WebEx Threatened By Central Desktop and the Pay-Per-Click Game Someone once told me: "You haven't lived until a billion dollar corporation comes after you Isaac. "
That someone is friends with Michael Milken (yes, that Michael) and was an expert witness who testified against a multinational corporation.
Since then, for various reasons (all legal) I've gotten under the collar of a few billion dollar corporations. I can't say that I invite scrutiny to my door, but sometimes you get noticed for just doing your job. Things happen. Sometimes you are surprised - other times you just laugh.
This time - I'm laughing.
Like most companies in our industry, we advertise with Google Adwords (among other places). Occasionally, we run searches on our own company name to see whose radar we are on and to keep an eye on our competition. Its not only interesting to know WHO advertises on your company name / trademark but WHAT they write in their ad can often time tell you a lot about the company.
Here are a few examples: (Click the thumbnail to see more)The first classy ad is from WebEx:
"Why use Central Desktop? Central Desktop? Seriously! Find out why Webex is better for Free."
We were surprised that a now billion dollar corporation would feel the need to put down our little ol' company. A second read of the ad reveals a tone that appears to insult the reader - which in this case is the prospect!
The last phrase of the ad is totally misleading: "Webex is better for Free?"
Well, last I checked, Webex wasn't Free. In fact, here is their pricing matrix for Small Business Solutions.
I know some folks at WebEx (pre-Cisco acquisition) and they are good folks - so I'm surprised to see this. Is this the Cisco influence permeating throughout?
Best of all, WHILE I WROTE THIS BLOG POST I received an email from Google that we were infringing on WebEx's trademark!!!
-------------------------------------------------
Here is what our ad read:
"Better than WebEx
Finally, A Wiki For Non-Techies.
Manage Projects & Collaborate.
www.CentralDesktop.com"
Ad Status: Suspended - Pending Revision
Ad Issue(s): Trademark in Ad Content
~~~~~~~~~
SUGGESTIONS:
-> Ad Content: Please remove the following trademark from your ad:
Webex.
-------------------------------------------------
So its okay for WebEx to infringe on our trademark, but its not okay for us to?
The next classy ad is from OfficeZilla:
"Better then Central Dekstop and at an unbeatable price, free."
This ad is great. "Then" instead of Than; "Dekstop" instead of Desktop.
I really don't need to elaborate anymore. This ad speaks for itself.
The next ad is from InfoStreet:
I can say, with absolute confidence, that we've never "run into" InfoStreet as a competitor. Our prospects and customers have never mentioned them. In fact, I just found out that they are based here in LA as well. I'm not saying that we've never lost business to them - but I am saying that we've never heard of them.
Our next ad is from BrainKeeper:
""Better Wiki than Central"
"More Businesses Prefer BrainKeeper"
Really? More businesses prefer BrainKeeper? Says who? Based on what?
Okay - we've had our fun. And yes, we are having fun here. Most of these companies need to lighten up.
At first, we really didn't care if other companies were using our trademark. To hell with them - if anything, it strengthens our position. Besides, the "negative" or "opposite effect" rule often plays into the AdWords Game and these tactics often backfire.
But after a while, you get tired of being "the target" and you decide to reciprocate. Now, we run our own set of "competitive" keywords that we bid on (all legal). We manage thousands and thousands of keywords though, some of which are outsourced to partners or are being managed by interns, etc. So we occasionally make mistakes too. Managing a PPC campaign in many ways is a game. You don't really know all of the rules, how it works, why it changes or what you are going to run into. But this is also what makes it interesting. You never know what sort of opportunities (or missed opportunities) might fall into your lap as a result of the PPC Game.
For example, I recently received a voicemail from the CFO of another company informing us that we were infringing on their trademark and that "...this was a no-no." (yes, he actually said, "...a no-no.")
My first thoughts were "Boy this guy has nothing to do. He is the CFO and he is leaving me voicemails about his Google Ads?"
Then, I thought about it some more and wondered why he chose to leave me a voicemail and scold me for our "infringement" instead of taking the opportunity to reach out and partner together? He works for a company that is not a direct competitor - in fact, we refer prospects to them all of the time (informally). I was surprised at their passive and defensive approach to resolving a problem that should have been an opportunity for them to reach out and expand their business.
In the end, we love what we do and we love competing in this marketplace. We respect and look up to many of our competitors and admire the success that many of them have had over the past years. Good competition keeps us on our toes and makes us work harder. And you competitors out there, you should enjoy competing with us. Unlike many industries, collaboration software is not a zero-sum game. There is a lot of room at the table.
This isn't Highlander. In the end, there CAN be more than one.
