The GoldMine Blog - Tips, Tricks & More

Saw this from John Stillman, GoldMine developer on the FRS Forums regarding new featuers in the upcoming (Perhaps October) 4.0 version of the product:

Compatibility with QB2006, GM6.7 and 7.0 and higher, and W2K3
QuickLink has a "Find this contact in QB" button if QB is running.
Trial run mode in the administrator - see what's going to happen to your data before you commit it.
Set Sync New and Sync Changed directions, with To GM, To QB, Both, or None independantly.
Much faster startup times.
Service monitor application to start/stop the service from the system tray.
Supports curtaining of new records from QB into GM.
expanded matching rules
Specialized field mapping for QuickBooks List Names - you can have a generated list name (like GM+QB 3.0 (Company (Contact) or use a bi-directional field mapping.
Plain text support for history items - better for reports
Many, many bug fixes and logic enhancements....

Hey Reader!

I hope you are enjoying The GoldMine Blog and these final days of summer... Please don't forget to pass our address, www.thegmblog.com, along to your friends, colleagues, and other GoldMine users that you know.

I'd like to hear from you on what topics interest you...  So drop me an email at chad@thegmblog.com and let me know!

Thanks for reading,

Chad Smith, Author
www.thegmblog.com

If you're ever writing a report or SQL query and want to find particular types of calls, here's a list of rectypes and their descriptions:

Sale of GoldBox 7 has been suspended...  More information is available here:

http://www.redstonesoftbase.com/index_000009.htm

Not too much going on from FrontRange this quarter, but here it is:

1) 25% Discount on GoldMine VoiceSuite and GoldMine Mobile Edition sales when purchased with new or upgrades to Corporate Edition by October 31st.

2) Come Back to GoldMine - Waive 10% Maintenance Renewal penalty.  Just pay back maintenance. 10% off any bumps or add-on products.

Danger Will Robinson Danger!

Recent updates to Microsoft Office 2007 Beta renders GoldMine non-functional with BDE errors.  This is confirmed with GoldMine 6.7 and lower.  I saw the first instance of it with a client today.  The fix is easy, uninstall the beta software.

Also, you may want to try the fix posted here:

http://forums.microsoft.com/technet/showpost.aspx?postid=754988&siteid=17

It involves editing the registry to be careful but allows Office 2007 to function with BDE applications.

P.S. Get notified of the newest Blog postings as they happen!

Go to: http://www.thegmblog.com/notify and fill out the form.  Whenever I update the Blog you'll be notified so you can check out the new post.

GoldBox 7 has been re-released from RedStoneSoftbase...  GoldBox is pretty much the premier data manipulation add-on for GoldMine, central features include:

• Import/Update - GoldMine & dBase tables
• Export from GoldMine & dBase tables
• Merge-Purge Main Contacts
• Global Replace GoldMine & dBase tables
• Global Delete GoldMine & dBase tables
• Archive Main Notes to History Items
• Convert BDE table to dBase
• Automation - Scripting - Timer Launch
• GoldBox Views (live link to outside data)
• Mirror - Update any accessible outside table
• Wild Card Referencing
• Group Builder / Groups-by-Break
• Organization Chart Creator
• Hub-n-Spoke Referral Generator
• Global Path & User Name Changer
• Modify any GoldMine Lookup List
• INI Settings Replicator
• Merge-Purge any accessible outside table
• Dedupe GoldMine & dBase tables

GoldBox 7 was recently pulled from from the market due to problemes with its interaction with GoldMine 7.  I am pleased to note that I do have it working on my test system with GoldMine 7.0.3 and Microsoft SQL Server 2005.

Since the renaming of GoldMine Software Corporation to FrontRange Solutions in the Summer of 2000, following Bendata's acquisition of GoldMine, we've been going to www.frontrange.com for the official GoldMine web site. 

Well heralding back to the past and to showcase GoldMine by itself FrontRange has introduced us to www.goldmine.com again.  Content isn't much different than the FrontRange web site but since it focuses solely on GoldMine it's a bit easier to find content like webinars, white papers, etc.

P.S. Get notified of the newest Blog postings as they happen!

Go to: http://www.thegmblog.com/notify and fill out the form.  Whenever I update the Blog you'll be notified so you can check out the new post.

The GoldMine Guide to SQL Queries has now been released!

If you are interested in learning how to write SQL Queries for GoldMine or enhance what you already know, this is the book for you!

