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Daylite 5 adds refinements to the business management app
Marketcircle's Daylite has been around for a number of years, pulling in Best of Show awards at Macworld/iWorld and kudos from happy users. The application, which comes in Mac, iPhone and iPad versions, is a full-featured system for keeping track of your business. Whether it's calendar, email, or contact management; project tracking or following up on business opportunities, Daylite is hands-down the best and most comprehensive tool for managing a business. Now the company has just introduced Daylite 5, the latest version of the multi-platform solution. Priced at US$299.95 per user, Daylite 5 includes licenses for the Mac, iPhone and iPad apps, as well as for the Mail Assistant (used to link Daylite and Mail) and Daylite Server. Existing Daylite 4 users can update for $199.95, while Daylite 3 owners can make the jump for $249.95. What does the new version provide? A lot of refinement to an already polished set of apps. The new Insight View is described as a "visual summary of your data" that "helps you discover patterns and answer questions about your business." By displaying a number of graphs on one screen, it's easy to see patterns appear and then make comparisons. Clicking on a bar chart drills into summaries, and dragging across a timeline allows even further focus on project details. My personal new favorite feature is the timeline, which provides a quickly scrolling list of project information and associated emails to give a history of what went on during a period of time. Hovering on a small graphical timeline to the left of the timeline detail allows you to quickly jump to a specific date, while filters create a way to grab only certain pieces of information -- like emails associated with a project -- while getting the others out of the way. One feature that Daylite users had been asking for is now present -- repeating tasks. Regularly scheduled tasks such as project status meetings can be set to repeat daily, weekly, monthly or for any other time period. The iPad and iPhone apps have received an amazing makeover, with a flat, simple design that would make Jony Ive happy. Searching is available from the Daylite home screen, and synchronization with the Daylite server is done in background. Those of us with mature eyes love the way that Daylite now uses the text size that's chosen in the Settings app so that it's possible to read details without squinting or holding the iPhone screen two inches from our faces. On the Mac app, the sidebar now has the ability to have folders and subfolders added to group items, and since those folders can be opened and closed, it's possible to hide those projects or groupings that are unimportant at a particular time. You can even hide the sidebar altogether to make more room on your workspace. The Daylite Mail Assistant now has the capability of allowing you to update details in Daylite right from within Mail.app. If a contact's information (email, address, phone number, etc...) has changed, or if you need to change the status of a project, there's no need to jump into Daylite -- it can all be done in Mail. Marketcircle has also provided more advanced filtering capabilities to allow you to dig into your data -- for example, you can search all contacts that have no opportunity associated with them to provide a list of customers you should cold call. Finally, the Mac app has received a redesign that provides a visual look and feel that is closer to the iOS apps. Things are less cluttered and much easier to read in the revised app. Marketcircle has obviously listened to Daylite customers in making the changes to Daylite 5, and all of the apps now have a much more streamlined and polished feel to them. For existing Daylite users, making the jump to Daylite 5 might cause some temporary heartburn as you get used to the new features and find your way around, but you'll quickly get back up to speed and be able to accomplish more in less time.
Daylite 4.3 adds new forms and attachments to management app
Marketcircle's Daylite app has been updated with some exciting new features for business, project and client relationship management. Both the iOS and OS X versions have their own specific new improvements, creating a well-rounded management suite for home or mobile use. Daylite 4.3 for iOS users can look forward to these new features: Linked Forms: Users can now create and edit forms on the go that are linked to specific records. Even while away from the office, you can quickly keep track of changing information from the comfort of your iPhone or iPad. Attachments: Store files directly in the Daylite database to be shared, downloaded and previewed directly on your iOS device. Resource Calendar: A calendar to keep track of resources, like if you have a meeting room booked at a specific time. Relationships: Daylite users can now view and edit relationships between people and companies remotely. Daylite OS X users are also getting an update to version 4.3 bringing these new tools: Duplicate Records: Easily duplicate records into new forms to save time and money on re-entering data. New Report and Print Layouts: Further streamline your business with new report options like Won Opportunities, Activity Time by Category and Incomplete Tasks. Smartlists for Birthdays and Anniversaries. Enhanced column sorting options based on keywords, appointments and tasks. In addition, both the iOS and OS X versions now have support for Spanish and Dutch language options. Daylite 4.3 for OS X and Daylite 4.3 for iOS will be available in the App Store sometime today.
