Commence RM 9.0 Release Notes
Commence RM 9.0 Feature Summary
Commence RM 9.0 delivers new and enhanced functionality.
MobileLink integration with Commence Cloud CRM
What's New?
Commence customers are looking for remote and mobile access to their Commence data. While available with Commence’s cloud-based CRM software, this capability will now be offered to desktop users as well, enabling you to share Commence Contacts, Calendar, and To Do’s on your desktop with our cloud technology.
What value will this add to my business?
The feature will enable you to access specific Commence data anytime, anywhere, and from any device. Furthermore, this data now accessible via the cloud will be presented in an easy-to-use, web-browser format illustrated below.
Workgroup syncing using cloud file sharing services
What's New?
The Commence workgroup server and clients can communicate and sync using different methods, such as a shared LAN or FTP server. This feature provides expanded communication methods and now works with file sharing services such as Dropbox, Google Drive, and Microsoft OneDrive.
What value will this add to my business?
Legacy file sharing services like FTP, while popular and quite capable, have given way to more modern, easy-to-use cloud-based services which are not only more efficient, but also more secure. Compared to FTP, this offers significant benefits such as:
- Easier file sharing with granular access controls
- Seamless syncing across devices
- Automatic resume of interrupted file transfers
- More secure protocols for file transfer
Commence can now be implemented as a Windows Service
What's New?
This new feature enables Commence administrators to leverage the standard Windows infrastructure to enable the Commence server to run automatically when the server hardware is rebooted or restarted, and run in the background without user intervention.
What value will this add to my business?
Windows services can be beneficial because they reduce the IT effort to manage server applications such as the Commence Workgroup server and are ideal for Commence workgroup servers and other applications that need to run 24/7.
- Windows services can run applications that need to run for a long time, such as data backup, network connections, and user credentials.
- Automatic startup: Windows services can start automatically when the computer boots up.
- Background operation: Windows services run in the background and don't show a user interface.
- Low user interaction: Windows services don't interfere with other users on the same computer.
- Services can be started or stopped remotely using the command line.
- Better security: Services can be run in the security context of a specific user account.
- Improved reliability: Services can be created and controlled to ensure that applications run smoothly.
- Windows services are a core component of the Microsoft Windows operating system.
New Outlook version vs. Classic Outlook
What's New?
Microsoft is updating and modernizing their widely used desktop version of Outlook for Windows to reuse many of the features found in their existing cloud-based version of Outlook. The new Outlook for Windows will operate differently than the classic Outlook most customers use today and may impact integration with the full set of Outlook components.
This is Microsoft’s future direction for the Outlook product and is today a moving target. Commence will continue to enhance the features of Commence desktop to support the new Outlook software and enable the key integrations used with your Commence desktop solution.
What value will this add to my business?
Integration of the Commence desktop software with Microsoft Outlook is a core requirement of Commence customers. Commence is implementing support for this modern version of Outlook, but as with many technology shifts, not all the Commence integrations that were implemented for the legacy/classic Outlook version can be supported in the new Outlook architecture. Commence will continue to work to ensure the use of the core features of Outlook in conjunction with our desktop software.
Other Capabilities in RM 9.0
Mail merge preference for destination
Customers have asked to control the default destination when doing a mail merge with Microsoft Word. Often the printer is the desired choice, but if draft or email is preferred, this improvement enables the default setting to be changed, saving clicks and avoids sending large jobs to the wrong destination. Changing your preferred default to save as draft, for example, eliminates printing many pages and reduces wasted paper and ink.
Whitelisting for the Commence Email Dropbox
What's New?
This email dropbox feature now allows you to set up a whitelist specifying which users can send emails for logging. Once you set up a whitelist, any other emails, such as spam emails, are rejected and not logged. This gives you control over which emails can be logged and automatically ignores the emails that are not useful.
What value will this add to my business?
Setting up and using your Commence email dropbox via an email BCC address is straightforward and provides significant benefits across sales, support, and marketing teams. The main advantage of using an email dropbox is the automation of email logging, which ensures accurate record-keeping and is also compatible with most email clients, including Outlook, Gmail, and others that support the BCC field. Whitelisting improves this popular feature by reducing the clutter of invalid and unwanted emails in your Commence database application.
Additional Features from prior Commence RM Versions
Microsoft SharePoint and OneDrive for Business Integration
One of the new enhancements in RM 8.1 provides integration with Microsoft Office SharePoint and OneDrive for Business. These business focused services from Microsoft provide document management and file sharing solutions and are integrated in Commence RM using the existing Cloud file sharing feature. SharePoint is a popular document management platform that natively integrates with Microsoft Office and is used by thousands of corporations as a document library. By integrating Commence with SharePoint, your staff will be able to gain access to your company’s central repository of documents and Access SharePoint documents without having to leave the Commence application.
“SharePoint allows you to store all customer records and documents in one place and offers storage capacities that are greater than that offered by traditional CRM software programs. Many of our customers are already using SharePoint,” says Todd Pape, Chief Technology Officer at Commence. “By providing this integration, Commence RM customers can now take advantage of this functionality and securely share information across departments.”
The RM 8.1(a) release improves the SharePoint integration by enabling access to documents and files stored within the SharePoint Sites functionality and can be configured using the SharePoint guide.
Microsoft Office 365 Requires new Authentication/Login for the Email Dropbox feature
The RM 8.1(a) release enables integration using the latest security and login requirements of Microsoft Office 365. Specifically, customers that use the Commence Email Dropbox feature with a Microsoft Office 365 email address will need to update their configuration to use the new login settings per the Email Dropbox guide.
