web interface improvements

[natrat]

Are there any plans afoot to improve the web interface to make it more usable and visually friendly? It would be great to have a lot more of the functionality of the full program in the interface, which at the moment really looks like it was thrown together as an afterthought.

I imagine a lot of IT services companies, ike mine, employ some contractors who rarely if ever come into the office to use the CommitCRM client on a LAN - it would be great if creating and updating their tickets via the web interface could be made a lot more professional.

cheers
nathan

[ajgyomber]

This is why the city field needs to be a text field and not a drop-down. You can't enter new accounts via the web interface if the city doesn't already exist.

[Support Team]

Hi nathan,

Interesting points. Thanks. I know that enhancing the Web Interface (in various levels) for contractors is something which is on our radar, and something that I believe we have heard before. We constantly enhance the Web Interface to make it more powerful, and release new features for it with each version (including the coming one). That said, a lot of the features that are required when connecting remotely via the Web are already there - manage service tickets, schedules, log time/parts charges, view customer information, update Assets info, download documents, open maps etc. - but again, I agree that with all that it is not as feature rich as the installed client which offers numerous other features (though most are not usually required when working remotely).

Note that you can let technicians (and contractors) access the system remotely by running remote access technologies (Remote Desktop, Terminal Services, CITRIX etc.), and run the RangerMSP Windows client itself in case they need the full client application functionality at hand.

Thanks again for your comments.

Dina

[natrat]

Thanks for the response Dina. To be fair the last time I looked at it was probably a year ago or more before I purchaseCommitCRM. I purchased the software about 3 months ago once Australian Quickbooks integration happened but i can't see what the web interface is like now as it says my trial has expired, so i guess it remembers somehow (even though last time I looked at it was on a completely different server install).

The other options you suggest are all expensive and not feasible for me at the moment. Remote desktop requires either a dedicated PC for the contractor to connect to if i don't want anyone kicked off, terminal servers are expensive to license, to have him connect to the SBS2008 box to use CommitCRM requires converting CommitCRM to SQL which also costs more (i dont really understand why you have to convert to SQL to run the client on the server its installed on). I've tried running the CommitCRM client over a VPN connection but its way too slow.

I've asked support if i can get another 30 day trial of the web interface and if that goes well I'll purchase it. If the core functionality is in the web interface now that should be fine for my contractor.

cheers
nathan

[Support Team]

Yes, plenty has changed in the Web Interface in the past year. The trial was provided...

Cheers.

[natrat]

...and loved so I'm buying it :)