Marketcircle releases Daylite 4
Marketcircle's Daylite is a popular business productivity management application for both the Mac and iOS. After spending some time on its mobile apps, the company is back with a new version of Daylite for the Mac. According to its announcement blog post, Daylite 4 is a complete overhaul of the app to include those features customers felt were most important. These features include the ability to view family or personal calendars inside Daylite, support for external meeting invites, drag-and-drop re-ordering of tasks and more. A full list of new features can be found on Marketcircle's What's New page. The UI has been streamlined and the learning curve reduced with this newest version. As a result, some features like reports and Billings Pro Integration were removed. You can view the list of removed features on Daylite's "Before you upgrade" webpage. Some features will return in future versions, but you should consult the removal list before deciding to upgrade. You can purchase a self-serve version of Daylite 4 for US$279 from Marketcircle's website. Editor's Note: A detailed review of Daylite 4 by GigaOM's Weldon Dodd can be found here.
Daylite Touch for iPad brings project management to your fingertips
The folks at Marketcircle have released Daylite Touch for the iPad, which joins the iPhone and desktop versions to further extend the productivity solution across Apple's hardware. You can read this blog post from Marketcircle about the app. Much more than a task tracker, Daylite offers complete project management for individuals and large companies alike. We've been beta testing the iPad app for a while now, and we are glad to share our experiences with you. Please note that Daylite 3.13, also available today, is required to run Daylite Touch 1.6. Some other good news from Marketcircle is that they've changed the licensing structure. Now it's based on a per-user basis (instead of per device), as customers often use more than one iOS device. Getting started As we said, Daylite includes everything you want: projects and tasks, contact management, a calendar, leads (they call them "Opportunities") and more. You can use it as an individual, but its power becomes obvious when managing a team. The iPhone app added portability, allowing workers in the field to access information in a shared database via Daylite Server. Since changes made on the iPhone are synchronized in real time with the desktop version, remote workers and office-bound supervisors can stay on the same page. It works quite well. So why add the iPad? %Gallery-108581%
Daylite coming to the iPad
Marketcircle has confirmed that Daylite will be coming to the iPad. I've been using Daylite and Daylite Touch for years (here's our initial look at Daylite Touch). It's a terrific productivity suite that keeps me on task and working (plus it looks great). Daylite Touch syncs with the Daylite server I've got happily running on an old G4 iMac. As I said, I love it, but I've also been wondering if and when it'll move over to the iPad. Work has begun on the app and they intend to have parity with the current version of Daylite Touch, so synchronization and licensing will be the same. I'm most eager to see how it makes use of the iPad's larger screen. The calendar in the screenshot at right looks great and so much roomier than the iPhone version. Good luck to the Marketcircle team. We're eager to see what you make.
Marketcircle announces Billings Pro, needs beta testers
Marketcircle, the Canadian software firm that brought you Daylite, Daylite Touch, Billings, and Billings Touch has just announced the next generation of their time-tracking and billing solution. Billings Pro takes advantage of many of the features built into other Marketcircle products and takes Billings to a new level as a multi-user application. The new application will include a server piece (like Daylite), a way to use the application offline and then sync to the server (once again built upon Daylite), over-the-air sync (as with Daylite Touch), and Marketcircle's expertise in desktop and mobile user interfaces. The application is still in development, and beta testing won't begin for a few months yet. If you're an existing Billings user and would like to receive consideration as a possible beta tester, fill out this online form and you may hear from Marketcircle in a few months. At this time, no ship date or price has been determined for Billings Pro.
