Bloomba: Putting an End to the Frantic Search for E-mail Speaking of Organized Adam Stone
Speaking of Organized
The search function makes e-mail storage vastly more efficient. The only way many people can organize their e-mail in standard e-mail clients is by creating folders and subfolders by subject.
That takes time, and it doesn't always work out as planned — locating the proper folder later on can take even more time.
Bloomba lets you create folders, but really, why bother? With a fast and accurate search, you can simply store messages in one big 'saved' file and let Bloomba do the heavy lifting when it's time to retrieve the information.
When it comes to search functionality, Bloomba's most likely rival is Gmail, the e-mail client now in beta testing that is offered by the search gurus at Google.
The free service offers massive storage capacity (1000 MB), but many early users have complained about Google's account usage policies.
Gmail encourages users to never delete anything: It takes multiple clicks to delete a message, and even then, Google says deleted messages remain on the system for an indefinite period of time. The privacy implications here are a bit too Orwellian for some tastes.
Bloomba's Professional Edition also offers a feature for SMBs that depend on handheld devices. The synch-to-Palm capability lets you keep your calendar appointments and contact information up-to-date as you hit the road.
One final point: Bloomba's an excellent choice for any SMB concerned about Microsoft. A Yankee Group survey released in January 2004 showed that 43 percent of SMB respondents were worried about relying too heavily on Microsoft products and services. Of that group, 72 percent said that they are actively seeking other vendors to diversify their IT portfolios.
Low cost, easy-to-use interface, fast searches, and an alternative to Microsoft — it's not hard to see why Bloomba is building a steady base of happy users.
Pros: Powerful and super fast search capabilities, calendar sharing, integrated RSS reader, imports existing mail client's settings and messages, easy-to-use interface, a high-quality alternative to Microsoft
Cons: Doesn't import filtering rules, price relative to free mail clients like Outlook Express, Thunderbird, and Opera's M2 client