Microsoft OneDrive (Personal) added to the Cloud files feature
The Cloud files feature integrates with Microsoft OneDrive for Personal accounts. Commence users can access OneDrive files similarly to other supported cloud file services Google Drive and Dropbox.
Export Workgroup Permissions to a CSV file
Commence Workgroup permissions can now be exported to CSV file format, providing up-to-date documentation as needed for workgroup administrators to review and maintain user access
Agents can use Date and Time keywords to create unique filenames
Agent actions have been updated to allow using (-date-) and (-time-) keywords in filenames, simplifying the creation of unique filenames for automated backup and export files
Commence Email Dropbox
One of the core enhancements in RM 8.0 provides better integration with Microsoft Office 365 and Google Mail for logging of e-mails. A new Email Dropbox feature allows users to log emails by simply forwarding them to a configured email address, such as crm@mycompany.com. Commence can be configured to check this inbox and automatically download and log any emails that are received.
- This feature enables email logging with Microsoft Office 365, Google mail, and other web-based email services from any email client, including email apps on mobile phones
- Simpler to implement and use since it does not require installing and using the Outlook desktop app or plugin
- Ensure all of your customer communications are logged in the CRM system
Report writer Improvements for Adobe PDF
You can use the built-in Commence Report writer to create interactive forms in PDF format. Use the full power of the report designer to publish pre-configured and ready to fill AcroForms.
- Create the report layout with interactive fields, such as textboxes and checkboxes
- Export to Adobe PDF format with form fill-in fields and pre-populated fields
Customize Database confirms Updates and Deletes
This improvement notifies the Commence administrator when making changes or deletions of the Application design, including views, agents, fields, and more. For example, when removing a field from the application, Commence shows an alert and documents any dependencies such as views or agents that use this field. This makes it safer and easier to update and modernize your application without causing unintended changes.
Image fields support more image formats
The Commence application database provides the Image field and allows for the application to store images with each record, such as a contact’s profile picture or a picture of a real estate listing. This image field has been enhanced to support most common image formats such as JPEG, GIF and more.
Agent Send Email action supports multiple recipients
Sending emails is a common feature that is automated using the Commence Agent feature. This is used to automate sending emails based on changes to your application, such as sending out a welcome email when adding a new customer or contact. This feature has been enhanced so multiple recipients can be included, rather than just a single contact email address.
Agent documentation in System info
Provides an improved System Info screen including an Agents listing that can be exported to a file for review or printing.
Commence Social Search
A new Social Search feature enables you to search for contact information on popular social search sites like Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. You can add these social links directly into Commence and navigate to a social user’s profile.
- Presents a modern task pane window
- Easy to use and easy to launch a social search. The search text is pulled from the selected contact record and only requires the user to click on the social network icon to search for that contact’s information.
- Social search results are based on the social network selection, in this example using Twitter
Additional details about the Social feature are listed in the PDF file Commence Social Search
Commence Workgroup Expert
Enhancements have been made to the Workgroup Expert Feature which is designed to manage and report on the synchronization of data between all users in a workgroup. This feature has been enhanced to support Microsoft Office 365 and reports can now be sent via e-mail securely using SSL or STARTTLS.
- The workgroup expert feature has been enhanced to configure a port number and type of connection.
- This allows the Workgroup Expert to now send emails securely using SSL or STARTTLS.
- You can now configure Office365, Gmail, etc. with a specified port number and send email securely.
- This also allows you to send emails through servers that support SSL/TLS connections.
Commence Mobile Link
Synchronize Data from Your PC to Smart Phone. Quick, Easy and Fast
Want to synchronize your calendar and contacts from Commence to your Smartphone? Well now you can. Commence RM includes our Mobile Link software that synchronizes your data with MS Outlook and Google. Away from the office and need to access your contacts and calendar details – you’ve got it with Commence RM.
Connect Email Marketing Enhanced for Office 365
“Commence Connect” the bulk e-mail capability in Commence RM has been enhanced to support Office 365 and now takes advantage of security using SSL or STARTTLS. Now you can create e-mail programs with Office 365, Gmail and other mail servers using the latest data security protocols.
Refresh the look and feel of Commence with Office Styles
Building on our already popular preference settings for Office Styles, we have added more; the new Office 2016 style options. Give your Commence desktop an instant refresh with the use of styles. Commence RM introduces new Office 2016 styles, “Colorful” and “Black” themes for a modern look and feel.
Create Dazzling reports with Charts, tables and mapping features
Business professionals need the ability to quickly and efficiently produce both ad hoc and graphical reports to manage their business. Commence RM enhances the current reporting capability with new charts, tables, calendars and mapping features.
Generate Advanced Report Layouts – Using RDL Technology
RDL reports are like a continuous roll of paper. You can use multiple report components in one page (traditionally impossible without sub-reports) and multiple data sources in one report. The continuous page is useful when you don’t know how much data there will be. It runs through the data rows until it’s finished. This is a great option for long tabular reports such as general ledgers.
Page Reports – Layout Driven Reports
In page reports, pages act as containers. Each page can be a copy of the first or a clean page. Data that overflows your tables or other data regions can span pages, but you control the layout of each page and specify where the overflow data goes with a placeholder. This report type is great for billing statements, mail merge, catalogs, forms, and other reports with layout constrictions.
