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Web-Centric Pims
Web-Wise Pims
-- by Jim Boyce
Just over a decade ago, a little utility called Sidekick became the first title in a software genre known as the personal information manager, or PIM. Since then, the PIM has become an indispensable element of most desktops. The latest focus in PIM software is, not surprisingly, Internet support. Today’s "Web-wise" PIMs enable you to share calendars and address books, and store live e-mail addresses and URLs in contact records. These PIMs can automatically launch Web applications such as browsers and e-mail programs and even import HTML page information into notes, contact records and other data objects. We’ll take a look at the new breed of PIMs so you can determine how these features can help you work more efficiently and productively than ever before. The degree of importance you should attach to having Web features in your PIM depends on how much you use the Internet and whether you need to integrate Internet access with your contacts, schedule and correspondence. If you communicate with customers via e-mail on the Internet, a Web-wise PIM can make creating and tracking your correspondence easier. Just click on an e-mail address in your contact list, and the PIM launches your e-mail editor with the correct address already in place. If you work from home or travel frequently, being able to manage your schedule across the Internet or through a dial-up connection becomes critical. After a busy day of meetings, you can update your schedule back at the office from the comfort of your hotel room. Some Web-wise PIMs also let you share calendars and address books across the Internet. You can access your calendar remotely through the Internet and synchronize your local copy with the remote master stored on your company’s server. In this way, others in your organization can schedule meetings with you and vice versa, even when you’re working from a remote site. Web-enabled PIMs often provide a shared address book so everyone in your organization has the same contact information and can use new contact information as soon as it’s added to the master address book. Another common feature of Web-wise PIMs is support for Internet e-mail addresses and URLs. In addition to hotlinked e-mail addresses, contact information may also include the URL to the contact’s Web site. Clicking on the URL opens your browser and takes you to the site. Web-wise PIMs can even integrate Internet-related information with your contact information. If your Web browser holds bookmarks, you can import them into your PIM. You can also import Web page information, such as page titles and URLs, into notes or contact records in your PIM, so you don’t have to enter these items manually.
Create a Wish ListBefore you start shopping for a Web-wise PIM, analyze how you currently use the Internet. Create a list of features you and your organization need. Do you need to schedule and manage calendars and addresses remotely? Do you need to integrate your Internet-based e-mail with your contact information? Is it important for you to import Web data into your PIM? With wish list in hand, you’ll be ready to start shopping for the Web-wise PIM that best suits your business needs and fits into your price range. All the programs described here provide the PIM basics-contact management, address book, calendar and scheduling. We’ll focus on the products’ Web-related features. |
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