When I recently wrote about Los Angeles’ move to Google Apps, I mentioned Zoho as an enterprise-grade SaaS suite competitor worth considering. Still, more options loom. A prime example: HyperOffice, which provides a hosted collaboration suite aimed to compete with Microsoft’s offerings in the SMB space. Here are the details.
HyperOffice is in the process of invite-only beta testing a “complete reinvention” of their trademark HyperOffice Collaboration Suite, so it’s an ideal time to check in with them. Here’s what VARs should know about HyperOffice.
HyperOffice, based in Maryland, was founded in 1998 in the heyday of the dot-com boom as one of the first to provide business software from the browser. In 2000, HyperOffice underwent an unsuccessful rebranding to WebOS, which tried to mimic a desktop operating system’s functionality from the browser; a sort of prototypical version of the upcoming Google ChromeOS. When the bubble burst in 2001, HyperOffice laid low for a year before returning to their once and future name, according to Shahab Kaviani, VP of marketing, HyperOffice.
That brings us up to today, where HyperOffice offers its SaaS browser-based collaboration suite to partners and businesses alike. I got the chance to try the new HyperOffice Collaboration Suite beta: Its newly Ajax-powered feature set has an IM client, Outlook integration, e-mail setup and management, and a laundry list of other features (including wiki generation). Rather than individually accessing each application in a different browser window, it’s all from a HyperOffice portal specific to your company.
Also available from HyperOffice:
- HyperBase, which is a hosted database management platform;
- HyperMeeting, a webconferencing tool meant to provide an alternative to Microsoft Sharepoint; and
- HyperCampaign, which is an e-mail list and marketing tool.
HyperOffice also offers free support and training for all its tools, according to its website.
As I mentioned, this new update to HyperOffice Collaboration Suite is written entirely in the Ajax programming language, which — according to company press releases — increases speed, security, stability, and scalability under the hood. HyperOffice also claim the new release boasts a more streamlined interface over the currently available version.
This is still only a beta, so expect further updates down the line as it gets closer to general availability. Channel partners can get more information by visiting HyPerOffice’s partner page.
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Very nice! I look forward to seeing future reviews on HyperOffice after they come out of beta.
Jacob: Are you a HyperOffice customer? Partner? Employee? Let The VAR Guy know.
-TVG
Jacob: Just to clarify, all their offerings are available now – they claim to have over 300,000 customers. The beta is just a test run for a near-future total overhaul/upgrade.
Hmm…they don’t seem to have apps fro word processor, spreadsheets or presentations – not sure how they can claim to be a Google Apps/Zoho competitor without these basic elements in place…
Don: HyperOffice does have email, online calendaring, document management and contact management services (just to name a few) so there are potential areas of competition with Google Apps and Zoho. But thanks for the constructive criticism. We realize Google Apps and Zoho also have personal productivity applications… areas HyperOffice doesn’t seem to address at present.
-TVG
If you are asking for a collaboration suite I vote for HyperOffice. Everything Personalized.
Suni: Are you a HyperOffice partner? Customer? Employee? The VAR Guy would welcome more info.
-TVG
I want and NEED to chime in on this discussion about HyperOffice and HyperCampaign. We signed up for a year service in November 2009, and yes, there was that fine print that you would be charged yearly, period. Well, they promised us that within the next three months our HyperCampaign would be fully integrated with HyperOffice. Wrong! Never happened. So when September rolled around, they mailed us an invoice, saying to pay it by November 15th. We knew we didn’t want their service anymore, so we moved all our data off there and were prepared to chalk it up to a bad experience. Like others have said, it happens.
However, then November 23, 2010 hit, and lo and behold our card was automatically charged! So why did they bill, no mention on the bill that if you don’t pay this bill you will be charged anyway? I immediately called the company, had to leave message after message, and finally got an e-mail response saying, sorry, no go.
We are a small nonprofit…and I consider this a blatant theft of our donor money. So I repeatedly called and tried to speak to someone ‘higher up.’ No go.
Also, they charged us on November 23, but the HyperCampaign says it runs through November 29th. So I did a screen capture, making SURE I cancelled by the end date, and still no go.
Then I reported it as a fraudulent charge on our card. They won because they pulled out the paper I’d signed in 2009 giving them the right to charge us ad infinitum unless we exclusively cancel through their site.
I am thoroughly disgusted. I too would have chalked it up to a company that needs to put it’s money where it’s mouth is in terms of service if they hadn’t treated us so badly and refused to return our money. I will trumpet the BEWARE OF HYPERCAMPAIGN AND HYPEROFFICE warning far and wide. To employ such poor business practices in the age of the internet is a very bad business move.