More information and an opportunity to receive three sample chapters is available at:

http://thegmblog.com/sql4gm/

Special introductory pricing now through November 15th.

Version 4.0 of GoldMine® Plus Accounting for use with QuickBooks® supports integration between GoldMine® Standard Edition and GoldMine® Corporate Edition (works with all builds of 6.7 and 7.0) along with the following QuickBooks products:

· QuickBooks Pro/Premier 2003-2007
· QuickBooks Simple Start Edition 2006-2007
· QuickBooks Vertical Editions 2003-2007
· QuickBooks Enterprise Solutions version 4.0-7.0
· QuickBooks Pro/Premier 2004-2007 for Canada
· QuickBooks Premier 2005-2006 for the UK

This version includes important feature additions, usability enhancements, and bug fixes that result in an improved user experience.

Pricing has changed to a server based model of $399 plus $99 for maintenance.  Maintenance is required for Corporate Edition customers but optional for Standard Edition customers.  Anyone who purchased a prior version of GoldMine Plus Accounting and is current on maintenance will receive the new product at no charge.  There is no upgrade pricing if your maintenance has expired.

If you're interested in purchasing or to discuss further drop me a line at chad@thegmblog.com

My apologies for not being more diligent in blog updates as of late, as I've been celebrating (mourning?) my 30th birthday on November 6th.  Some friends and I spent some glorious, fun filled days and nights, in Las Vegas, Nevada.

I won't bore you with the vacation artinerary but I did want to post a couple of pictures which I find pretty amazing.  The first here was taken from "Mix" which sits atop "the Hotel" a part of the Mandalay Bay Casino Resort.  Mandalay is at the South end of the Strip and provides some amazing views... and here is one:

Another is something that most tourists, and locals, don't ever see in Las Vegas.  It's from the Neon Boneyard on the very North end of the strip past the 'old' casinos of yesteryear like '4 Queens', 'Golden Nugget', and 'Fitzgeralds' which sit along Freemont Street.  Here, a very dedicated group of individuals attempt to preserve Las Vegas history by saving and refurbishing the signs of establishments long since gone.  A permanent museum will soon be under construction but I'm glad we had the chance to see the 'Boneyard' as it is today... 

Writing today from beautiful downtown Chicago...  Just in town for a couple of nights to bring in the New Year....

Just wanted to wish everyone a Happy & Prosperous 2007!

Late last year GoldMine Plus Accounting for use with QuickBooks (GMPAQB) was released.  GMPAQB allows for multiple layers of integration between the products, allowing bi-directional synchronization of customers and vendors as well as the posting of financial transactions from QuickBooks to GoldMine.

In this Part I of the series we're going to look at the latter... Namely, the ability to see transactions like: Estimates, Sales Orders, Invoices, Purchase Orders, Payments, and Credit Memos in the contact's History tab.

Rather than having to install QuickBooks and give access to large segments of your staff that are really only curious about invoice and payment history, why not just have that information display in GoldMine?

Here's a sample of a customer's invoice in QuickBooks:

(Click on the images in this posting for full sizes)

In GoldMine all the information is visible in the contact's History tab:

Double-click on a history record to see the details of the invoice, payment, etc!

The invoice total is displayed on the History's reference line while the notes contain the details of the invoice.  With this information now in GoldMine groups can be created based on products sold, invoice dates, invoice amounts, etc...

GMPAQB is available now for $399, maintenance is $99 and is required if you are on GoldMine Corporate Edition.  Drop me a line at (248) 399-8524 ext. 122 or csmith@plain-english.com for more information or if you're interested in purchasing.

In Part II we'll look at the "Field Transfer" functionality... 

Note: This is a non-notify post as notification went out yesterday on the GoldMine Plus QuickBooks Link which most of you will be reading on Monday.

The GoldMine promotions detailed here:

http://goldmineblog.typepad.com/the_goldmine_blog/2006/12/goldmine_produc.html

Are wrapping up on the 31st.  Some are pretty good deals, here's an example.  Assume you're a 3-user Standard Edition install of GoldMine and want to upgrade to Corporate Edition for 10 people.  You are current on UPP.

Normal Pricing: 3 @ $449 and 7 @ $595 plus 10 @ 119 for Maintenance.  Total Price: $6702

Special Pricing: 3 @ $349 and 4 @ $349 and 3 @ $175 plus 10 @ 119 for Maintenance.  Total Price: $4870

The GoldMine Blog Has Moved!