- Central DesktopGoogle Re-Launches JotSpot as Google Sites - 16 Months Later
Welcome back to the fracas.
Let the games begin.
Rob Hof at BusinessWeek broke the story. - Central DesktopSuper Tuesday Redux - Obama's Surging Net-Roots Campaign
Today's front page story at Wired is by Sarah Lai Stirland titled, "Inside Obama's Surging Net-Roots Campaign."
Sarah's story is an inside view of Obama's Precinct Captains are using collaboration tools like Central Desktop to organize, train and support their local neighborhoods and precincts to get the vote out. Because the organization and training of Precinct Captains are local events (at community centers, people's homes, neighborhood centers, etc.) the Obama campaign team used Central Desktop's wiki tools to quickly organize and publish the meeting locations, materials, contact points and instructions.
Because of the sheer size of the Texas geography - the meetings and local precinct information is very fluid and changing. The Obama team relied on quick, easy to use tools like Central Desktop to keep up with growing grassroots effort. Rather than relying on the main Obama website with a presumably overwhelmed web team - the Obama Texas team is able to "do it themselves" to get the information to the Precinct Captains. They didn't wait for anyone else to do it - "they were the ones they were waiting for" to get the job done.
Sarah also wrote a collateral piece at the Wired Blog comparing Obama's campaign success to his "Apple-Like" simplicity and she kindly quotes from Isaac Garcia, CEO of Central Desktop.
As we've written previously here on this blog - we've been astounded at the Obama's campaign's ability to organize so quickly.
We witnessed and experienced Obama's organization in California when they used Central Desktop to organize their Precinct Captains. They organized for months. But the Texas Campaign has pulled together a grassroots effort even faster (just weeks). I'm not sure if the canvassing is as broad as California (geographically, like California, Texas has been a historically difficult state to organize) - but the speed in which they organized the Texas Precinct Captain site and operations was enough to catch the attention of Wired Magazine.
We'll know by the end of today if the organization was enough for Obama to win Texas (and Ohio).
- Central DesktopHow the Barack Obama Campaign Used Central Desktop to Organize Volunteers
Technology writer Josh Catone doubles as a political correspondent over at ReadWriteWeb wrote a nice overview on "How the Barack Obama Campaign Uses Wikis to Organize Volunteers."
The Obama campaign is using software from business intranet provider Central Desktop to manage "precinct captains" -- volunteers who get out the vote and spread the campaign message in specific precincts across the state. The campaign started using the software during the run up to an earlier nominating contest in California -- the nation's most populous state. "The Web-based collaboration platform combined with a strong organized grass-roots effort, created unprecedented public involvement that is revitalizing politics in America," said Patrick DeTemple, the California Data & Systems Manager for the Obama campaign. "Not since Bobby Kennedy has there been such an extensive Precinct Captain operation for a presidential candidate in California."
The Obama Campaign's Grassroots Site can be found here: www.texasprecinctcaptains.com
- Central DesktopCentral Desktop Finalist at PricewaterhouseCoopers Entretech Entrepreneurship Awards
Central Desktop will be presenting as a finalist at the PricewaterhouseCoopers Entretech 5th Annual Entrepreneurship Awards on March 6th.
The prestigious PricewaterhouseCoopers Entretech Entrepreneurship Awards spotlight exceptional companies realizing their potential for market leadership and long-term profitability. Previous winners have gone on to gain esteemed industry awards and a successful IPO (Guidance Software, 12/06). The Awards Program honors leading-edge companies in three categories based on annual revenues. This year's contenders are:
Startup Under $1 million
EdgeCast Networks, Inc.
Calando Pharmaceuticals
the Rubicon Project
Emerging Between $1 and $8 million
Central Desktop
Nami Media
Zag
Growth Over $8 million
eHarmony
Green Dot Corporation
Vantage Media, LLC
We are proud to have been selected as a finalist among so many solid companies in the Los Angeles Region. - Central DesktopBarack Obama, Enterprise 2.0 and Central Desktop - Highlighted at The Fast Forward Blog
Bill Ives over at The Fast Forward Blog has a nice post on "How Obama is Using Web (and Enterprise) 2.0 in the US Primary Campaign."
"The wiki based tool allowed for rapid content development in the few weeks leading up to the Texas campaign and then maintenance and updates by volunteers. Central Desktop has many permission levels so the content could not be spammed or trashed as sometimes happens in public wikis."
Bill closed his blog post with: "It is nice to see the campaign use participatory web 2.0 tools to further enable people in this process. I hope that whoever gets elected will try to engage more people in the political process through tools such as these."
At Central Desktop we are saying "Amen!"
