Cynergy Solutions | SugarCRM, trixbox phone IVR, Google Apps, and Box.net Consulting

admin — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 22:55:22 +0000

SugarCRM 6.4.0 Beta Release is Now Available for customers!

Beta Calendar module

- Ability to drag-and-drop items — Drag and drop items in Calendar for better ease of use

- Quick create and edit forms — Click on any time slot within Calendar to create Meetings and Calls; also click on any Calendar item to modify information in Quick Edit forms

- Long meetings displayed in a solid continuous piece — Calendar items that are longer than 30 minutes in duration are displayed as a solid continuous item ie, they do not have lines demarcating the 30 minute time boundaries

- Calendar dashlet — Calendar has been added as one of the Sugar Home Dashlets items

- Individual color-codes for Meetings, Tasks and Calls — Meetings are displayed in blue, Calls in red, and Tasks in green to distinguish and identify them easily in Calendar

- Ability to change the first day of the week — Select any day as your preferred first day of the week from your User pages and display the modifications in month-view of Calendar

- Ability to navigate within Calendar by using the calendar view — Navigate to any date with one click using the calendar view, instead of using the Next button
Studio enhancements
- Changes to Edit Fields option in Studio — Fields Editor is presented in tabular form for better display and lists details such as (field)Name, Display Label, and (field)Type

- Users and Employees modules added to Studio — Ability to customize Users and Employees modules in Studio.
Other/Miscellaneous enhancements
- Import wizard - Import LinkedIn Contacts. Use the Import Wizard to import LinkedIn contacts for person-type modules such as Contacts, Leads, Targets, and Users (commercial editions only)

- Working towards 508 compliance: alt text, language specification in HTML headers, new Accessibility theme with better contrast in colors for enhanced parsing of images for screen readers (only in commercial editions)

Platform enhancements
- DB2 support — Sugar 6.4.0 supports IBM DB2 LUW 974 with ibm_db2 version 1.9.2 driver on the PHP site for better performance, stability, and flexibility of the system. (Enterprise, Ultimate only)

- DB layer refactoring — This applies only to systems with custom modules that are upgrading to a higher Sugar version or edition. Test the upgrade in a staging environment before roll out since dependencies on the old DB layer may disrupt the upgrade process.

- Cache upload enhancements — Place the cache directory in any location within the file system after editing the config settings.

- CSS Sprites for better performance - Combining multiple images and icons into a single image resulting in fewer images for the browser to download and fewer requests to the server. Using CSS the small images – called “sprites” – are loaded from the single image and displayed to the user. This results in reduced download time, less bandwidth consumption, and better performance of the application. Specifically users on slower Internet connections will benefit from this as the amount of server requests is much lower on every page load.

Why Google Sites are So…Cool

admin — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 19:28:25 +0000

The ability to publish documents to your team using File Cabinets is one of our favorite features.

SugarCRM and Inside View

admin — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 00:21:37 +0000

Great news: we’re adding InsideViewsales
intelligence to Sugarat no extra charge.

Get comprehensive, up-to-date business information on your Accounts, Leads,
Contacts, and Opportunities from over 25,000 sources
Find more qualified leads
Engage opportunities effectively and accelerate closing
Build
account relationships and increase up-sells and renewals
Track companies and get automatic sales trigger alerts

SugarCRM customers also get a 14-day InsideView
PRO version upgrade including custom agents, connection details, social network
intelligence, list building and export, and much more. Try it and then take
advantage of this limited-time offer:

Subscribe to InsideView PRO by December 31 & save 50% off your InsideView
subscription through SugarCRM.

The Facts About Salesforce.com (part 2)

admin — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 02:59:57 +0000

Originally posted by Jan Sysman of SugarCRM on June 30, 2011

The Oracle of San Francisco has spoken. The Cloud is Passé. The Cloud is Dead. All hail to the Oracle.

