Top Web Services of 2007
Yesterday I listed my top software picks for 2007. Now let's turn our attention to the Web, where some truly stellar services appeared and/or evolved this year. Seriously, how did we ever call ourselves productive before the Web came along?
- Google Everything I can't pick a single Google product. Gmail, Google Docs, Google Calendar, Google Maps, Google Notebook... shall I go on? Although these aren't new services, they've all shown improvement this year. Oh, and let's not forget that little search engine, which I use approximately 6,000 times per day.
- Meebo For many users, instant messaging is an integral part of business life. Meebo puts a robust IM client right inside your browser, meaning there's no intrusive chat program to install, and lets you log into multiple systems simultaneously: AIM, GTalk, MSN, Yahoo, etc. And, of course, you can log in from any computer. This is the way IM was meant to be.
- SplendidCRM Businesses can spend a small fortune on CRM. Or not, if they leverage this free service. SplendidCRM manages your customer and sales data inside an attractive, tab-based interface.
- Yapta The travel site of the year, Yapta helps you get an airfare refund or credit voucher if the price of your flight drops after you buy your tickets. Just enter your trip's confirmation code and Yapta will alert you if and when you're eligible for money back. New plug-ins let you track airfares right inside your browser.
- Zoho Writer Sure, Google Docs gets all the glory, but if you want the Web's most robust browser-based word processor, look to Zoho Writer. This year brought a wealth of new features, including a Word plug-in for easily importing and exporting Zoho Writer documents.