Best Business SW Tools #3
From PC World Magazine 7/13 enhanced by Peter/CXO Wiz4biz 11/13 Apha listed
10. E-Mail: a) Thunderbird:
If you have Microsoft Office, you already have Outlook, the industry-standard Email app. But if you’re looking to save a buck and still get most of Outlook’s features, Thunderbird is a capable, free alternative. Message tagging & a speedy, integrated search system actually offer a few improvements over off-the-rack Outlook. (free) b) Yahoo’s Zimba Desktop. Another interesting, non-Outlook Email option is Zimbra Desktop, which Yahoo acquired earlier this year. In simple terms, the Zimbra Desktop is an offline version of Zimbra’s capable Web-based Email manager. It includes everything a small-business user needs: a Contact manager, an impressive Calendar, a To-Do list, and even a simple, integrated Document manager for quick note-taking. (free)
11. E-Mail Marketing: Topica
Don’t call it spam: Communicating via Email with your customers is cool, as long as they opt in. Topica has been in the Email marketing/ mailing-list game for years, and most spam filters are pretty kind to messages that are sent through its service. Topica is also one of the most affordable of such Email marketing platforms that you can find on the Web–and it sure beats running a mailing list server yourself. ($50 per month and up depending on Email volume)
12. Instant Messaging: Pidgin
You don’t have to run four different instant-messaging applications just to communicate with your clients & with everyone in your office. Multi-protocol SW like Pidgin allows you to communicate with users across more than a dozen IM services: Not just AIM, ICQ, and other biggies, but also lesser-known ones like Gadu-Gadu (it’s Polish) and Zephyr. (free)
13. Invoicing: Zoho Invoice
Don’t need a full-fledged accounting app like QuickBooks? Zoho Invoice is a near-perfect Web-based solution for managing simple billing needs. Create & manage customer accounts, build invoices, and then print or e-mail them with a mouse click. You can also tie in your use of Invoice with Zoho’s other, extra-cost business services. (free to $35 per month depending on invoice quantity)
14. Mobile Device Remote Access: SoonR
It’s one thing to be stuck in an airport without access to a critical file back at the office, but what if you don’t even have access to a computer? Enter SoonR Desktop, which lets you snag files from your PC or Mac via a mobile phone. SoonR isn’t built for serious data transfer needs–but it just might get you out of a jam when it counts. (free)
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