Next Release...

[Support Team]

Re: Next Release...

@Scott,
We plan to optimize the Web interface to be more useable on mobile devices in the future.
At this stage, we cannot provide a time frame for this. I can say that it is not included in the coming release 5.3.
As always, we post info on next releases once we're closer to beta.

@lpopjoy
I know that we plan to look into a public roadmap again; we've had one for a long time! The roadmap never was meant to be a RangerMSPment; however, it gave a good idea of what's was planned. We made a change to the roadmap based on other requests we received from the community. It made some new customers very angry as they purchased based on this roadmap... (they shouldn't have but they have). We currently do not publish one (again, we will reconsider) and purchase decisions should be based on existing features.

Thank you,
Doron

[stsanford]

Re: Next Release...

Yeah, Doron, my purchase was made on the promise of some key features and adjustments which have yet to come to pass, alas, I'm one of the angry ones. ;-)

[g2computersolutions]

Re: Next Release...

Let's have a little gut check here. I am asumming the people that purchase CommitCRM are IT professionals. As such, we understand that things change and that roadmap are only Pencil, at best. The problem is that this 'blind progress' makes it dificult for us to plan our own IT needs. For instance, it's hard to address the need to generate nice quotes if we don't if we should evaluate other products or not. I'm sur we wouldn't be happy to spend time solving a problem that you decide to address in the 'next release'

[Support Team]

Re: Next Release...

g2computersolutions, Thank you for this. It makes sense and we can see what you're saying. We do tend to address it as we do want to share as much as possible and be as transparent as possible, while keeping things in order and not promising anything that might be delayed due to other items receive higher priorities. We're running an internal discussion here on how to implement it while still keeping everyone happy - existing users and potential customers (without having potential customers spend money based on feature listed for future releases - ones that may or may not be delayed. Usually we do provide info about the next release, for example, the next one - 5.3 - will include enhance ticket email threading options.
Thanks again for your comments. I hope to have some news on this soon.

Doron

[ebuhrendorf]

Re: Next Release...

I just looked into TigerPaw after hearing about it on this post. My first reaction is... where the heck are the prices for the software?? There was nothing on the site about pricing, just 10 different ways to input every bit of info about youreself. I can't stand that shady feeling you get from a company that sells a product but wants to collect every bit of information about you first before talking about price.
So the next logical step was to call the sales dept. I get Jake on the phone. He asks me my name and my company name. I give him my name and he says, what company are you with? I said, Jake, I just want to know how much your product costs. I'm just starting the shopping process and would like to not share my information with you at this point as I get enough junk mail.
He actually said, "Well, I don't know why we would share information with you if you don't share information with us."
Really? Really Jake?
My finger couldn't hang up the phone fast enough. I just had a bad feeling about the company.

[nattivillin]

Re: Next Release...

That's how many businesses run these days. I went into a wireless store to ask about their broadband cards, and they wanted me to sign in with my cell phone number so they can txt me when its my turn. The system wouldn't let me do anything without putting in my # so I said real loudly "I'm not giving you my phone # to find out about your product!"

[AN-Tech]

Re: Next Release...

When I was originally looking into CRM software I shot down TigerPaw for the exact same reason. I contacted them to find out pricing and was basically told that their prices were not something they could give me without me providing all of my information and making me go through a sales pitch. I wasn't at that stage and was only seeing what my options were out there.

I'm not going to work with a company that is so afraid to give their prices when someone contacts them. It's bad enough to not post the prices on their website and force people to contact them. But when you contact them and still cannot get their prices that's where I draw the line. I told them that I wasn't going to go any further with them until they gave me prices and they still wouldn't. I'm pretty sure the sales guy that I spoke with and that kept calling for months was also Jake :-)

[cforger]

Re: Next Release...

I've looked closely into TigerPaw and ConectWise. I've actually bought CW, and may return it (it was $15k to do what CommitCRM does for $2k). It has some serious bonuses, but also some things that shock me for being so crude.

TigerPaw was nearly the same price. When you get into the "Big Boy" software, you're looking at 10x the cost fromCommitCRM.

Oh - I had to buy a $14k Dell server to run CW as well. It's a hog. MS SQL 2008 (full), Windows 2008 also required.

I'd seriously give CommitCRM the $15k I've spent on CW if they could give me the features and updates to CommitCRM that I want.

As it is, my dreams of the "one software" to run my business still doesn't exist. It's extremely frustrating, because I had it 10 years ago when I coded my own CRM software. I just don't have the time for that anymore, and I'm running around with fistfulls of cash willing to give it to anyone who can give me what I need today.

It just doesn't exist unfortunately.

The problem will always be focus - The developer's focus is spent trying to please the masses, and each ofus have different needs. Some of us need MS-Project type ability more than others, others want better quoting, others want Inventory. These are all very large wants.

I really like Commit, but I think they should raise their prices, put a few more dev on staff, and pick up the pace. If they could expand their software platform, they would be able to steal CW users (and if you have 10 people on a loaded CW, you're paying $30,000 in licensing, so picking up CW clients would be sweet for Commit) because their platform is efficient, not coded with .NET bulk.

