The UniPress Blog

Hi. I'm Fred Pack, VP and Co-Founder of UniPress Software.

We had the idea to create a web-based help desk product in 1994 when the World Wide Web was barely in its infancy. We believed that the Web was the ideal base for a help desk / issue tracking system. Version 1 of FootPrints was launched in 1996, so our program (now 7.0) is in its 11th year of development.

From the first days of its design we knew that we weren't really
making a 'helpdesk' or 'CRM' system -- we were making a
general-purpose 'issue tracking' system -- the issues being tracked
could really be about anything.

But we also knew that the term 'helpdesk' had a meaning which people
would understand, while 'issue tracking' was much more vague and
harder for people to relate to, and in marketing the fundamental
necessity is to build a connection with the potential buyer. No
connection, no sale; no sales, no company. We needed sales of our new creation to make the effort worthwhile.

So we decided to promote FootPrints as a 'helpdesk', and this was
clearly a wise decision because our product gained market acceptance
and has prospered, bringing happiness to many, many users.

But from the first days I have had a frustration: Our program is SO
MUCH MORE than merely a helpdesk (or CRM) system. It has VERY WIDE
APPLICABILITY. Gratifyingly, many of our customers who have purchased
it as a helpdesk/CRM product have come to realize by themselves that
they can use FootPrints for much more, and they are doing so.

To encourage expansive use of FootPrints, we designed the solution to accommodate an unlimited number of "projects", which allow customers to expand the scope of their service desk, and accommodate other business needs. We also provide more than a dozen project templates to make it easy to create projects for numerous different types of business tasks. And for years we have marketed the product's versatility as a key capability that can be used widely within any organization.

In addition to help desk and CRM, there are templates in FootPrints for change management, HR purposes, facilities management, purchase order control, software development and bug tracking, asset management, and much more. FootPrints can help you track and manage just about anything, and the great news is that you don't need to be a programmer to customize it to do so, nor do you have to pay extra to create as many projects as you want. The entire setup is done via simple web screens. And you can always make your own fully custom projects - you don't have to use one of our templates.

So while we have 2,200 customers successfully using FootPrints for many types of business-critical applications, I know there are thousands of other organizations that can use this powerful tool. The possibilities are endless. We simply (but it isn't so simple!) have to continue to spread the word, and those that get it will quickly become fans.

If you are a FootPrints customer, I'd love to hear how you are using the system in interesting ways. If you are not a customer, please take a closer look at your organizational problems and see if FootPrints can help you take care of them. It probably can!

Fred Pack
fhp@unipress.com

Posted by Unipress at 11:38 AM | Permalink

I just learned that I'll be going to Japan in mid-May to visit our
Japanese Distributor, Macnica Networks, during their First FootPrints User
Conference. I'm pretty excited. While I've gone to Japan many times over
the last 20 years, it's always an adventure.

I thought about "Lost in Translation. It is brilliant, not only in how it
depicts the relationships between the characters, but also in how it
depicts the effect of cultural differences on an overseas business
traveler. I could personally identify when I saw Bill Murray traveling
from the airport to his hotel. Very, very tired, but overwhelmed and
excited by the lights and the action on the Tokyo streets. So much in the
movie caught the interesting nuances, from the Karioki, to the late night
sleeplessness, to the crowded streets day and night, to the more formal
nature of the people.

I've seen and experienced a lot of interesting things in Japan over the
years myself. I saw Prince Charles and Princess Diana on a state visit to
Japan, driving through Tokyo in a motorcade. Quite a sight to behold, and
yes, I waved the little Japanese and British flags they gave us, just like
all the other people.

I learned that you have to scream your location at the cab driver or you
never get started on your trip: "GRAND PALACE HOTEL" works, but "grand
palace hotel" doesn't.

The days can be very long. You work all day and then meet with business
associates for marathon dinners at night. During dinner, one can drink
many, many little bottles of sake. We most certainly did. And the Japanese
seem to take notice as they quietly peer in to see how the Americans are
handling their drink of choice.

The Japanese market for service desk software is growing. Like us here in
the US, it is paramount for Japanese businesses to effectively manage
internal and external customer relationships. And they are using
FootPrints to do this. Macnica is doing a great job for us and I look
forward to meeting the users in May.

I love Japan. I love the people, the atmosphere, the hard work, the
excitement, the great food. Japan is a great place. More on my Japan trip
when I return. Stay tuned.

Posted by Unipress at 09:07 AM | Permalink