activeCollab team has been working hard too.  Apps Magnet develops some of the most loved activeCollab extensions and hence we’ve had early access to activeCollab 3 preview builds. From what we have seen, aC 3 is a major revamp – both in terms of the user experience and internal programming. And as activeCollab 3 release date comes closer (promised to be December 2011), we asked this question to ourselves:

How can we create a delightful experience of migrating to activeCollab 3 for our customers?

activeCollab 3 Interface Preview

We thought about questions and concerns people may have about upgrading to activeCollab 3:

• What’s new in aC 3?
• How easy will it be for us to learn activeCollab 3?
• It seems to have a completely revamped user interface. How fast is it?
• I have lots of critical data in activeCollab 3. Will that be transitioned correctly?
• Is it reasonably bug free? Is it ready for production?
• Will my third party plugins be compatible with activeCollab 3?
• Is it worth upgrading to activeCollab 3 now? How long should I wait?
• I’ve been waiting for “feature x”, is it there in activeCollab 3?
• Will I have to purchase the upgrade again? Who’s qualified for a free upgrade?
• What’s the easiest way for me to determine if we should upgrade?

Basically, your concerns will revolve around the usefulness of the new version for your organization and the costs of upgrading (time, money, training, downtime…). Since most of you also use our plugins, you’d like to find out when will we release activeCollab 3 compatible versions and if they will be free.

So we’ve thought of this action plan. Do post your comments and suggestions below.

• Within a week of activeCollab 3 Public Beta Release: Showcase activeCollab 3 to our customers via a webinar – screen sharing the new interface with our commentary, and answer questions
• Within a month of activeCollab 3 Public Beta: Ensure our modules are compatible with aC 3 – including Tickets Plus, Planning, Reports, Confidential Items, Assignments Plus, Time Reports Plus, Communication and Hide People
• Schedule another webinar about transitioning from aC 2 to aC 3 when activeCollab 3 is near final public release
• Provide upgrade / transition service to clients who want us to take care of the transition
• Continue working on improving our products on aC 3
• Continue supporting our products on aC 2.3 for another six months
• Be available for any support clients may need in choosing to and carrying out transition to activeCollab 3

What do you think?

How would you like us to support you in reviewing activeCollab 3 and transitioning to it? Let us know via comments below!