Marketcircle gives orphaned NUDC users some love
A well-known software vendor is rushing in to help out Mac users who have become "orphaned" by the recent failure of Now Software. Marketcircle, developers of Daylite, have set up a web page on their site to help out existing users of Now Up-to-Date and Contact (NUDC) who may be looking for a new solution. The page starts off by noting that Daylite may not be the perfect solution for some NUDC users, and then details the similarities and differences between the applications. There are even instructions on how to customize Daylite to make it more familiar looking to NUDC users, and hints on how to make the migration between the two applications. To help ease the pain of moving to a new platform, Marketcircle is also offering a 30% discount on Daylite to former Now Software customers who are going to need a new application. Details on how to take advantage of the Daylite discount can be found here. Of course, Daylite isn't the only solution that former NUDC customers can move to; the original developers of Now Up-to-Date are the brains behind BusyCal and BusySync, and they have just reprinted a blog post about how to migrate your NUD information to iCal so that it can be used with the products of BusyMac software.
TUAW and Marketcircle team up for a Daylite / Daylite touch giveaway
The Labor Day weekend here in the US always heralds the unofficial end of summer, which means it's time to stop playing and to start getting back to productive work. Marketcircle, the makers of the Daylite Productivity Suite and the companion Daylite Touch app for iPhone and iPod touch, has combined forces with TUAW to help you get out of your summer sloth! Whether you're a student or the CEO of a Fortune 500 company, the Daylite Productivity Suite (click here for a TUAW review) is a powerful tool for keeping track of your calendar, your contacts, projects, emails, and just about everything else in your life. Coupled with Daylite touch for mobile access, you'll get your priorities straight in no time at all. Marketcircle and TUAW want to give away copies of the Daylite Productivity Suite to two lucky TUAW readers, each with a companion one-year license for Daylite touch. To enter the giveaway, just leave a comment below describing your top organizational priority. Here's the requisite legal jargon: Open to legal US residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia, and to legal residents of Canada (excluding Quebec), who are 18 and older. To enter leave a comment below describing your top organizational priority. The comment must be left before September 7, 2009, 11:59PM Eastern Daylight Time. You may enter only once. Two winners will be selected in a random drawing. Prize: One copy each of Daylite Productivity Suite and a one-year license for Daylite touch. Click Here for complete Official Rules. As always, keep visiting TUAW for more exciting giveaways!
WWDC Live: AJ From Marketcircle
AJ, CEO of Marketcircle (Billings, Daylite, Daylite Touch) sat down with us to talk about WWDC, new iPhones, Snow Leopard and the upcoming Billings Touch, which I'm personally pretty excited about. Read the rest of the post for the video of our chat. I apologize to AJ and our readers for what is, by the sound of it, some iPhone interference on the soundtrack. Update: This video has been moved to YouTube and is now watchable.
Learn Daylite from a MacAngel
If you were intrigued by last week's review of Marketcircle Daylite 3.9, Daylite Server, and Daylite Touch enough to purchase the application suite or download the trial, you might be at the point now where you're feeling a bit overwhelmed with how to install, configure and use the applications. Don't worry, there's a MacAngel available to help you!Marni Melrose is a La Jolla, California-based Mac consultant who has made Daylite her life's work. She not only knows the application and its technical requirements in detail, but she's also an expert on using Daylite to get things done. Under the name The MacAngel, Marni has developed a number of training videos about Daylite over the years. She's recently completed an amazing 93 minute tutorial that goes through the process of setting up Daylite 3.9, Daylite Server, and Daylite Touch, and then continues on to teach you the MacAngel Method. The MacAngel Method is Marni's creation, taking David Allen's GTD principles, stirring in the ideas of Stephen Covey and other authors, and then using her experiences implementing Daylite for businesses for over 7 years to show how Daylite can help you drive your business forward.I'm a Daylite Certified Partner, but after watching The MacAngel Method GTD for Daylite 3.9 & Touch, I felt that I really knew a lot more about how to organize my work and personal life with Daylite than I did from struggling through teaching myself by trial and error. In her video, Marni does a phenomenal job of showing you exactly what to do and, more importantly, why you're doing it.You can view a 29 minute "trailer" to see how the training works, and then purchase the full video for $45 if you find it as useful as I did.