[AN-Tech]

Re: Next Release...

cforger,

I also think that CommitCRM should consider increasing their prices. If they need to add more to their development team to add the functionality that we are really looking for I hope they do. I'm sure most of us here that beg, plead, and threaten to get the features we need would be will to pay more for it.

[Easy I.T.]

Re: Next Release...

So any ideas when the next release will be?

[Maayan Porat]

Re: Next Release...

Hello cforger and ascendnet,

Many thanks for your feedback and the time invested in posting this and sharing your thoughts with us and the community. I believe that you touched some of the challenges we face.

I’d like to take this opportunity and shed some light on our agenda and product related guidelines:

1. Keep the system simple and easy to use while continually expanding its feature set.
   
   
2. Keep the system easy to install, efficient and have it run well without any special hardware or software requirements.
   
   
3. Keep the price reasonable to allow also small and new IT firms to manage their business with our PSA system.
   
   
4. Listen, listen and listen again to our users and focus our resources to provide answers to their needs.

These are all tough goals to maintain, especially in the long run (it’s very easy to make the system complex, have it consume lots of hw/sw resources, increase the price, etc.).

How are we doing? Based on various business parameters we believe that we’re doing well.

Are there areas we need to improve in? Yes. We constantly work hard to improve, fix and streamline our processes in order to follow our guidelines and provide better tools for our users.

We have big plans for 2010. RangerMSP 5.3 is in sight, and lots of other goodies are also on their way.

Thanks again for providing your feedback.

Regards,

Maayan Porat
Founder and CEO
RangerMSP

[lpopejoy]

Re: Next Release...

Wow! So there's a CEO over there? ;) Good to meet you Mr. Porat. I think you guys are doing a good job. yes, I get at least one frustration every day, but you are on the right track. Thanks for listening!!

By the way, where's the link to the roadmap again? ;)

[g2computersolutions]

Re: Next Release...

"We have big plans for 2010. CommitCRM 5.3 is in sight, and lots of other goodies are also on their way."

Let's take the above statement and start our planning sessions for the year. NOT

What exactly does it mean? I have no idea!

This statement is at the very core of what the complaints are about. How can we, as your clients, make plans concerning our businesses based on the above statement. Do we not our calendar to refelect that CommitCRM is comming out with "other goodies 2.5" in the 3rd quarter? It's a very 'subjective' statement, at best.

What does "Big Plans" mean? What about "Other Goodies"? What does it all mean? Are we to be checking our mail for cookies, a rebate check, or maybe a nice new web interface that functions exactly like the desktop client? I'm just curious since I have no idea what the statement means.

As I've stated before, I think we're all adults here and understand that things change and deadlines/targets are changed or not met. We can deal with that. It's the total sense of the unknown that drives us crazy.

It's like we can speculate on the next release of iPhone, the features of Apple's tablet PC, and a million other things, but when it comes to Commit, we have to wait, and wait, and wait to see what shows up.

Don't get me wrong, I like the product a lot. I just wish the channels of communications were a bit wider and allowed us, as your clients, to feel more connected to the overall direction of a product which serves a major role in our businesses.

Thanks,

G-

[kerby.p]

Re: Next Release...

I've been contemplating moving to CCRM for over three years now. I've looked at connectwise, Tiger, Karisoft, and many more. The problem with them is they are so damn expensive, plus the collateral damage (SQL server, MS server, hardware, backup software).
Looking forward to see what CCRM has cooking for the next release, I've decided to not make a purchase until they have some tight integration with either quickbooks estimates, or quoteworks. Until then, I will use MS Access to track my work orders.

[spector]

Re: Next Release...

I am following this thread with interest and experience of other vendor software i.e. ConnectWise.

As a service provider it is clear that many people using CommitCRM are looking for the magic silver bullet that provides a single solution to all of the business requirements from ticket management through to billing. We have been using Connectwise pretty successfully for 2 years after a migration fromCommitCRM. We are now reversing this decision. The reasons for this are that we have never been able to successfully integrate 3rd party Apps like Quickbooks ( to allow for VAT reporting) and Quote Werks integration made a labourious job more long winded. There are several other reasons for our decision - namely poor support for localised versions of the software.

While Connectwise support was good the v8 release has left us in no doubt that they have released a product before it was ready. We committed serious time and effort in the migration process and I think that we have benefited from our business review process but CommitCRM really ticks most of our boxes.

We have been particularly blown away by the level of support we have received in our review process. I agree with other in this post that there may be room for a higher end product in the say 3-5k region offering features such as:

1. Time sheet management.
2. Improved Email parsing.
3. Better management of projects.
4. More fine grained control of an account status i.e. On Hold alerts.
5. Colour coded tickets in teh ticket screen.
6. Greater reporting flexibilty.
7.An improved web interface.
8. Better MSP integration.

BUT and this is a big BUT the CommitCRM folks have done serious work in 2-2.5 years in answering the needs of service providers.

Continue the good workCommitCRM.