Please be sure your your links, etc. point to:

http://www.thegmblog.com

and not http://thegoldmineblog.typepad.com as that will no longer be an active site.

If you notice any glitches, problems, etc. on Monday the 5th or after please email me at chad@thegmblog.com

My good friend, and excellent web designer, Aaron Bailey, will be orchestrating the move.  I've known Aaron for many years now and his web site designs are fantastic.  If you are in need of a good web designer drop him a line at aaron@aaronbailey.com or visit his website at http://601am.com/

Also, notice the new search function to your left.  This replaces the 'Blog Bar' and is much nicer.

Thanks! 

Chad

Just a little fun to start our Monday off...  Below is a picture of last week's visitors plotted on a map. 

Today, FrontRange Solutions has announced the acquisition of Enteo, a German software company specializing in PC Life Cycle Management and Citrix Management solutions.  This will augment their HEAT and ITSM product lines.  Probably won't have much affect on the GoldMine world. 

More information is available from FrontRange at http://www.frontrange.com/micro.aspx?id=4540

To promote upgrades from GoldMine Standard Edition to GoldMine Corporate Edition, an existing GoldMine Standard Edition customer who is current on their UPP subscription may upgrade to Corporate Edition for $399 per seat, representing a $50 saving.  In addition, an existing GoldMine Standard Edition customer who upgrades and adds additional licenses of GoldMine Corporate Edition can do so at the same price of $399. 

Offer expires on April 30, 2007.   

Maintenance is based on list price and is required and payable on all licenses.

This isn't really GoldMine related, but it seems like a very nice, and, free service so I'm passing it on.  Very similar to Gotomypc, but without the monthly charge for the basic package...

Visit them at:

http://www.logmein.com

I've only been trying them out for a few days so if anyone has any comments, let us know!

Happy GoldMining,

Chad 

Hot off the presses!  GoldMine 6.70.70226 has been released.  This should fix the problem with disapearing history and provide Internet Explorer 7.0 compatibility.

I haven't seen an announcement from FRS but it's now available on the Partner Site, which, usually, means that it will be in General Availibility and available via Net Update very soon... 

I have not had a chance to test.  I'd let this sit for a week so someone else can find any new bugs and if the coast is clear and you're entitled to the update then upgrade.

One change that came up in testing was that Web Import now requires a password.  If you're using GoldMine's Web Import be sure you change your web import setup before upgrading! 

Ever find yourself wanting to email a large file and either you can't send or the recipient can't receive?  Here's a great, and free, way to get around that.

Just point your browser to:  http://www.transferbigfiles.com

Effective April 30, 2007 FrontRange Solutions will no longer be selling GoldMine Standard Edition.

Letter from FrontRange Solutions CEO Michael McCloskey here:

http://forums.frontrange.com/viewtopic.php?t=40746

More information from GoldMine's Product Development Team here:

http://goldminecrm.blogspot.com/

GoldMine 6.70.70226 is now in General Release.  It will be available via Net Update next week, according to FrontRange.  If you are on GoldMine 6.7 or current on UPP/Maintenance it can be obtained from your GoldMine partner or from GoldMine Tech Support.

Here are the release notes:

GoldMine 6.70.70226 Release Notes

If you use Web Import to automatically import leads from the web into GoldMine, please note!

Web Import now requires a password.   If you're using GoldMine's Web Import be sure you change your web import setup before upgrading!

Here is the latest Mfg. Suggested Retail Pricing (MSRP) for all flavors of GoldMine.  Please contact myself or your partner for a formal quote. 

New/Bump Licenses

GoldMine Corporate Edition: $595

GoldMine Premium Edition: $695

No mininum purchase.  Maintenance is 20% of the MSRP and a mininum of 5 is required.

Upgrades 

GoldMine Standard Edition on UPP to GoldMine Corporate Edition: Regular Price - $449, Promo Price (Until April 30th) is $399 (You may buy additional at this price as well).

GoldMine Standard Edition not on UPP to GoldMine Corporate Edition: Regular Price - $449.

GoldMine Standard Edition on UPP to GoldMine Premium Edition: Regular Price - $695, Promo Price (Until April 30th) is $449. 

GoldMine Standard Edition not on UPP to GoldMine Premium Edition: Regular Price - $695, Promo Price (Until April 30th) is $529.

No mininum purchase.  Maintenance is 20% of the non-discounted MSRP ($119 for CE and $139 for PE) and a mininum of 5 is required.

If you have questions please drop me a line at chad_thegmblog.com - drop the _ and add a @. 