TUAW review: Daylite 3.9, Daylite Server, and Daylite Touch
Marketcircle's Daylite is a popular business productivity management application for the Mac platform, and it was recently updated to version 3.9. While this sounds like it might have been just another version upgrade, it was actually a major update to Daylite. Coinciding with the release of Daylite 3.9, Marketcircle also released Daylite Server and Daylite Touch, two new components that bring the power of Daylite to the iPhone and iPod touch platforms.We'll be talking with Marketcircle CEO Alykhan Jetha (AKA A.J.) this Sunday, April 19th, at 10 PM EDT on the TUAW Talkcast, so be sure to listen in and bring any questions that you'd like to ask A.J. about Daylite.
First Look: Daylite Touch
Marketcircle has made a name for themselves with their Daylite Productivity Suite, which is a powerful customer management, calendaring, and project management tool. On Tuesday, Marketcircle announced the availability of Daylite Touch, an iPhone / iPod touch companion to Daylite, in the App Store (click opens iTunes).TUAW is currently working on a full review of the latest releases of Daylite, the new Daylite Server, and Daylite Touch, so this is just a cursory overview of the iPhone app. From what we've seen during the last few weeks of use, the app is a worthy companion to Daylite and offers much of the powerful capabilities of the desktop package in a handheld format.Perhaps the most impressive tool in Daylite Touch is its ability to sync to a remote Daylite Server. Daylite Server is required if someone wishes to use both Daylite on the Mac and the iPhone, and it has just been shipped with the new Daylite 3.9. The sync capability includes a remote wipe function, important for organizations that have deployed groups of iPhones loaded with Daylite Touch and syncing to company-proprietary information. Daylite Touch is free for download, but requires that a $49.99 annual license be installed on the server. While this may seem a bit expensive, it's an absolute bargain for any person or organization that wants the power of Daylite in their pocket or purse. Stay tuned for our upcoming full review of Daylite 3.9, Daylite Server, and Daylite Touch.
TUAW Macworld Video: Marketcircle announces Daylite Touch
For businesspeople who want to take their work with them everywhere, Marketcircle has just created a new way to keep updated on projects, contacts, calendars, and more through the iPhone -- Daylite Touch.We interviewed Marketcircle CEO Alykhan Jetha this morning at Macworld Expo 2009, where he gave us a demo of the many features built into Daylite Touch. The app, scheduled for delivery in the first quarter of 2009, will be licensed with another announced product -- Daylite Server -- and will be free of charge to Daylite users. Jetha also noted that Daylite Touch will require the upcoming Daylite 3.9.Daylite Touch syncs with Daylite Server via Wi-Fi, 3G, and EDGE connections, and doesn't overwhelm the user with too much information on one little screen. This is one of the more complex iPhone apps I've seen since the iPhone arrived on the scene, and a lot of time and effort was obviously directed at the user interface.Click Read More to see our interview.
A holiday idea: pay it forward
For those of you sickened by the commercialism and resulting chaos of the holiday season, here's an idea to make you appreciate the holidays again: follow the concept of paying it forward. The concept is easy to understand: someone does you a favor, and instead of paying them back, they ask you to do something good for others. I'd like to ask TUAW readers to help take part in a "pay it forward" project. Let me start by telling you about my project this year.In this case, I feel like the good people in the Denver metro area have done me a favor by helping my Mac consulting business, Raven Solutions, LLC, become a success. Earlier in the month, I received a phone call from a local non-profit called Art from Ashes wondering if I could provide some assistance with Marketcircle's Daylite application. After looking at the group's website and becoming aware of the healing work they do with at-risk youths through poetry therapy, I decided to donate my time as a way of giving back to the community.