- Central DesktopHow to save money running a startup - a different perspective
At Central Desktop, we interpret Jason Calacanis' tips a bit differently. His post should be retitled: "How To Chain Your Employees To A Desk."
Read our counter-comments on Jason's 18 tips on "How to save money running a startup:"
1. Buy Macintosh computers, save money on an IT department
-Buy Dells. They are 20% the price of a Macintosh.
2. Buy second monitors for everyone, they will save at least 30 minutes a day, which is 100 hours a year... which is at least $2,000 a year.... which is $6,000 over three years. A second monitor cost $300-500 depending on which one you get. That means you're getting 10-20x return on your investment... and you've got a happy team member.
-Buy THREE monitors. Some folks here work with four monitors. In fact, why not buy five or six monitors if we can get a 10-20x return on our investment?
3. Buy everyone lunch four days a week and establish a no-meetings policy. Going out for food or ording in takes at least 20-60 minutes more than walking up to the buffet and eating. If you do meetings over lunch you also save that time. So, 30 minutes a day across say four days a week is two hours a week... which is 100 hours a year. You get the idea.
- NO EMPLOYEES ARE EVER ALLOWED TO LEAVE THE OFFICE.
4. Buy cheap tables and expensive chairs. Tables are a complete rip off. We buy stainless steel restaurant tables that are $100 and $600 Areon chairs. Total cost per workstation? $700. Compare that to buying a $500-$1,500 cube/designer workstation. The chair is the only thing that matters... invest in it.
- $600 on a chair is a GREAT DEAL!!!
5. Don't buy a phone system. No one will use it. No one at Mahalo has a desk phone except the admin folks. Everyone else is on IRC, chat, and their cell phone. Everyone has a cell phone, folks would rather get calls on it, and 99% of communication is NOT on the phone. Savings? At least $500 a year per person... 50 people over three years? $75-100k
-Who wants to support their customers anyways! Forget Sales, Support and Customer Service! This is Web 2.0 man! Forget the phones!
6. Rent out your extra space. Many folks have extra space in their office. If you rent 5-10 desks for $500 each you can cut your burn $2,500 to $5,000 a month, or $30-60,000 a year. That's big money.
-We suggest that you space plan rather than pay for more room than you need. Again with the spending!
7. Outsource accounting and HR---such a no brainer.
-Who needs to worry about confidentiality, security or embezzlement! Hell, we arenât making money anyways â we are just spending it!
8. Don't buy everyone Microsoft Office--it's too much money. Put Office on three or four common computers and use Google Docs.
- Thatâs right â you donât need Excel or your Accounting program to manage Balance Sheets, Cash Flow, Income Statements or General Ledgers. Thatâs right! Accounting is outsourced to someone else and besides, your only spending money â not making money â so who needs Excel!
9. Use Google hosted email. $50 or free per user.... how can you beat that?!?! Why screw with an exchange server!?!?
- Sure â give your competitors access to all of your email, private conversations and deepest secrets!
10. Buy your hardest working folks computers for home. If you have folks who are willing to work an extra hour a day a week you should get them a computer for home. Once you get to three hours of work a week from home you're at 150 hours a year and that's a no brainer. Invest in equipment *if* the person is a workaholic.
-Slave drive your employees or fire them. There is no such thing as quality of life or work-life balance.
11. Fire people who are not workaholics.... come on folks, this is startup life, it's not a game. go work at the post office or stabucks if you want balance in your life. For realz.|
-See our comment on Point #10
12. Get an expensive, automatic espresso machine at the office. Going to starbucks twice a day cost $4 each time, but more importantly it costs 20 minutes. Buy a $3-5,000 Jura industrial, get the good beans, and supply the coffee room with soy, low fat, etc. 50 people making one trip a day is 20 hours of wasted time for the company, and $150 in coffee costs for the employees. Makes no sense.
-NEVER ALLOW ANY OF YOUR EMPLOYEES TO SEE THE SUN. NO BREAKS. EVER.
13. Stock the fridge with sodas---same drill as above.
-Forget water, juice or anything healthy. Just give them sugar-water.
14. Allow folks to work off hours. Commuting sucks and is a waste of time for everyone. Let folks start at 6am or 11am and you'll cut their commute in half (at least in LA).
-Donât let your customers dictate your business hours â just come in whenever you want. I mean, hell â its sunny outside!
15. Go to each of your vendors every 6-9 months and ask for 10-30% off. If half of them say yes you'll save 5-15% on fixed costs. People will give you a discount if they think they are going to lose the business.
- Again with the spending money only.
16. Don't waste money on recruiters. Get inside of linkedin and Facebook and start looking for people--it works better anyway.
