Serious Business Software

In todays down market, we’re all looking for ways to save money and cut costs without sacrificing quality. As a freelance software developer and writer, I’m constantly looking out for good tools that can help me maximize my time at a low cost. I need a variety things in my tool box that I can expose at anytime, that will get the job done for me reliably, securely, and quickly. I don’t have a lot of time to waste learning new interfaces so it’s nice to have something simple and familiar(like drag-n-drop).

So here’s a list of what I need to get my job done. I need event scheduling, instant messaging, file sharing and online storage, source control, writing, and screen sharing.

As nature would have it, the first thing I look at is cost. If the tool is free or has a low cost-to-value ratio, it’s a no-brainer for me. The next thing I consider is the maker, who made the product, what kind of history and user-base do they have, and do they give me a competitive advantage. I also like an open-source product, being a developer I like to dabble in what others have done; I’m a little curious. Lastly, I need something that lets me work online or offline with no degradation. After weighing all of this, I’ve compile a pretty comprehensive list of tools that not only I benefit from, but I think absolutely anyone can benefit from.

• Event scheduling – I use GCalendar. The cost-to-value ratio is great; it’s free. And it allows me to schedule events, share them, and send invites, plus it’s accessible anywhere at anytime with its integrated desktop and web interface. The greatest feature in my opinion is the mobile sync which allows two-way syncing between your calendar and mobile phone.
• Instant messaging – Yahoo messenger is my choice. Like GCal, it’s free. It also offers a web interface, and desktop and mobile package. This tool let’s me stay in touch with anyone without raising my phone bill. It’s quick, easy, and offers a lot of value in collaborating with clients and colleagues.
• File sharing and online storage – NomaDesk is my favorite product for many reasons. First is ease of use. I simply navigated to www.NomaDesk.com and downloaded, installed, and setup up everything within a matter of minutes. I needed something other products couldn’t provide in one package. First, security, they provide password protection and 256-bit encryption. A feature called Theftguard will erase the data from your computer while in the hands of the thief. Reliability is part of the package in that NomaDesk instantly backs up files the moment they’re changed. It also syncs that file to every computer in your virtual network so everyone works off the most recent copy. All these features increase my productivity tenfold. And the cost-to-value ratio is phenomenal. Plans start at $15 a month with unlimited storage. Online or offline, the integrated desktop client or web interface will cover you either way, and still allow you to collaborate and stay in sync.
• Source control – Subversion. It’s open-source, it’s free, and it’s a great product. I need a reliable and quick repository for keeping my source files safe. Subversion does that with great versioning and ease of use.
• Writing – GoogleDocs is a great writing tool. It’s fast, friendly, and like other google products, it’s free. I’m tired of paying enormous licensing fees to Microsoft. GDocs provides a great product at an unbeatable value, and it does everything you need it to do.
• Screen sharing – Since I collaborate from all over the place, with people from all over the world, I need a solid screen sharing device so clients can get a good picture of what’s going on. WebExNow offers everything you need to collaborate remotely and at a reasonable price. They have some unique price plans as well, like the pay-as-you-go plan which makes using it a bit easier on your wallet.

When collaborating I’m typically doing it from some remote site, and I’m not always online, so I need tools that offer the most in what they do. These tools provide the features my team and I need to stay productive.