Here are some highlights from yesterday's Tech Call:

GISME 2.1 (GoldMine Integration Services for Microsoft Exchange) is nearing release (End of April) - GISME 2.1 will support an Exchange Clustered Environment & Exchange 2007.

GoldMine Premium Edition's ETA is Late April.  That's August 2011 in non-Software Development Date Format... ;-) 

GISMO (GoldMine Integration Services for Microsoft Outlook) has known issues with Office 2007.  Expect a fix in 2 - 4 weeks.  (Since I already made a joke about release dates I'll spare you from here on out)

GoldMine 6.70.70226 and GoldMine 7.00.70302 are both in General Availibility and available via Net Update (I haven't tested so I can't confirm).  GoldMine 6.70.70226 is expected to be the final release on the BDE code base and the last one for Standard Edition.  

Office 2007 link (Word/Excel) installer should be available in the Drivers & Downloads section of the support site within a week or so.  This is the 'old' link everyone is accustomed to.  A brand new full rewrite of the link is in the works.  

Windows Server 2003 SP2 will not be supported for GoldMine 6.x or older.  This is known to generate errors while GoldMine is running on the server.  The SP2 has not yet been tested by FRS with GoldMine 7.x.

SQL Server 2005 SP2 has not been tested by FrontRange Solutions.  It is un-supported at this time.   

To date, no released version of GoldMine is supported on Vista except GoldMine Enterprise Edition which is in limited release.  To date, no released version of GoldMine will install on Vista except for GoldMine Enterprise Edition.  

However, if you are running Vista, you can run GoldMine from a server via a shortcut and if you're using a local copy of GoldMine you can copy it from a Windows 2000 or XP machine to a Vista machine.  GoldMine should run OK except for some issues like macro recording.  

GoldMine Standard Edition will never be updated for Vista compatibility.

GoldMine Corporate Edition should be updated sometime in Q2 for Vista compatibility.

GoldMine Premium Edition, when released will be compatible with Windows Vista. 

Interesting Story:

http://www.woodtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=6546307

Here's the official compatibility matrix for GoldMine 6.x and 7.x...  Includes compatibility with:

• Database Servers
• PDAs
• Office
• Server Operating Systems
• Workstation Operating Systems
• QuickBooks
• Reporting Applications (Crystal, etc.)
  

http://support.frontrange.com/Support/GMSM-GMCE/6.x/Compatibility_Matrix011107.pdf

Just arrived in San Francisco for a long weekend.  I used the plane ride from Detroit to catch up on some audio books and other reading.  I wanted to share a tip from one of those books that I think everyone will find pretty valuable.

Dale Carnegie argued that everyone's favorite word was their name...  So here's a tip on remembering names.  It's the SAVE technique.  Let's say you're meeting a guy named 'Chad Smith' for the first time...

S - Say the person's name several times during your conversation with them...  "Chad, nice to meet you"

A - Ask them something about their name...  "Is that with 1 'D' or 2?"

V - Visualize their name.  Perhaps picture someone hammering away at metal, a black smith.

E - End the conversation with their name.  "It was nice meeting you Chad."

Wherever you are, have a great weekend!

That limit is the default in GoldMine; however, we can quickly change that!

First, locate your <<username.ini>> file where your GoldMine is installed.  Here, I’ll go to the “K” drive then GoldMine and find chad.ini, i.e. k:\goldmine\chad.ini.

Open that file using Notepad.  Normally double-clicking on the document will automatically open it using Notepad.  Then, find the [GoldMine] Section.

Add the entry:

SQLQueryLimit=100000 … Change the 100,000 to whatever the maximum number of records you want returned.

... and to my readers in Canada & The United States...  Happy Canada Day & Independence Day!

Don't forget to check out the Archive which lists all 100+ Blog Posts...

http://www.thegmblog.com/archives.html

http://support.frontrange.com/support/gmpe/062807_GM_Comp_Matrix.pdf

Updated 6/28/2007.

Seth Godin is one of my favorite marketing guys...  His latest blog entry is on PowerPoint charts and definately worth the read.

I'm pleased to announce an update to The GoldMine Guide To SQL Queries.  Updates Include:

Chapter 1: Includes information on GoldMine Premium Edition's Case Table used by its Service Module.

Chapter 2: Expanded on column renaming to more fully include differences between its use in dBASE and SQL systems.

Chapter 9: Added over 10 new queries and added annotations to any already there.