- Thatâs right. Waste time on Facebook to get your jobs done.
17. Really think about if you need that $15,000 a month PR firm. Perhaps you can get a PR consultant to work on 2-3 projects a year for $10-15k each and save 75%. More PR firms are wasted half the year while you build up your product anyway.
- Who needs PR if you've got TechCrunch!
18. Outsource to middle America: There are tons of brilliant people living between San Francisco, Los Angeles, and New York who don't live in a $4,000 one bedroom apartment and pay $8 to dry clean a shirt--hire them!
-Thats right. Those Nebraskan's are stupid folks - we can get away from paying them slave wages.
While we have tremendous respect for Jason and his past successes - we believe that these 18 points are a little over the top - and too indicative of an OVER-funded company that focused only on spending money - rather than making money.
We understand that Jason is trying to give advice on how to make your employees happy - and we agree with the spirit of his post - but c'mon - not very many startups can afford to spend $600 on chairs for their employees.
In many cases - people would rather have $600 cash than an Aeron Chair.
Then again, I work standing up. - Central DesktopCIOs Embrace Central Desktop for Collaboration
Chris Lynch of CIO Magazine wrote an article about how Collabworks is using Central Desktop to organize and facilitate discussions between CIOs of large enterprises.
Lynch writes:
"Traditionally, CIOs have not been inclined to share very much information with one another, particularly due to worries about the legality of doing so and the fear of divulging secrets to competitors, Grove says (Michael Grove is the CEO of Collabworks). But he believes users of CollabWorks have been able to work past those reservations by focusing on issues that are endemic among IT leaders, and not necessarily discussing issues which are company-specific."
The article goes on to highlight how Collabworks has brought key participants to the table such as Max Reiner, CIO of TravelZoo and Andre Mendes, CIO of Special Olympics to share ideas and collaborate on key non-competitive problems that each face within their organization and industry.
What a great example of how collaboration tools like Central Desktop are breaking down walls that have kept companies and executives from working together.
- Central DesktopCentral Desktop Gets More Security (More Than Google Apps)
"The Pasadena, Calif., company is offering the Central Desktop Security Pack, which boasts increased security around user passwords, single-login and sign-on features, to help its customers comply with internal security requirements, said Central Desktop CEO and co-founder Isaac Garcia.
"We continue to run into certain types of hurdles as our product would want to get deployed into more and more teams," Garcia told eWEEK. "If customers can get past that security hurdle, they can get the blessing from their IT departments to implement the SAAS solutions."
"Forrester Research analyst Erica Driver said that both Google and Central Desktop are taking steps to break down one of the most common objections to using SAAS."
Click here to read the entire article by Clint Boulton at eWeek. - Central DesktopCentral Desktop Delivers Enterprise-Grade Security to Business Teams Central Desktop Delivers Enterprise-Grade Security to Business Teams of All Sizes Through Its Complete Web Collaboration Platform
As Web 2.0 Technologies Gain Adoption In Business Security Becomes Top Concern
PASADENA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Central Desktop, the complete business collaboration platform for business teams today announced the release of the Central Desktop Security Pack to meet the growing needs of business teams for enterprise-grade security for SaaS adoption. (See: www.centraldesktop.com/security for details). This new feature set addresses security requirements that Central Desktop's customers have been asking for to help them comply with internal security requirements. The enterprise-grade security offering delivers state-of-the-art perimeter, network, server, application and data security to ensure greater data privacy and availability for customers. This applies to both SMBs and organizations that work within industries that require security compliance such as, healthcare and financial services as well as business teams within larger organizations that have more stringent requirements enforced by their IT departments (Corporate Governance, HIPAA, etc).
These new near-enterprise grade features are turnkey, affordable, easy to use and easy to administer which is critical to business teams that rely on Central Desktop's SaaS platform to manage day-to-day business. âWe have over 10 GB of information stored and shared by over 200 users in our 125 retail stores nation-wide all accessing the Central Desktop platform on a daily basis,â said Ken Sully, CEO, iSold It. âI evaluated a number of different solutions, including Google's offering, and they lacked the features, flexibility and security we needed. Now with the secure single sign-on features in this release, I've been able to integrate even more functionality into my workspaces without forcing users to log-in to a different system. This is just not available anywhere else for the low cost that Central Desktop offers.â
Unlike many of its competitors, the Central Desktop platform runs on a proven infrastructure designed to provide maximum performance and reliability with state-of-the-art physical and data security and redundancy. Central Desktop's security policy was architected with multiple layers, safeguards and redundancy to ward off external security threats.
