One hack or major breakdown and you could be of business.

You want to take hourly (or more) backups of the database and have them FTPd to an offsite server. I used to use ibackup.com but use a different one now. Don't EVER tell ANYONE where you have your backups sent to. (I send Jaya backups to TWO different locations... neither having the same weather patterns.)

Oh... and don't let your geeks use AJAX. Lots of security issues with that platform... as is with client-side data editing with javascript (which for those who don't know has zero relation to the Java programming language... except the name.) Javascript is mostly evil... Java is fine (but a PITA to program in!)

I use SugarCRM, but if you can build a system I like and convince me you have bulletproof structure with good backup facilities and a fair price I would junk Sugar and use YIO online.

Of course being an ex-geek I'd like to be able to run a local version as well. That's what I do with Sugar now. It runs on my sever and on my Mac if I need it. I download the database each few hours and re-load it locally in case the internet goes out. Yes, I could be a few hours behind, but I'm not out of biz.

That said, I doubt you would get too many people who will want to replicate the whole system on their own server and you will also have issues with piracy if you do that. You are best to create a server-side subscription platform with one huge database with everyone's stuff in it... and make sure you protect the hell out of it (which is really not that hard to do... one way is not to let people email out of it or upload into it... but that has drawbacks marketing wise as people will want to upload their current YIO data. If you allow that, make sure your programmers know how to protect the open door or you will be sorry. (We don't allow email out or import in to Jaya123. I lose potential subscribers because of that, but so be it. Of course YOU could have a service where ex-YIO people send you their Access database and YOUR people do the conversion... for a fee.)

I think a web-based YIO is EXCITING NEWS. Start releasing info on it so that when it comes out we'll be ready to buy or subscribe.

Contact me off-line if you want help or advice (worth with it costs!) **

Al

** And yes, Frank and I long, long, long ago buried the hatchet and we get along fine. With his long, long, long experience in the biz I bet his new web-based system will be a "killer" and I'm looking forward to testing it when it is ready. (I've been helping the Radius guys do theirs. (Nice system, but I don't care for the interface (the orange hurts my eyes) or the pricing structure.))
 
Al before you go endorsing Frank, you should know that his new system is being tested on baby seals.
 
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