Sugar email client - is it viable?

[ibnkhaldun]

Currently my company is using thunderbird, but in light of issues with plugins and the need to be completely browser based, I'd like to try to move our 5 users into sugar's email client.

We would need two group email boxes, with 7 total email accounts (2 group emails, 5 personal) - but i'm hesitant to move to Sugar because we tried before and had a terrible time with the group inboxes.

Our business centers around email with constant contact with our clients and leads. I'm worried (and we've tried) that the sugar client isn't robust enough, but maybe with recent upgrades it might be worth another go?

Anyone have any input - I would say we average 50-100 emails a day from prospective clients

we're using Version 5.0.0f (Build 3338)

[roblaus]

Since you opened this thread I may report my latest experiences (5.1b):

My second personal email account stopped working (I had to change the "from" name" and thus I needed to save the settings again) and did not pick up (IMAP) emails anymore. Even deleting and re-creating the entry just yielded 100 emails and the system hung forever. Access from anywhere else was and is ok

So I deleted the (personal) account in Sugar's email client and created a group account. But the result was even worse: Out of some 600 emails sitting in the inbox Sugar downloaded just 58 with no apparent connection (this is a catch all account that collects emails for various addresses).
All of these emails are now imported means the full text is available in the Sugar database (not necessarily desired because this account receives a lot of spam).

I'd love to use the email client because it saves a lot of time but as you said - it's not robust enough, too complicated and lacks too many standard features.

[ibnkhaldun]

Thanks so much for your reply, it's very helpful. That's worrying news - does anyone know if the email client is a priority for Sugar - we're not at a stage to migrate away from the system but if email doesn't work soon, i might have to plan an alternative into our near future.

I'm worried because archiving emails is really important to the business.

As it stands, unless I end up buying outlook licenses for 5 computers (and then 5 outlook plugin licenses) there is no viable way to integrate email into sugar...

is there a way to auto archive emails that already have established contacts in sugar?

[roblaus]

It actually did work for quite some time but I suspect that a lot of the problems stem from the latest upgrade although it went smoothly. However, I am using Google Apps as my mail provider and it seems as if Sugar has problems with it.

With group accounts automatic archiving of emails works. This I could test on another, brand new instance.

DolceGmail works nicely but just for contacts, not for leads. So GoogleApps plus Dolce might be a good and inexpensive solution for you provided you deal mostly with contacts.

Another option would be Grinmark if you decide to go for Outlook.

[ibnkhaldun]

One option we're considering is just using Sugar as the outbound client - for canned responses and the likes.

So using dolcegmail (amazing looking plugin, thanks!) or thunderbird, our employees could look at and archive emails, then respond via sugar using the canned responses and attached documents needed (FAQs, contracts, etc.)

If we could get the group account inbox to auto-archive that would be perfect.

Think this might be workable?

[roblaus]

Basically yes. Problem is that the Thunderbird plugin isn't maintained anymore. That leaves you with Dolce.

Try to use Sugar only but use IMAP or (with POP) leave the emails on the server. On this way you always have everything available if Sugar fails.

[dstj]

Try to use Sugar only but use IMAP or (with POP) leave the emails on the server. On this way you always have everything available if Sugar fails.

My experience with Sugar email has been pretty frustrating. I believe that the email client is improving since v5.0 but its still a long way to go to replace an external client (web-based like squirrelmail or desktop like thunderbird/outlook).

Using IMAP boxes from Sugar and from an external client may be the best option at the moment, but be prepared to have a LOT of junk in your Sugar mail client as email deleted from the external client will not be deleted in Sugar. See this thread I started..

Also, if you receive a lot of plain text messages, be aware that the formatting (break lines) is completely destroyed by sugar, rendering quotes in replies virtually unreadable...

I tried Grinmark and the thunderbird plugin and decided to use the thunderbird plugin for the moment and hope that the email module in sugar will improve enough or that a better plugin comes along...

If you find a good solution, please let us know...

[ibnkhaldun]

My experience with Sugar email has been pretty frustrating. I believe that the email client is improving since v5.0 but its still a long way to go to replace an external client (web-based like squirrelmail or desktop like thunderbird/outlook).

Using IMAP boxes from Sugar and from an external client may be the best option at the moment, but be prepared to have a LOT of junk in your Sugar mail client as email deleted from the external client will not be deleted in Sugar. See this thread I started..

Also, if you receive a lot of plain text messages, be aware that the formatting (break lines) is completely destroyed by sugar, rendering quotes in replies virtually unreadable...

I tried Grinmark and the thunderbird plugin and decided to use the thunderbird plugin for the moment and hope that the email module in sugar will improve enough or that a better plugin comes along...

If you find a good solution, please let us know...

wow, it's like listening to my echo!


One thing I'm considering is using dolcegmail as the throughway to archive - so POP to Gmail, IMAP to external client. Then at the end of the day, the user can login to the gmail and archive the emails - the only issue is that for now, it seems like you'll have to do it one by one...

None of this would be that major of an issue for us personally if the thunderbird plugin would work on a mac!

OT: So there are only two email solutions supported by sugar - the in-house client (which is broken) and the outlook plugin (which also has a bunch of issues).

how do most companies archive their email exchanges?

I just don't understand why this isn't more important to other corps using sugar. Is everyone really using outlook? we're a small group and we're not interested in buying office licenses just to use outlook.

[roblaus]

You are right, it's a constant pain for most. The sad truth is: You, I and many other small ones have the same problems but not the same budget as the big shots. This could be overcome fairly easily if there was more community involvement (they are small too) but Sugar and most of the other "dual license" guys won't let this happen.
And apart from that: Like it or not, the business world (at least the front end) is still dominated by MS products.

[ibnkhaldun]

You are right, it's a constant pain for most. The sad truth is: You, I and many other small ones have the same problems but not the same budget as the big shots. This could be overcome fairly easily if there was more community involvement (they are small too) but Sugar and most of the other "dual license" guys won't let this happen.
And apart from that: Like it or not, the business world (at least the front end) is still dominated by MS products.

That's too bad about Asertiva - I would have gladly put money out for 5 licenses just to get some support.

It's a shame to see so little response from "Sugar' people about this issue - it really is the great big elephant in the room.