Or maybe Marc Benioff is so eager to move away from the cloud and on to the next hot thing because he knows that Salesforce.com, as a first generation SaaS application, has become a “legacy application” in the new era of the cloud.” According to Mark Vizard, author of SaaS is Dead, Long Live the Cloud, we’re now in a new era “that is defined by an elasticity that gives IT organizations maximum flexibility in terms of choosing to deploy software on premise, in the cloud or both.”

According to Vizard, “one of the fundamental tenets of software-as-a-service (SaaS) is that the application is supposed to run as a single instance on top of a multi-tenant IT infrastructure. With Salesforce.com, for example, every customer has specific rights and privileges to a shared customer relationship management (CRM) application running on database servers managed by Salesforce.com. Given that model, there is no ‘software’ from the perspective of the end customer. The Salesforce.com business model, combined with the fact that the application was designed from the ground up to run on a specific multi-tenant architecture, means customers can’t run a version of the Salesforce application on their premise.”

In another article, Vizard makes the case that cloud computing “will stand in sharp contrast to the way Salesforce.com operates. In the case of Salesforce.com, there is only one source for the company’s software that runs on a couple of data centers managed by Salesforce.com.” He adds that “software-as-a-service (SaaS) as we think about it today is moribund in the age of the cloud.” Vizard makes the case that cloud-based CRM solutions like SugarCRM “are going to let customers run their software on premise or in any data center they choose, as opposed to requiring them to run their CRM software on a data center managed by a software vendor.”

I don’t believe that the cloud is dead. From where I sit, I see customers very eager to board the cloud train. Customers really believe in the promise that cloud computing is giving them choice – a choice to deploy their software applications where it makes sense for them: in their private cloud, in the vendor’s cloud, or in a public cloud. And knowing that they have the option to change their deployment based on their changing market requirements.

The Facts About Salesforce.com (part 1)

admin — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 03:05:09 +0000

Originally Posted by Jan Sysman of SugarCRM on June 24, 2011

“Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery,” said Charles Caleb Colton in 1820. So we’re delighted to see that Salesforce.com is copying our Mobile, Social and Open messages to give some substance to their latest Cloudforce events. It is nice to see that after we started promoting these capabilities more than a year ago, Salesforce.com is following our lead.

So why is the 800 lb. gorilla in the CRM industry doing this? Are they running out of creative positioning ideas? Is there more to this than meets the eye?

We compete and win against Salesforce.com everyday and from where I sit, it seems obvious that Salesforce.com is concerned that SugarCRM’s flexible, intuitive and open CRM platform gives customers a better Global, Mobile and Social CRM solution. They are so concerned that they are unable to compete with Sugar’s flexibility or price that they resort to publishing a list of “considerations” for prospects who are evaluating SugarCRM. A list of considerations that is nothing more than a smokescreen of “FUD”: Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt.

Thank you Salesforce.com. We are grateful that you are confirming that SugarCRM is the best alternative to Salesforce.com for customers who are looking for a cost effective, flexible, intuitive and truly open solution. A solution that raises the bar and sets a new standard in mobile CRM and a Social CRM solution where companies get to collaborate with their customers, not provide behind the firewall chatter.

Or in the words of a customer: “Salesforce.com has really evolved. They offer all the warmth of Oracle and the flexibility of SAP. Which is why we choose SugarCRM, a flexible, intuitive and open solution that adapts to our business needs.”

So if you are in the market for a new CRM solution and you would like to consider all the facts when choosing the right CRM solution for your organization, please read this overview of SugarCRM. We’ve included an answer to all the “considerations” Salesforce.com recommends you ask us. And as a bonus, we added a list of legitimate questions you should ask Salesforce.com.

Cynergy Solutions earns SugarCRM MVP Award at SugarCon 2011

admin — Wed, 11 May 2011 19:44:38 +0000

A special thanks to all of of our customers, partners, and team membrs for enabling us to be recognized at the SugarCon 2011 event. We are proud to be a member of the SugarCRM Partner Eco-System, and look forward to continuing success in the future. The full press release can be found here.

