Open source CRM tools - recommendations required

[GemmaC]

First post so please be gentle!

I maintain a database of contacts / suppliers that I have taken from job to job. I currently keep this in excel but it's growing to ridiculous proportions and isn't easy to manipulate. Are there any open source tools available for download? A desktop database app would be great.

Not keen on paying for basecamp but something similar would be ideal.

Thanks in advance

 

[british steve]

Give Sugar a go. Its fantastic and there is a free open source version. Its simple to use.

www.sugarforge.org/content/open-source

We use this for a couple of businesses we run and it saves us a packet.

 

[GemmaC]

Great - thanks Steve! I'll check it out.

Shame there is no built in project management tool - be good to find a proper rival to basecamp that has all the same features. Still... this could work for simply housing contacts.

 

[garyk]

vtiger and sugar get mentioned alot but they are overkill for many businesses.

 

[GemmaC]

What is Outlook 2007 and 2010 like for managing contacts? I'm on 2003 at the moment but there is strong chance that my new job (start on Monday) will have a more contemporary MS suite.

Also - MSProject vs Basecamp? I prefer the usability of Basecamp but suspect my new employers will be Project fanboys. Given my primary responsibility is to complete an office move within 3 months - I need to be milestone reporting and communicating developments in the most practical way possible!

 

[wecandobiz]

First post so please be gentle!

I maintain a database of contacts / suppliers that I have taken from job to job. I currently keep this in excel but it's growing to ridiculous proportions and isn't easy to manipulate. Are there any open source tools available for download? A desktop database app would be great.

Not keen on paying for basecamp but something similar would be ideal.

Thanks in advance

Welcome Gemma!

Are you aksing for Open Source because you don't want to pay/ If so, beware as the terms aren't interchangable. An Open Source solution may need some work for you to use it as you wich (at a cost, even if just opportunity cost to you) whereas there are Cloud based CRM system that are free but aren't Open Source.

We have a free Social CRM system on our site for members at http://www.wecando.biz. It's free to join our sales leads and business referrals network and then the CRM is yours to use at no cost. It even integrates to Twitterr so you can see what your contacts are tweeting from within their contact record.

You also get our Twitter Sales Leads tool free to help you find people you don't yet know who are tweeting a specific need for what you do.

Pay us a little money and you get to use our integrated email marketing with full click-through reporting etc.

PM me if you get stuck or need help.

 

[GemmaC]

Thanks Ian - I'll drop on over to your site and check it out. Like the idea of twitter streaming!

Oh and yes it is a money issue - I'm a contractor so I can't ask my employers to pay but want a kick ass database that I can take from job to job. As it's, in theory, still work related, I don't want to spend my hard earned money on it.

 

[wecandobiz]

Thanks Ian - I'll drop on over to your site and check it out. Like the idea of twitter streaming!

Oh and yes it is a money issue - I'm a contractor so I can't ask my employers to pay but want a kick ass database that I can take from job to job. As it's, in theory, still work related, I don't want to spend my hard earned money on it.

Makes sense. We've also build some importers to help you get contacts in from Twitter, LinkedIn, Ecademy and various other forms so you can easily keep it all up to date as you move around and pick up other contacts in places other than your Excel spreadsheet!

 

[ThePublisher]

I've just started using Capsule CRM. This is free for the first 250 entries so I don't know if that would be of use to you. It's only £8+VAT per month for the paid version. I'm really impressed with it.

 

[yooneeq]

vtiger is good - and would handle what you need it too.
Otherwise Maximizer entrepreneur is worth looking at.

 

[GemmaC]

Wow you guys are great - so glad I joined you! Hopefully I can pay you back by helping some of you out in the future.

Keep them coming - I'll give them all a test drive then report back to you!

 

[Sell4Now]

Vtiger would be also my choice.

 

[GlasscubesDOTcom]

Hi Gemma

there is 100% free CRM built into Glasscubes. Might want to check it out.

cheers

 

[amphis software]

not quite free but for £99 you can have our Amphis Customer desktop CRM along with free support and free upgrades. that's £99 total cost, no monthly charges.

there is a free 30 day trial you can download here http://www.amphis-software.com/customer/download/amphiscustomer.msi

we welcome feedback and suggestions as that greatly influences the features we add/improve next.

Tom

 

[Paul Kelly ICHYB]

If you are using Outlook and want to beef that up, they do have Business Contact Manager, which comes with Pro and Small Business versions of Office.

HOWEVER, you do not say what you want to do?

CRM maybe overkill, but, until you identify your exact requirements, the ideal choice can't be made.