âWe believe that we are one of the only SaaS companies in the team collaboration space to offer this level of security on a turnkey basis. The security and integrity of our customer's data is integral to the success of our customer's businesses and our reputation as well,â said Isaac Garcia, CEO and Co-Founder, Central Desktop.
Central Desktop provides its software services to more than 100,000 users worldwide. Its average customer is a fast-paced, small-to-medium sized business organization or a team or department within a large Fortune 500 or Global 2000 company. All of these customers, companies and organizations, regardless of their size, trust and rely on Central Desktop to manage their day-to-day business operations. Central Desktop is also proud to serve local, state and federal government agencies, healthcare institutions, financial institutions, non-profits, religious and educational organizations including schools, colleges and universities around the world.
More on The Central Desktop Security Pack
The Central Desktop Security Pack is an optional add-on to Company Plans for companies and organizations that require deeper and more granular security features to comply to internal, corporate or 3rd party compliance codes (Corporate Governance, HIPAA, etc). The Security Pack is a prerequisite for companies and organizations that wish to integrate a Single Sign-On experience between Central Desktop and a third party application (additional configuration may be required). The Security Pack is available to all Company Plan subscribers for an additional $99 per month. There are no additional âper userâ fees.
The key features and functions available with the Security Pack can be found at www.centraldesktop.com/security.
About Central Desktop
Central Desktop delivers a Complete Business Collaboration platform for teams to connect, share, collaborate and manage operations both internally and externally on customizable web workspaces. Its solution is delivered purely as a web-based platform (SaaS) that combines the most robust collaboration tools available with consumer-level service and affordability. Central Desktop enables teams of all sizes to work virtually and seamlessly without the need for IT resources, leveling the playing field for SMBs wishing to do business with the Fortune 5000 through technology by simply launching a browser. Central Desktop was founded in 2005, and is a privately-held company located in Pasadena, California. For more information, visit www.centraldesktop.com. - Central DesktopSo you want to work here? Tell us in the FIRST few sentences WHY you are the best at what you do! We are a small agile team and we want A class people.
Here are some representative examples of the last 100 cover letters I have received:
My name is _______ and I am inquiring about your Technical Support position. I have read through your job description. I am confident I can perform the duties listed in the job description. I will attach my resume for your viewing and if you are interested in my skills you can give me a call anytime.
My name is __________. After reading the job description, I think this is a great opportunity for me to start my career. I'm really interested in the position. As you can see in my enclosed resume, I have an academic background in Management Information System combined with my work experience in Technical Support and Networking Management.
I am hard working and pick up new programs and procedures very quickly. I am not easily overwhelmed and find it easy to feel calm and collected in a fast paced or even manic environment. If offered the position I will commit myself completely to the task at hand and focus as hard as needed to ensure that the results are produced as desired. Thank you for your consideration.
After reading your job description, I am confident that my skills and my passion for technology are a perfect match for this position. I would bring to your company a broad range of skills, including: â¦â¦
I am very experienced and a fast learner. Here is my cover letter and resume for your evaluation.
I am responding to the ad for Technical Support Representative and am very interested in this particular position with your company. As you will see by my enclosed resume, I have extensive professional experience in the computer industry usually in both a Creative as well as a Technical Management role. â¦â¦â¦â¦
My name is ________ and I am attaching my resume, salary history and coverletter for your review. I am applying for the technical support representative position.
They are all virtually identical, I cannot tell one apart from each other. Tell me something that makes YOU GREAT OR tell me something relevant about our company that you think is great or needs improvement and how YOU can make an impact.
Examples:
* I reduced our support volume by ___% in 1 year by implementing a knowledge base.
* I/our team increased customer satisfaction by ___% by introducing Live Chat.
* I consistently outperformed my peers with lower call times or ________.
* I am fascinated by Web 2.0 and how the software industry is moving to a Software as a Service Model. I want to work for your company because â¦â¦
* I read [fill in relevant blog, industry feed] daily becauseâ¦..
* [fill in relevant industry leader] is my mentor, and this is whyâ¦.
* I love your product because â¦â¦..
* I love your product, however think the following things need to be improved â¦..
* I think [company name] has a bright future because _______, however its greatest challenges are ______________ and you need to hire me to help with __________.
Net Net, my recommendations for Cover Letter/Resume:
* Write a PERSONALIZED cover letter, keep it short (2-3 paragraphs max), and make it good. Make it succinct and stand out. Tell your prospective employer why you kick ass.
* On your Resume put specific accomplishments on them. I sold XX, I lowered XX, I fulfilled XX, etc⦠Metrics score big points!