New Features | SugarCRM v6.2

admin — Wed, 04 May 2011 03:08:01 +0000

What’s New in SugarCRM v6.2?

New features, enhancements, and other changes in Sugar 6.2 are as follows:

•	New Connectors
•	Sugar Dashlet additions and enhancements
•	My Activity Stream enhancements
•	Administrator enhancements
•	Studio enhancements
•	Other/miscellaneous changes

New connectors

The following connectors are new in Sugar 6.2:

•	IBM LotusLive^* — Access IBM LotusLive meetings and files from within Sugar
•	Google Docs — Access Google Docs and upload documents to Google Docs from within Sugar
•	Cisco WebEx meetings — Manage and attend online meetings using Cisco WebEx within Sugar
•	GoToMeeting meetings — Manage and attend online meetings using GoToMeeting within Sugar

^* Note: The IBM LotusLive Connector requires registration of your Sugar application with LotusLive. Registration will be available starting May 8, 2011 from within LotusLive. Information regarding how to register your Sugar application can be found within the Connector settings in the adminstration page in the Sugar application.

Sugar Dashlet additions and enhancements

The following are new to Sugar Dashlets in Sugar 6.2:

•	My Quotes and My Documents Sugar dashlets — These two new dashlets are available to add to the Home pages.
•	Auto-refresh data in Sugar dashlets — Individual users can set an auto-refresh interval per dashlet. Administrators can enable and disable auto-refreshing, as well as control the minimum auto-refresh interval that users are able to set.
•	My Sugar Feed dashlet is now known as My Activity Stream — See the list below for additions and enhancements to the Activity Stream features in Sugar 6.2.

Activity Stream Dashlet enhancements

The following are new to the My Activity Stream dashlet in Sugar 6.2:

•	Filter by records identified as “My Favorites”.
•	View user pictures within posts.
•	Reply to and delete posts.
•	Twitter and Facebook feeds — View a posts from a Facebook News Feed and/or a Twitter feed.

Administrator enhancements

The following abilities have been added for users with administrator (admin) privileges in Sugar:

•	Delete Private Teams — Admin users can delete private teams associated with deleted users. Deleted private teams no longer appear in the User selection lists.
•	Enable/Disable modules for Global Search — Administrators can select the modules that users can search when using Global Search. This includes both standard and custom modules that have been deployed in Sugar.
•	Display/hide available languages — Administrators are able to manage languages that are available to users.
•	Set system default theme — System default theme can be set by the administrator.
•	Change other admin passwords — System Administrators can change each other’s passwords.

Studio enhancements

The following enhancements have been made to Studio within the Developers Tool section of admin responsibilities:

•	Copy/Sync Edit and Detail Views — Modifications made to the EditView layout can be copied to the DetailView. The DetailView can also be synced with the EditView so that any changes made to the EditView are automatically reflected in the DetailView.
•	Create custom Relate fields to relate to Users — The Users module can be selected for custom Relate fields that can be used to relate records to Users.
•	Search for records using date and number ranges — Admin users can manage settings for date/datetime and number fields in order to enable users to run module searches on date and number ranges.
•	Calculated Fields — Formulas can be created to determine the values within fields. Date and Datetime fields and date-related functions are supported.
•	Dependent Fields — Formulas can be created to determine whether a field is visible within the EditView and DetailView layouts.

