Long Reach Releases Version 3.5 of info@hand Self-Service Portal & eStore:

Offers New Partner Access Features & Integrates the Latest
Releases from Joomla!™, VirtueMart and FireBoard

ONTARIO, CANADA – (January 31, 2009) – The Long Reach Corporation has announced the release of the next generation of the Self-Service Portal and eStore for its flagship product, info@hand, a Customer Relationship and Business Management (CRBM) System for small and medium-sized businesses.

Note: Try info@hand CRBM 6.0 here: Login using username=admin, password=admin, and try the Self-Service Portal & eStore version 3.5 here: Login using username=demo, password=demo.)

The key new features of release 3.5 of the Self-Service Portal and eStore are:

• Add Partner Portal Capabilities - Partners can add new Leads, and review data on their Leads, Opportunities, Accounts and Invoices
• eStore Integration Enhancements - Sync Product Catalog items with HTML product descriptions, multi-level categories, product attributes.

Also notable in this latest release is the incorporation of the latest versions of the underlying Open Source software from the Joomla!™ (1.5.8), VirtueMart (1.1.2), and FireBoard (1.0.4) projects.

info@hand is one of the first products to blend first class Customer Relationship Management (CRM) features with extended business management capabilities for Accounting and ERP, e-Commerce, Project & Resource tracking, Customer Service, and Human Resources. The latest release 6.0 of the info@hand CRBM System is being previewed at the same time as this new Self-Service Portal & eStore release.

While a CRM is usually purchased initially as a tool for the employees of a business, it is critically important that the CRM also provide attractive and compelling tools for the customers and partners of the business. A 24/7 Self-Service Portal, as well as an eStore, are critical components of any business' CRM strategy, as they are the customer-facing aspects of your CRM solution.

A customer that is logged in to the info@hand Self-Service Portal & eStore may perform these functions:

• Update their own contact information at any time, directly within their supplier’s master records kept by the info@hand CRBM
• Register to use the info@hand eStore, included with the Self-Service Portal (see more on the eStore here)
  
• Access Knowledge Base articles created and published from within the CRBM
• Register for Marketing Events, Newsletters and Seminars
• Update their own password for access to the Self-Service Portal
• Access Invoice and Payment history to check their account balance and status with your business
  
• Access Quotes you prepare for them, and review and comment on them
  
• File service Cases directly within their supplier’s info@hand CRBM, and return at any time 24/7 to review updated information
  
• File Software Bugs directly within their supplier’s info@hand CRBM, and return at any time 24/7 to review updated information
• Collaborate on a Project:
  • The customer can see all the project tasks identified (although some may be hidden from the customer by users of the CRBM), and the progress % to date
  • The customer can see all Documents linked to the project, and can add new documents themselves
  • The customer can see Notes related to the project (although some may be hidden from the customer by users of the CRBM) – and may add additional notes themselves – optionally with attachments such as Microsoft Office files
  • The customer can see all Contacts related to the project
• Participate in Customer Forums – a full forum system is included within the Self-Service Portal
• Review Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) and their answers
  

Pricing for info@hand is simple compared to other CRM products. info@hand is sold for a one-time customer fee of 185 Euros (about $250 US) per user, which includes specific software for mobile access (info@hand Mobile) and the info@hand Self-Service Portal with eStore (which provides clients with access to automated sales and service 24/7). Also included in the standard price are the info@hand Plug-in for Microsoft Outlook, and info@hand PBX software for integrating with Asterisk/Trixbox/Fonality/Skype/X-Lite IP telephony solutions.

An online demo of info@hand is available via their website. A 30-day free trial of the info@hand On Demand (subscription) service is also available. Customers may then decide to implement info@hand as On Premise software running on the customer’s own server or at their ISP, or as an On Demand service.

Note: Joomla!™ is the registered trademark of Open Source Matters, Inc. in the United States and other countries.