* If you put technologies on your resume you better know them well. Donât put PHP on your resume if you have read someone elses PHP code 2 years ago and added some text to the HTML portion of the PHP.
When you talk with us or your prospective employer you should:
* Show up on time.
* Again, tell us why you are great and WHY you are the best for the job.
* Know what we do. (spend some time before the call understanding what your prospective employer does). Absolutely nothing turns me off more than if you cannot describe in 1 or 2 sentences what we do. The more research you do here and the more you can demonstrate you actually care about the product being created or company the better. If the company you are interviewing for cannot make it clear on their website what they do they need a new marketing team. Maybe you are their answer.
* Tell us you donât know if you donât know something. Its ok if you donât have the answer.
* Have your own questions for us or your prospective employer. Asking your prospective employer questions shows that you have done your homework.
* Send or bring sample work. Show code you have written, reports you have created, marketing collateral you have created, etcâ¦.
After you interview with us or your prospective employer start making suggestions or send 1-2 follow up emails as if you were working there already. Examples:
* I have the following 2 customers very interested in your services. I will forward their contact infoâ¦
* I have answered some support forum questions for you. Let me know what you think of the replies.
* I have the following suggestions for you about your product.
* I read _____, how do you think this plays into your strategy?
If you are completely switching industries, have no relevant experience, yet really want the job try on the following:
The best way to show you are passionate about jumping into another industry, is to offer something like âgive me 60 days to prove to you that I am worth your time, and if you donât like what you see after this period of time you donât need to pay meâ. Virtually no employer would turn down your offer (assuming they had a semi entry level job opening).
After having scanning thousands of resumes and interviewing many many candidates for various positions over the years, these are my suggestions on how to stand out.
If are interested in applying to Central Desktop please visit: http://jobs.centraldesktop.com
- Central DesktopCentral Desktop Selected as Red Herring 100 Finalist
Central Desktop has been selected as a finalist for the 2008 North America Red Herring 100.
Every year, Red Herring recognizes the top 100 privately held companies in North Amercia. Central Desktop is honored and grateful to be part of this prestigious list.
Click here to view the entire Red Herring Finalists list.
- Central DesktopRentalMetrics RedMeat Podcast - with Central Desktop
Doug Mitchell (founder of RentalMetrics) interviewed Isaac Garcia for his RedMeat Podcast. RentralMetrics is an "in-sourced" management consulting firm for the construction equipment rental sector.
RentalMetrics is a very unique consulting firm in that they are using social media and Web 2.0 technology to reach "old school" industries. Doug and his firm leverage opensource tools, social video, podcasts, wikis and blogs to organize and market their business.....and of course they use Central Desktop for lightweight project management.
As part of their subscription and consulting services, RentalMetrics includes a subscription to Central Desktop as well! We are proud to be part of RentalMetrics solution to the construction equipment rental sector.
Click here to listen to the podcast interview with Isaac Garcia of Central Desktop. - Central DesktopCentral Desktop Named 2008 SoftwareCEO Innovation Award Finalist
The Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA), the leading trade association for the worldâs information technology (IT) industry, announced the finalists for the 2008 SoftwareCEO Software Innovation Awards.
The SoftwareCEO Software Innovation Awards will recognize innovative software products and new business models in eight different categories. Award winners will be announced at the Software Marketing Perspectives conference this May in Santa Clara, Calif.
Central Desktop was named a finalist for the Most Innovative General Business Software category. Thanks CompTIA!
Click here for a complete list of the finalists. - Central DesktopCentral Desktop Raises $7M In Venture Funding From OpenView Venture Partners Central Desktop Raises $7M In Venture Funding From OpenView Venture Partners
Over 125,000 Customers Marks Rapid Adoption of the Central Desktop Collaboration Platform
PASADENA, Calif., April 16, 2008 â Central Desktop, the Complete Business Collaboration platform for business teams, today announced a $7M investment from OpenView Venture Partners. The funding is the companyâs first round of institutional investment and will be used to further accelerate Central Desktop's R&D, marketing and sales efforts into the under-served SMB market that requires robust business tools with ease of use at affordable prices. The company now serves over 125,000 users and business teams as its approach to Business Collaboration continues rapid adoption in the SMB market. In related news, (see: http://centraldesktop.com/customers), Central Desktop was named a finalist in both the 2008 Red Herring 100 and SoftwareCEO's Most Innovative General Business Software Awards.
