info@hand System 7 Preview

info@hand System 7, under development since November 2009, is the most significant info@hand release since the first version in January 2005. Scheduled for general availability in early February 2012, System 7 is a major re-architecture of the info@hand application.

Some of the key advantages of the info@hand System 7 release include:

• Entirely new Studio, for Administrators to customize info@hand to better match their business. New Layout Editor, new Custom Field Editor, and new Dropdown Editor, as well as the ability to save Studio changes, restore them, or move them from one server to another.
• All new list views for all modules, including:
• Multiple layout tabs at the top of the list view, including a Browse All tab for the default list view and simple searches, a Quick Filter tab for comprehensive searches, a Reports tab for standard and custom reports based on the current module, and a control to add additional custom layout tabs with user-defined multi-part filters and user-selected column layouts.
• Support for multiple lines of information for each item in the list view.
• Quick info icons at the start of each item in the list, for a quick peek at more detailed information without going to the detail view for that item.
• The ability to temporarily override the page length of the current module's list view, and view the list starting at any specific item.
• List items which may be selected individually, by the pageful, or in total, and then may be used to generate a CSV file export, or to create a PDF report, using the columns of the current layout.
• Combined Mass Update and Teams panels below the item list, for greater flexibility and reduced screen footprint.
• Significant detail view enhancements, including:
  • Users with Admin access rights can use the Layout Editor and Custom Fields Editor right from the Edit and Detail view screens.
  • More attractive field rendering in Edit & Detail views, with field type micro-icon visual cues, resulting in overall usability and cosmetic improvements.
  • Improved data entry methods for various field types such as date and time, and related items.
  • A control on each sub-panel to Zoom to that sub-panel data seen as a full width list view with paging controls, and a link back to the parent record.
  • All new PDF generation feature for the item in the current detail view.
• Dynamic Target List definition: A list can include all Contacts where one or more conditions are true, plus all Leads where different conditions are true, etc... - so that as long as Contact/Lead/Target data is maintained accurately, you always know membership in the list is up to date.
• Drip-Feed Email Campaigns: Create a series of emails, where each is delivered a specified number of days or months after a target is added to the campaign. Typically used for multi-stage mind-share campaigns for new leads.
• info@hand System 7 is faster - much faster! One key aspect to this is the widespread use of AJAX technology to update screen data without re-generating the entire browser page. From a module's list view the user can browse different layout tabs, page forwards and backwards, select a record and see the detail view, and then even edit and save that item - all without ever re-transmitting the overall browser page. Try it yourself!
• More comprehensive SugarCRM compatibility in the info@hand web services API, providing benefits such as the ability to use the SugarCRM iPhone app, compatibility with many 3rd- party SugarCRM add-ons, and an API which is well-documented and familiar to many developers.
• All-new Upgrades & Customization admin feature loads system upgrades, add-on modules, language, theme and holiday packs, as well as new Personality Packs. Personality Packs can customize a system with additional modules, studio customizations, and other changes all in one step, to fully customize the CRM for a specific industry.
• Enhancements to the Delight theme, adding an additional colour option (Moss) and moving the menu bar to the top of the browser window.
• An all-new, advanced architecture for third party developers (see preliminary developer documentation), which offers these benefits:
  • Modules which may be created by making a set of definition files - one for each table definition, one for each layout (including listviews and filters), plus a generic listview config file and a generic module config file. Start by copying the sample loadable add-on module provided, then use the new developer documentation to adapt it to create your own module.
  • Simpler to code additional custom logic hooks.
  • Detail and edit view form layout changes defined in the Studio will persist after software upgrades with little or no attention from the system admin.
  • A more flexible Workflow engine that is more capable with custom fields.
  • Standard fields and custom fields are equally well supported for their use in Reports, as Search filters, as Mass Update fields, for Auditing, and for display as List View columns.
  • Extensive use of common code increases performance and improves simplicity, consistency and reliability of the user experience. For example, Reports share the list view Studio controls for filters and column layouts. Pop-up Select boxes and sub-panels also share the main list view code.

The video below features some of the highlights of the ground-breaking release 7.0 of info@hand:

info@hand System 7.0 Highlights

The image below shows the new Studio layout editor, which operates in place within each module. (Click here for larger image)

The images below show the Sugar Mobile app for iPhones, which works well with info@hand. Try it yourself - it's a free download from the App Store. Then enter the credentials as shown in the last image - admin, admin, http://70demo.infoathand.net.

       

       

 

info@hand 7.0 Preview Release - Live Online Demo Site (admin / admin to login)

Click on the link above to try the info@hand System 7 Preview. The demo lets you access both user and Admin capabilities.