by Mikayel Vardanyan
| Feb 02, 2011
ZOHO SUITES – (www.zoho.com)
CRM & Collaboration
Zoho is an online Web service that allows users the ability to do almost anything online that they can do on a desktop computer—from creating documents to building a spreadsheet to managing a database, plus conferencing, project-management, chatting, and a dozen other functions listed on the main page.
The company offers more than 20 different applications spanning Collaboration , Business and Productivity applications.
Zoho is a division of AdventNet, in business since 1996 providing innovative software products and serving more than 40,000 customers worldwide.
Pros
- Setup is simple, easy and free.
- Allows the ability to expand, and add different components as needed.
- Provides a vast array of applications to suite any small/medium sized businesses
Cons
- Applications are very limited, compared to standalone PC apps. (ie. In Word, spell checker will underline mistakes, for instance, but you can’t right-click and find the correct spelling from a list.
- Does not offer time sheet & milestone billing within its project management apps.
- Does not allow for easy customization.
- Workflow does not run in the background. You must open and modify records in order to trigger workflow.
- Free version has limited applications.
Non-Cloud Alternatives
• Microsoft Office Suites
Site Statistics (1 Year)
@TASK (www.attask.com)
Social Project Management
@Task provides solutions to business leaders with a need to make their organizations more effective, innovative, and competitive: Business Case Assessment–Mitigate risks and reduce costs by ensuring optimal alignment of current and potential projects with corporate strategic and financial goals.
Pros
- Very flexible and able with quick and speedy performance.
- Provides a number of innovative tools, including an interactive Gantt chart, and project listings displaying multiple tasks on one page.
Cons
- A number of steps are needed in order to complete certain tasks.
- Pricing, in comparison to similar types of apps, is very high.
Non-Cloud Alternatives
Site Statistics (1 Year)
WORKBOOKS – (www.workbooks.com)
CRM, Projects & Billing
With headquarters in the UK, Workbooks.com is a technology provider of tools engineered to bridge the gap between enterprise and personal productivity applications, to the small and mid-size enterprises (SMEs).
Pros
- The company provides two solutions to its client base; Workbooks CRM and Workbooks Business which comprehensively support organisations’ business functions – sales, marketing, sales order management, invoicing, customer service and purchasing and supplier management.
- Offers very flexible reporting features, allowing the ability to customize reports tailored to your business needs.
- Enables an easy-to-use windowed Desktop within your browser for quick accessibility without having to switch to other applications.
- Provides one central hub for collaborating most departmental information within a small/medium size organization.
Non-Cloud Alternatives
Site Statistics (1 Year)
No Info Available.
WORKetc (www.worketc.com)
CRM + Projects + Billing
WORKetc. Is a single unique cloud based application that allows small business organizations the ability to combine customer relationship management, sales tracking, billing and support logging in just one platform. The company is headquartered in Sydney, Australia and was founded by Daniel Barnett in 2006. The application is geared toward small business organizations ranging in size from an individual freelancer to a company of 100 people.
Pros
- Provides an array of necessary services, for a small business, in one single area for quick use, in or out of the office
- Lower monthly price, for 5 users, in comparison to other similar applications (Salesforce, Basecamp, Zoho CRM & Projects)
- Ability to convert leads to quote, project or invoice.
- Ability to email invoices directly to clients, within the application.
Cons
- While Worketc does provide a finance section for all invoice and billing needs, it does not work as a standalone accounting package. Small businesses will need to download their financial information into a separate accounting package, outside of the application.
- Limited access to features for clients.
- Client users are not able to view or respond to project tasks.
Non-Cloud Alternatives
- MS Project
- Intuit Quickbooks 2010
- Sage Act!
Site Statistics (1 Year)
MAVENLINK (www.mavenlink.com)
Project Management
Mavenlink provides small businesses with collaboration tools for sharing files, tracking projects, invoicing and payments. Working with a mavenlink network provides organizations a single place to manage their internal and external communication.
Pros
- Provides a superb time-tracking and invoicing features, which is great for independent consultants or small businesses who want to portray a professional image.
- Great for integrating all communications with multiple clients, and vendors, in one place.
- Integrates with Google apps.
Cons
- Specializes primarily in the consulting industry and not geared towards other types of businesses.
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Sorting features are very limited, for example no ability to add, sort and view by client and/or company as well as project, project leader, deadline and priority.
Non-Cloud Alternatives
- Microsoft Project
- MinuteMan Project Management Software
- Project Kickstart
Site Statistics (1 Year)
HYPEROFFICE (www.hyperoffice.com)
Messaging & Collaboration
HyperOffice is an online collaboration service that allows the ability to store and access files, tasks, contacts, links, documents, and almost any digital file on a HyperOffice-hosted website.
