Last year we started using GiftWorks internally to track customers and sales after dropping our online provider. We turned it into SalesWorks, and have been refiniing it for the past year. We've had a lot of friends at small businesses ask about building something for them, and when they saw the power of GiftWorks used in a business they were supportive of the idea of extending it to small businesses.
Last week we launched SalesWorks Beta 1 at the DEMO conference (where the Palm Pilot was launched). It tracks sales, contacts, mailings, etc, and is built on the technology platform of GiftWorks. We really like it, and I think the small business world will like it too. PC Magazine really likes it!
So what does this mean for GiftWorks and its progress? Well, overall it's a very good thing. We had spare dev cycles to work on SalesWorks while we're waiting for Chris to finish his work on the Reports SDK and the GiftWorks 2007 specification. Once that's done (includes household changes, fixes, batch operations, more reports, etc), we'll start building that. In the meantime, we're getting SalesWorks out the door over in dev, and Chris is tearing out his hair writing GiftWorks specs, reading through thousands and thousands of suggestions from customers.
We're also working on some low-cost versions of GiftWorks for certain organizations, because even at our relatively low cost it's out of reach for many nonprofits. This week someone from the United Way is visiting to work on Online Donations with us, and we're partnering with a few other providers too and will announce it soon. Chris is mapping out our email integration and our events management. So yes, we're increasing our investment in GiftWorks even as we add SalesWorks to the lineup.
So please tell your friends in the business world about SalesWorks--we appreciate your help. In the meantime, check out the Reports SDK over at Dev Hero, our new site for developers who want to contribute to you and the rest of the GiftWorks community by building new report add-ins to GiftWorks.
Mary Pat Donnellon has been with Mission Research, the maker of GiftWorks, since its early days, working in every area of the company before becoming CEO in 2009. She now gets to do all the things she loves: leveraging great technology to help nonprofit organizations become better and stronger. Mission Research is a sustainable company; Mary Pat enjoys doing her part by walking or biking to work (most days!). She is also sustained by working with her talented colleagues at Mission Research and the company’s thousands of customers and partners.
Follow The Conversation
0 comments have been made so far. Wouldn't you like to join the conversation?