VIP Orbit Reinvents Itself As Vipor CRM

One of the most important functions of a computer or mobile device for many people is managing contacts. More than just maintaining a database of names, email addresses, and phone numbers, though, contact management is about managing relationships. VIP Orbit has been my tool of choice for a few years now, but now it’s been replaced by Vipor.

Vipor is from VIP Orbit. The developers at VIP Orbit had started with an iPhone app, and eventually expanded to include versions for iPad and Mac OS X, but the ad hoc way VIP Orbit evolved made the process of adding on and integrating functions between the platforms was cumbersome. So they went back to the drawing board, and developed new unified code from scratch.

Vipor CRM is more than just a database of contacts, though. It merges contacts, calendar, and tasks. It provides a single app that allows you to track calls, meetings, emails, and tasks—along with relevant notes and information so you can easily refer back to previous communications when dealing with someone. If you use Vipor CRM on an iPhone, iPad, and Mac—or any combination of those devices—it will also automatically sync changes and new information so you have the latest, most current data on all of your devices.

Don’t let the CRM in the name fool you. Vipor is a customer relationship manager, but on a personal or small-scale level. It’s designed for entrepreneurs, or solo business owners. It is not a cloud-based CRM platform like Salesforce, and shouldn’t be confused as competing with or replacing a product like Salesforce. There are no ongoing fees associated with Vipor CRM, and no data is stored in the cloud.

Actually, you can just drop the “C” and call it relationship management. You don’t need to be an entrepreneur or business professional to benefit from Vipor CRM, and you don’t have to limit it to managing business relationships. It’s simply a more effective and efficient way to manage relationships period.

You can place contacts into different “orbits” to simplify finding and communicating with specific people or groups. For example, you can have an orbit for co-workers, and an orbit for your bowling team, and an orbit for your daughter’s soccer team, and an orbit for family. Contacts can exist in more than one orbit.

When you open a contact, you can initiate a call, chat, or email, or pinpoint their location on a map. Vipor displays any upcoming events you have scheduled with that contact—calls, meetings, or tasks—and a log of previous communications. You can see at-a-glance when you last communicated, what it was about, and what the outcome was, so you’re prepared to pick up where you left off.

It also displays what orbits the contact is associated with, allowing you to easily see where the contact fits in to your world as well as any overlap that might exist with other orbits. Finally, you can establish VIPLinks between contacts so you know who is directly associated with each other. This is helpful if you need to take care of something, but you can’t find the person you’re looking for. Using the VIPLinks you might be able to find a peer that can help you out, or at least help you find the person you’re looking for.

Vipor for iOS requires iOS 7 or higher, and is completely free. Vipor for Mac requires Mac OS X 10.9 or higher, and costs $99.99. Both are available through the respective Apple app stores.

Check it out and let me know what you think of it. Or if you have a different app or contact management solution you love, let me know what it is, and why you prefer it.