HyperOffice integrates a range of online tools for teams to collaborate and work together effectively.
Pros
- Pricing is lower in comparison to Google Apps
- Very much customizable to suit any small/medium size organization.
- Superior online help during every step of the process
- A large amount of office tools in one single application, (ie. shared documents, project management, calendars, wikis, contacts, forums etc.
- Provides a centralized community where users can place all their documents, emails, contacts, etc. in one central location; rather than multiple applications.
Cons
- Not all of these features are included in the base price per user.
- Settings tend to be a bit complex and can be confusing, compared to similar products.
- Easy to accidently save over previous version of a document.
- Does not work with external applications, such as Microsoft Access.
Non-Cloud Alternatives
- Microsoft Office 2010
- Google Apps
Site Statistics (1 Year)
TEAMSUPPORT (www.teamsupport.com) 
Customer Service
TeamSupport.com allows software companies the ability to manage and enhance their customer support and product development functions. TeamSupport.com also helps companies promote communication among customers and various teams within their organizations.
Pros
- Compatibility with a number of applications including; Salesforce.com and Jira Tracking Systems, which works extremely well, and transparent.
- Customizable with the ability to create custom fields and import existing data.
- Great support along every step of the setup process, and also within the application.
Cons
- Primarily geared towards technology companies.
- Response time for submitting queries, and providing results, is slower than non-cloud based applications.
Non-Cloud Alternatives
- Ulysses CRM Suite
- Numara FootPrints
Site Statistics (1 Year)
No Info Available.
LOC8 (www.smartpath-software.com)
Loc8 provides its users with an integrated asset, maintenance and helpdesk application platform used to provide total visibility and control of their fixed and IT assets. The platform provides a consolidated view of a company’s assets, and the ability to maintain operational control, or meet statutory reporting and compliance requirements.
The company is headquartered in Melbourne, Australia; with an offices in Sydney, Brisbane, London, England, and San Francisco, CA.
Pros
- Very customizable with integrated templates available, making the setup process very easy.
- Easy to use for non-techies who are not familiar with using cloud-based apps.
Cons
- Reporting features are very limited, with customization of reports not an available feature.
Non-Cloud Alternatives
- Web Help Desk
- Alloy Navigator
Site Statistics (1 Year)
No Info Available.
CLARIZEN (www.clarizen.com)
Collaboration
Clarizen allows its users the ability to manage projects, resources, timesheets, communications, expenses, issues and budgets, all in one central hub. Founded in 2005, Clarizen is privately held and based in Hod Hasharon, Israel, with U.S. headquarters in San Mateo, CA
Pros
- Fully integrated with Google Apps.
- Can handle small and large scale projects, with ease and simplicity.
- Licences to employees have a fee, but to a company’s customers the licenses are free.
- Fully integrated with MS Outlook.
- Very scalable and can handle complex projects.
Cons
- More complex to learn than other similar types of cloud-based applications.
- More geared toward large organizations to its pricing structure, and focus on large team projects.
Non-Cloud Alternatives
Site Statistics (1 Year)
LIVEBALL (www.ioninteractive.com/liveball-landing-page-software)
Website Optimization
LiveBall is a landing page management and conversion optimization platform, providing the ability for marketers to optimize landing pages, microsites, and conversion paths. Marketers can create highly-targeted pages directly from their web browser and can produce entire post-click marketing campaigns quickly. Founded in 1998, the company is privately held with offices in Florida and Massachusetts.
Pros
- Provides an easy method to test and optimize codes.
- The application makes it very easy to measure conversion rates improvements for Pay-Per-Click campaigns.
- Excellent for creating optimized landing pages.
- Provides superior analytics, including 30-day snapshots, bounce rates and conversion rates.
Cons
- Monthly costs are very high in comparison to other alternatives to website optimization (Google Analytics, Webtrends etc.).
Non-Cloud Alternatives
- Web CEO Desktop
-
SEO PowerSuite Enterprise
Site Statistics (1 Year)
Overall Comparison Site Statistics (1 Year)
Overall Comparison Site Statistics (1 Year) – Less Zoho.com
Sources:
- Linkedin Answers (www.linkedin.com)
- PCMag (www.pcmag.com)
- Information Week Online (www.informationweek.com)
- PCWorld (www.pcworld.com)
- CNet News (www.cnet.com)
- Cloud-Based Applications – Company Websites
- Compete.com for traffic stats
