Wednesday, September 26, 2007 8:42 AM PT
I had an update call with Numara Software today as they gear up for the launch of Numara FootPrints 8, and saw a sneak preview of the new version that's planned for release at the end of this month. Numara FootPrints is a 100% Web based solution for IT service desks and customer support, encompassing incident, problem and change management. It sounds like the marriage of Numara Software and UniPress Software is off to a great start, with dramatic increases to revenue and average selling price, as well as continued traction with new customers, with the total number of live customer sites for the combined company topping 50,000.
The first thing you notice with Numara FootPrints 8 is the completely redesigned user interface (UI). This project has been in the works for quite a while, and there are some very sophisticated UI elements in 8.0. Here are some highlights of the release:
Dashboard. The new dashboard is impressive, as are the controls to customize the dashboard content and layout. Also, there are very granular controls for defining multiple dashboards and controlling who receives what dashboard by default. There's even a mashup on the dashboard, pulling in external data such as news headlines or RSS feeds.
ITIL. Like it or not, ITIL is here to stay, and we are seeing increasing adoption of ITIL for external support. Numara FootPrints has included incremental ITIL capabilities/conformity with each release, and in version 8 there is a new set of Wizards and import tools to automatically populate a CMDB--a big struggling point for many companies. And, a cool feature included with the import tools is support for barcode scans--a huge win for companies who have gone to barcode asset tracking.
Ontologies. The 8.0 release includes a big step forward for the Numara FootPrints knowledgebase--the ability to segment and organize content in a multi-level index structure, as well as search specific indexes when looking for content to narrow your choices. The ability to assign content to specific locations is critical for knowledge maintenance, such as linking all content related to a specific release so it can be identified easily when the release is retired.
Sequencing and dependencies. Numara FootPrints has supported parent/child cases (aka task and subtask) for a few releases, but they added something in this release that takes child cases to a new level: sequencing and dependencies. That means that you can define a sequential process and have each step executed in order--a fairly advanced concept in CRM software--and track the progress in a single location.
instaCalc. Want to automatically perform calculations using database fields? Use the new instaCalc feature, which offers a great UI for building formulas using any data field. Want to show the average sat score from a customer, track depreciation on assets, or sum the total value of a customer account? Now the most current calculation shows up when the field is displayed.
And lots more. (AJAX is leveraged in 8.0 to create better, faster, and more user-friendly functionality. New drag/drop capabilities make multiple admin features simpler. Customer survey capabilities have been enhanced. A new tab structure that dynamically changes with each Numara FootPrints project.)
If you are in the market for a new case management/workflow system, you can't beat the functional depth of Numara FootPrints , especially for the very affordable price point.
Thanks for reading, and be sure to send me your thoughts or post them as a comment!
John Ragsdale
VP Research
SSPA
Community Comments