[Odb-help] NEW release of ODB (free nonprofit database software)!

[odb-help at lists.democracygroups.org]

                               June 28, 2005


To all ODB users and prospective users:

Today, we are pleased to announce the release of version
0.9.6d of the Organizers' Database (ODB) software!  PLEASE
CIRCULATE this announcement to any group with Windows PCs
that needs a low cost data management solution. 

What is ODB?

ODB is a slick, lightweight database application now in use
at over 350 nonprofit groups in the U.S.  All versions of ODB
are well suited for small groups who want to get started
quickly.  Most groups using ODB have 1-6 people who need to
share and consolidate information on contacts and prospects.
ODB easily tracks donations, volunteer history, activities,
and membership status.  Once ODB is set up, it only takes a
few minutes to train other staff and volunteers to use it.

Version 1.0 is in development; all users of ODB 0.9 will be
able to easily upgrade to 1.0 at no cost!  Version 1.0 will
add more advanced reporting and fundraising features.

How can I obtain a copy of 0.9.6d?

The ODB software can be freely downloaded by going to
www.organizersdb.org.  In addition, about 20% of the groups
using ODB take advantage of a setup service we provide
to help groups take advantage of over 100 customization options
for the software.  The optional setup fees are charged on a
sliding scale that starts at $250 (this includes 4-5 hours of
consulting plus one year of backup phone support).

What about upgrading?

As always, you can upgrade by simply running the ODB
installation program on top of your existing installation.
It is much easiest if you do not "uninstall" first.  (When
you upgrade, you might be prompted to run an additional
updater if you have not upgraded in a while.)

As always, recent changes to ODB are all documented in
the release notes.  Version 0.9.6d has some important fixes,
including a speed boost, a fix to the salutation feature
introduced earlier this year, and a fix to the feature for
assigning contacts to groups.  Release notes are here:
http://organizenow.net/odb/relnotes.html#096d

Version 0.9.6d will be the final installment of the "0.9.6"
series, and thus should be extremely stable.  Since 2002,
we have maintained a schedule of about SIX releases per year.
Thanks especially to Liat Wexler, Kathy Gannett, and
Ethan Winn for reporting the issues that we fixed.

Is there a Mac or Linux version?

Not yet.  We do have a group of 6 people investigating
a "port" so that ODB will become multiplatform.  If you
have the skills (RealBasic, Python, or Java) to help out,
please email us.

If you have a question, please send and email to
odb2005 <at> organizenow.net, and allow a couple of
days for us to respond, as we get a lot of email!

Thanks,

-Rich Cowan
 (for the ODB development team)


P.S.  Two people who had very large monitors reported a
problem with right-clicking on search results...  We have
a fix... we need to test it though, so please email us.




Organizers' Collaborative, 14 Beacon St. Suite 707, Boston, MA  02108
email: oc2005(at)oc-tech.org    http://organizerscollaborative.org/join.php
(617) 720-6190, m-f 9:30-5:30

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