Always improving

Hopefully that Turkey blog post did not leave anyone with the impression that the Glance is product is not growing, because it is!  Growing better, that is - not more complicated.

We've just released Glance 2.4, which allows you to see and control your guests' screen.  We've added free audio conferencing, and improvements to the account management features on our website are coming soon.  More good stuff is in the works, but I probably won't be allowed to make any promises here.  I can tell you though that I'm having a blast working on it.  Let us know if you want to be among the first to hear about it in the coming months.

Debby Mendez

No Jo

Jo is out of the office this week at a trade show.  For most of you,  Jo needs no introduction - if you've ever phoned us you have most likely spoken to her.  For anyone who has not had the privilege, she's our resident expert on all sales and support issues - from figuring out what subscription package best meets your needs, to fixing your network connection.  When Jo is out or on a call, there is a small cadre of other extremely  capable people who will help you, but (no offense anyone) none of us quite have Jo's panache.

Occasionally I'm fortunate enough to get to take a call myself.  I say "fortunate" because in many companies engineers are not allowed to talk to customers unless they are specially trained in support.   (After all, who knows what they might say.)  When I answer the phone sometimes people assume I'm Jo.  I've even had people just launch right in assuming I recognize their voice and know their story, as Jo does.  I try not to be disheartened by the telltale note of disappointment when I have to correct them and identify myself as not Jo.

The truth is, it's great talking to customers.  There's nothing like hearing first hand what people are looking for.  Many of you run small business and probably talk to your customers all the time.  As your business grows, or if it already has, try giving your 'back room' employees a chance to grab the phone every so often.  With or without panache, it's a great way to keep everyone customer focused.

Debby Mendez

Cooking a turkey in the dishwasher

One of the advantages of a one room office is that I get to hear not only who's beating whom in the election pool, but also what customers are looking for when they call Glance. 

Every so often I overhear a call where someone is looking for a particular feature that Glance does not offer.  My first instinct is to start mentally roughing out how we would implement a whiteboard or recording or whatever the request is.  Sure, it would be fun to add all those bells and whistles to Glance, and some of these ideas will appear in future versions.  But simplicity is our mantra and the reason for our loyal customer base. 

In fact, as it turns out, simplicity has not come at the expense of meeting our customers' needs.  Often we've been able to direct customers to other products, some of them free, that work beautifully alongside Glance:

• Marking what's on your screen:  For those of you on PCs, check out [where's the free tool Brian used to recommend to users?]
• Recording screen sharing sessions:  A lot of our customers (us included!) use Camtasia.  It's great, because it doesn't just record your session.  You can use its editor to get it into the form you want.  Then export it in any of a bazillion formats to post on your web site or embed in a presentation.
•   

It would take us a long time for us to catch up to the sophistication these products offer, and we'd rather focus on screen sharing, period.

Cooking tip:  Leave the turkey to the oven this year.