Yes, we are using Basecamp very actively in both main Foliovision departments.

We use Highrise very actively in one department at Foliovision (we’ve been very pleased about how CRM has improved our workflow: introducing it to department two next week) and Backpack very actively in the other.

We haven’t started using Campfire yet as we like our Skype system but may switch soon.

We’d likely try Apollo but for the moment the 37signals product is more complete, we’re very busy (no time for meta-games) and most importantly as we use Basecamp really, really actively with clients switching systems for a test is out of the question.

Indeed, switching systems is generally a bad idea in our situation, as the switch would cost us more in revenue and time lost than the total we pay per year for our 37signals Suite. To get us to move, one of two things would have to happen:

* 37 Signals would have to make the situation untenable (as they almost did by forcing the URL switch) with yet more advertising and branding.
* 37 Signals would have to radically change the pricing model (the suite makes a lot of sense and is a big improvement on subscribing to the separate apps: by creating and competitively pricing the suite, in a sense 37 Signals locked us in much deeper as clients).
* another product would have to really blow the suite out of the water in terms of functionality. Price alone would not be a winning strategy.
* 37 Signals has built a superb API. Any competing product would need to match that API (see below).

In the meantime, there were many limitations to how Basecamp functions in a medium sized organisation. Foliovision isn’t five people in a small office anymore. We’ve got about 30 people on the team and about 80 active projects. We’ve built a suite of tools using the same login and a very similar interface which function off the API which turn Basecamp into project management for medium sized business instead of project management for small creative studios.

We’ve been using our Ascent List Suite internally for six months and we’re about to release our Ascent List into public beta. Drop me a line if you’d like an invite.

Making the web work for you, Alec

did i get you right that you still using Basecamp and Highrise?

You might want to take a look at ApolloApp for integrated tasks and CRM.

We have a fantastic add-on ready for Basecamp (and Highrise) which allows you to manage your full team and all your tasks from a single dashboard but we haven’t added GoPlan yet.

In terms of syncing with Freshbooks, we just gave up (i.e. we synced once or perhaps even twice). It’s frightening enough an experience with enough cleanup (we ended up with a lot of companies with the same name as the owner, i.e. partially duplicate data). The other problem is the “sync” is really one way: into Highrise from Freshbooks. Usually our clients go into Highrise first.

We enter the data twice these days. Pretty silly when you think about it. We’d consider building a proper sync but worry that Freshbooks would just put one on the market for free after all our hard work. Should ask them about it.

Making the web work for you, Alec

Thanks for posting.

I think there is more integration coming at least for the contact database. 37signals has been taking product development more seriously in the last twelve months (todo dates anyone? project templates? moving items between projects? never say never) since more helpful competitors like TeamworkPM.

We have a nice add on for Basecamp called Ascent List which is now in beta. Adding Highrise support won’t be too difficult (I hope). At which point many of your workflow issues across applications will be fixed (not the contact database sync alas: we’ll have to wait on 37signals for that).

The 37Signals Suite at first blush looks impressive. And it could be but for the lack of centralization and true email and contact sync.

In late 2010, there should be no need for anyone to type a contact’s information more than once or download a vCard and upload it to 37Signals’ product.

And tasks across Basecamp and HighrishHQ?
They too should be integrated in the Suite. When I have a task assigned to me in Basecamp, it should bloody well show up in HighriseHQ on the right side of the page.

But I could understand these short-comings IF there were relevant conversation coming from the 37Signals team regarding what they believe matters most to their Customers and Prospects.

Instead, they deftly avoid the elephant in the room and want to talk, instead, about how their new internal app makes them better decision makers as to what to do next… REALLY?

Even the blog post about the launch of their Suite (http://productblog.37signals.com/products/2010/11/launch-the-37signals-suite.html) does not address a roadmap or the concerns Users have about syncing contacts and email. At least throw us a bone!

It is not enough to roll out a new product and call it a “Suite” when the only benefit is “simplified billing.”

Suite implies Integration. Compatibility. AND SYNCHRONIZATION!