âWe were customers before investors,â said Scott Maxwell, Founding Partner, OpenView Venture Partners. âNot only have these guys created a truly remarkable product, but the traction Isaac and Arnulf have achieved without any capital resources is unprecedented. We evaluate 3,000 companies for every one we invest in, and I have extremely high expectations for Central Desktop, not only because of the great market opportunity here, but because I believe this team is capable of true greatness.â
Central Desktop, delivered as a pure-play web-based collaboration platform (SaaS) allows business teams of all sizes to work virtually and seamlessly without the IT hassle. Uniquely positioned to serve the mid-market, Central Desktop's platform delivers the richest set-of-tools available for business users with ease-of-use at a price-point, leveling the playing field for small and mid-size companies wishing to do business with enterprise partners and customers. Its complete set of collaboration tools, all accessible from a single workspace, help teams connect, share and collaborate on business activities seamlessly and inexpensively. The technology is as simple as launching a web browser.
âWe believe that SMBs often don't receive the level of service and support they need from the larger software vendors in our space,â said Isaac Garcia, CEO, Central Desktop. âWe chose OpenView Venture Partners because they're committed to helping us build a sustainable customer focused business. This investment will allow us to stay focused on product enhancements based on user feedback and continue to build a scalable 24x7 service and support organization. Our customers rely on us to manage their day-to-day business operations, and we take this very seriously.â
Central Desktop has received considerable market praise this year via industry awards and recognitions, including;
-2008 SoftwareCEO's Most Innovative General Business Software Award: Finalist
-2008 North America Red Herring 100: Finalist
-PricewaterhouseCoopers and Entretech 5th Annual Entrepreneurship Awards 2008: Finalist
-To EContent 100: Named "Companies That Matter Most"
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About Central Desktop
Central Desktop delivers a Complete Business Collaboration platform for the mid-market enabling business teams to connect, share, collaborate and manage business both internally and externally on customizable web workspaces. Its solution is delivered as a pure-play web-based platform (SaaS) that combines the most robust collaboration tools available with consumer-level service and afford-ability. Central Desktop enables teams of all sizes to work virtually and seamlessly without the need for IT resources, leveling the playing field for SMBs wishing to do business with the Fortune 5000 through technology that is as simple as launching a browser. Central Desktop was founded in 2005, and is a privately-held company located in Pasadena, California. For more information, visit www.centraldesktop.com.
© Central Desktop. All rights reserved. Central Desktop and the Central Desktop logo are all registered trademarks of Central Desktop. All other trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
About OpenView Venture Partners (www.openviewpartners.com)
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- Central DesktopUnexpected User Interface I just upgraded to Office 2007, from Office 2003. Generally I am pleased with the upgrade, the new ribbon menu is nice, it puts the most used features up front, instead of hiding them away down several branches of sub menus.
Outlook 2007 finally has native iCal support, which is a HUGE plus for us (we use iCal extensively within our organization).
But I have to share an experience that was, in my opinion, very unintuitive.
The old Office menus were pretty straight forward: File, Edit, View, etcâ¦. Click on File and get the standard Save, Save As, Print, Print Preview etc⦠as seen here:
When I started using the new Office menus I couldnât find the File menu anymore. What happened to it? After about 15 minutes of searching I found a little arrow down that required me to manually add the standard buttons I was used to such as Save, Save As, Print, etcâ¦. to my âhot linksâ see below:
As it turns out the File menu was literally one click away. All you have to do is click on the Office icon. Maybe I am an atypical user, but it took me about 3 weeks of using the new Office for me to even click on the Office icon, which reveals the new File Menu.
Developing software gives you an appreciation for other products, the good and bad, the challenges that every software house faces. This instance was so bizarre to me, I had to share my experience.
- Central DesktopBig Things are Made up of Lots of Little Things This weekend we released a plethora of small features, additions and improvements for Central Desktop. We wouldn't call this a "big release" by any means buts its our first "post funding" release - and to many of our existing users - many of the features will be significant.
Below is a quick highlight of what we released today:
General Improvements
- Ability to download multiple files at once. Use the checkboxes on the right in Docs & Discussions and select Bulk Actions -> Download.
- Ability to Clone a Task List
- "vCards" are now attached to all User Profiles.
- Saving a Duplicate Web Page will prompt that a duplicate web pages already exists.
Database Feature Improvements
- You can now create a relational link to a field using a database view instead of the entire database. This is helpful when you want to show a filtered list instead of all the values from the linked database.
Calendar Improvements
- Email notification for New Events and Updated Events (includes an iCalendar (ics) file))
- Timezone abbreviations have been added next to each start/end date.
Application Blocks
- When inserting an Upcoming and/or Overdue Block into a wiki page you can set the number of items to display.
- When inserting a Calendar Application Blocks into a wiki page you can display "All Calendar items for User" or "Just in this Workspace". This allows for a better "custom dashboard" experience within a workspace.