Other/Miscellaneous enhancements

Additional changes in Sugar 6.2 include, but are not limited to, the following:

•	New Javascript charts — A new charting engine is used in place of the former Flash engine. Charts are no longer Flash-based. HTML5 browser capabilities are used to render bolder, brighter images. Charts can be displayed in PDFs generated through HTML5-enabled browser in Reports.
•	Modules under the Campaigns and Activities tabs are split out into individual module tabs for easier access and navigation for the user
•	“Closed” records can be filtered out of ListViews by selecting a new “Open Items” checkbox in the module Basic Searches. Note: For upgraded instances with customized Basic Search layouts, the “Open Items” checkbox can be added using Studio.
•	Campaigns subpanel appears under Accounts to consolidate all campaign-related information associated with the account
•	“Create” icon/link to full EditView appears in module pages for quick access.
•	“Assigned to” field appears in Document records to specify an owner of the record. Note: For upgraded instances with customized Document layouts, the “Assigned to” checkbox can be added using Studio.
•	“Date Created“ field appears in default ListViews to indicate when a particular record was created and to enable sorting by the date in descending or ascending order. Note: For upgraded instances with customized Document layouts, the “Date Created” checkbox can be added using Studio
•	Capability exists for administrator to disable the Downloads tab in User Settings for all users.
•	Capability exists to map Account Addresses to both the Primary and the Other Address of related Contacts.
•	“rem“ link no longer appears in the Opportunity subpanel under Accounts.
•	“Print“ link/icon is now located at the bottom of each page.
•	“Help“ link is now located in the slider bar menu at the top of each page.
•	New “Back to Top“ link appears at the bottom of each page.
•	Right to Left (RTL) theme added to enhance the experience of languages that read from right-to-left.

Issues addressed in Sugar 6.2

The list of bugs addressed in Sugar 6.2 has been omitted from this document due to the large number. To view a full list or detailed information on a particular issues addressed in Sugar 6.2, use the SugarCRM Bug Trackerlocated at http://bugs.sugarcrm.com.

To view the complete list of bugs fixed in this specific release, run a search using “6.2.0-Beta5” in the Targeted Release field. Look for the bugs marked “Fixed” in the Resolution field.

To report a new issue found in this release, use “6.2.0-Beta5” in the Found in Release field. Check the Bug Tracker for known issues prior to submitting bugs. You will be able to update existing bugs with additional information, as necessary.

Cynergy Solutions earns SugarCRM MVP Award at SugarCon 2011

admin — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 03:13:41 +0000

How to Set Numbering For Quotes, Cases, and Bugs

admin — Sun, 06 Mar 2011 03:15:08 +0000

Description

Is it possible to have quotes, cases, and bugs to start at a particular number instead of starting at 1?

Precondition

You are an administrator, or have access to the database that Sugar points to.

Solution

Starting with Sugar 6.0, you can set the starting number for quotes, cases, and bugs in Studio. In Studio, navigate to the quote_number, case_number, or bug_number field, set the number in the “Auto Increment Next Value” field, and click Save. You can also set the number for custom modules that you create using the Issues template in Module Builder.

In versions prior to 6.0, you will have to use a SQL command to set the number.

The following example describes how to change the numbering for quotes:

Run the followiong SQL command:

ALTER TABLE quotes AUTO_INCREMENT =1600;

The example SQL command above is telling Sugar to start the Quotes at 1600.

To have cases start at 2000, then use the following SQL command:

ALTER TABLE cases AUTO_INCREMENT =2000;

SugarCon 2011

admin — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 19:47:00 +0000

SugarCon ’11, SugarCRM’s fifth annual user& customer conference, brings together SugarCRM users, developers,partners and experts from around the world.

Packed with two daysof business, technical and product presentations, SugarCon provides practical knowledge that you can apply to improve your company’s performance.

More than just a CRM conference, SugarCon ’11is THE destination to learn how to optimize your business in new and innovativeways. SugarCon ’11 gives attendees the opportunity to:

Enter into a dialog with business and technical leaders about the future of CRM and the economy
Provide feedback and engage with the SugarCRM productaround the roadmap and vision for the Sugar platform.
Share best practices from CRM and Open Source experts and peers from around the world
Enjoy exciting entertainment and nightlife events in one of the most enchanting cities in the world