Chapter 10: Expanded on turning SQL Queries into Groups and their use throughout GoldMine.
 
Chapter 11: New! Troubleshooting SQL Error messages.

In case you missed it, here are the highlights from the GoldMine FYI (FRS's GoldMine Newsletter)...

Coming Soon! - The Power of GoldMine on Your BlackBerry®

Salespeople need up-to-the-minute information so they don’t miss out on activities or opportunities that could impair customer satisfaction. GoldMine Mobile Edition will allow you to access the power of GoldMine with anytime, anywhere access via your BlackBerry device.

With data stored locally, salespeople have access to their information regardless of wireless coverage. Functionality included in GoldMine Mobile Edition includes Contact, Activity, and Opportunity Management, as well as integration with phone and e-mail on the BlackBerry device.  Stay tuned for more information in coming months about GoldMine Mobile Edition!
 
FrontRange Solutions Continues Commitment to GoldMine Corporate Edition Customers

GoldMine Corporate Edition (GMCE) 7.5 is in its final beta testing phase and will be generally available soon! The GMCE 7.5 release enables integration with latest versions of Microsoft Office 2007, as well as the latest release of Microsoft’s Operating System, Microsoft Vista. What’s more, this release contains numerous database and performance enhancements, and e-mail improvements for better security and e-mail client interoperability.

GoldMine Corporate Edition 7.5 helps improve product quality and performance with over 200 product fixes and enhancements. It also continues to help customers reduce costs, improve user efficiency and gain better management oversight – all for a low total cost of ownership.

Watch for announcements about the upcoming release of GoldMine Corporate Edition.
 

Mark Your Calendars & Signup Now! 

Please Join Us on Thursday, December 6th for a Special Web Event Cohosted with MasterMine Software, The Top Data Analysis & Mining Tool for GoldMine!

http://www.thegmblog.com/master_mine/

Also, don't forget to use CompanionLink Discount Code TB5222 for $5 off any CompanionLink product!

CompanionLink, the top GoldMine to Outlook/PDA sync available has released version 3.0 of their product...  Here are the release notes... 

Fixes in companionlink.exe 11/05/07 version 3.0 build 3009

(Pro only) Added support for Microsoft CRM 3.0

(Pro only) Added support for Blackberry wireless sync

New UI version 3.0

Added support for Apple iPod

Added Unicode support

Added support for Vista SideShow gadgets

Fixes in companionlink.exe 11/27/07 version 3.0 build 3010

Removed error message for iPod sync if ActiveSync is not installed

Fixed bug with T&C that prevented recurrings created in the past from transferring

Fixed crash bug with PPC thru OL on Vista

Added informative error message for iPod sync if you have not enabled disk mode for the iPod

Fixed crash bug with BB if the BB does not support todos

Fixed crash bug with LN if CL is launched through BB Desktop Manager or through the CL Sync shortcut

Fixed bug with GM SQL that sometimes prevented calendar records from transferring

Fixed bugs with BB thru Web Service that prevented some records from transferring

Added support for BusyStatus field in Groupwise

If you have an earlier version of CompanionLink the update is available at: http://www.companionlink.com/downloads/updates.html

... Nothing too exciting, but it seems GoldMine Mobile Edition 3.0 will finally be released!

GoldMine Introductory Offer (Promo Code Q3FY0801): To promote the adaption of GoldMine Mobile, 3.0, existing GoldMine Corporate Edition and Premium Edition users can purchase licenses of Mobile at the following prices:

5 to 10 users-$280 per user or 5% savings
11 to 20 users-$265 per user or a 10% savings
20+ -$235 per user or a 20% savings

Offer expires January 31, 2008. Maintenance is based on list price. Maximum number of users limited to the number of GoldMine licenses.

GoldMine Premium Edition and GoldMine Mobile bundle (Promo Code Q3FY0802): Buy a minimum of 5 GoldMine Premium Edition and 5 GoldMine Mobile licenses, and get each GMPE/Mobile license pair for $840 each. Licenses must be purchased by January 31, 2008 and must be equal number of each product. Maintenance is based on list price.

GoldMine Up and Bump (Promo Code Q3FY0803): Upgrades will now be at list price, however, if a customer upgrades before January 31, 2008, they can also buy additional seats at the same bump price. Only applies to additional licenses bought at the same time and as the upgrade. Offer expires January 31, 2008.

We'll be hosting a GoldMine Mobile Edition Webinar As Soon As Possible...