Notifications
- Nightly Reminders can now be turned off under the Account -> Email & RSS Subscriptions tab (per User)
- We have added Weekly (Sunday) and Monthly (Last Day of the Month) Email Digests frequency options.
- All emails originating from a Workspace will contain the shortname of the workspace at the beginning of subject line. This is so you can identify which workspace the email orignated from more quickly.
- When you receive a notification of a new or updated task you can now complete the task directly from your email without logging into Central Desktop. (yay!)
- Company plan subscribers can edit the Subject, Name & Email address the Digests originate from for a more customized end user experience. (This is modified under Company Setup -> General Settings)
Administration
- Manage Workspaces screen has been rearranged and reworked to allow quicker access to admin functions such as making Workspaces Templates, Adding them to the "Top Navigation" and Allowing CD Support Access.
- On Company plans w/ the Security Pack option, you now have the ability to specify custom "start pages" for EACH user if you like (both internal AND external users can be customized).
Click here for a complete run-down of the new enhancements - and feel free to provide us with comments and feedback. We are eager to hear from you! - Central DesktopPaperless Office: Why You Need Central Desktop This would have never happened if they were using Central Desktop. All of their documents and project data would have been stored online...no need for paper.
[We have our doubts about whether this is real or not; either way, its hilarious! Its been making its rounds online already, so you may have already seen this.] - Central DesktopCentral Desktop Survey Reveals Customers Gain 30% Productivity through Web 2.0 Business Collaboration Survey Supports Recent Labor Statistics Showing Increased Productivity, Despite Less Hours Worked
PASADENA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Central Desktop, the Complete Business Collaboration platform for business teams, today announced findings from a recent survey that reveals organizations using Central Desktopâs business collaboration platform are enjoying a 30% increase in productivity while decreasing their total cost of doing business. The findings are in line with recent government labor statistics, which revealed an increase in worker productivity, yet a decline in hours worked.
The Central Desktop survey, conducted in Q2 2008 polled over 160 SMBs across various industries found that:
- Customers are seeking a low-cost, pure-play SaaS collaboration platform that does not require IT resources to implement, configure or manage.
- On average, customers have increased productivity by 30% by using Central Desktop.
- 36% evaluated MS Sharepoint, but choose Central Desktop for affordability and ease of use and management.
âThe findings are in line with what weâve experienced over the years â the successful organizations are the ones that use the latest technology to get more out of less, which is always important, but critical in a poor economy,â said Isaac Garcia, CEO of Central Desktop. âAnd if the economy continues to weaken, we expect businesses to push harder for virtual workers to keep costs down, which will catapult collaboration software from a pure cost saving benefit to one that is more strategic in nature.â
Central Desktop, delivered as a pure-play web-based collaboration platform (SaaS) allows business teams of all sizes to work virtually and seamlessly without the IT hassle. Uniquely positioned to serve the mid-market, Central Desktopâs platform delivers the richest set-of-tools available for business users with ease-of-use and at affordable price-points, leveling the playing field for small and mid-size companies wishing to do business with enterprise partners and customers. Its complete set of collaboration tools, all accessible from a single workspace, help teams connect, share and collaborate on business activities seamlessly and inexpensively. The technology is as simple as launching a Web browser.
About Central Desktop
Central Desktop delivers a Complete Business Collaboration platform for the mid-market enabling business teams to connect, share, collaborate and manage business both internally and externally on customizable web workspaces. Its solution is delivered as a pure-play web-based platform (SaaS) that combines the most robust collaboration tools available with consumer-level service and afford-ability. Central Desktop enables teams of all sizes to work virtually and seamlessly without the need for IT resources, leveling the playing field for SMBs wishing to do business with the Fortune 500 through technology that is as simple as launching a browser. Central Desktop was founded in 2005, and is a privately-held company located in Pasadena, California. For more information, visit www.centraldesktop.com.
© Central Desktop. All rights reserved. Central Desktop and the Central Desktop logo are all registered trademarks of Central Desktop. All other trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners. - Central DesktopCentral Desktop Blog 2.0 (Final Post At This Blog) This Blog Has Moved to http://cdblog.centraldesktop.com/
We invite you to read our latest posts:
Blondie Knows Customer Service
and
The Rise of the Shadows
Like most things these days - you eventually need to upgrade everything.
This time its our corporate blog.
The Central Desktop Blog has been quiet this Summer - but that is now a thing of the past.
We've just launched Central Desktop Blog 2.0 (we know...not that original).
You can find it here: http://cdblog.centraldesktop.com/
This Blog is Officially Retired.
- Central Desktop
;)
Refresh.