Teamwork 4.0.8330: print Gantts and a few little things

Print preview of a Gantt.
Print preview of a Gantt.

This release contains some feature improvements and bug fixes. Also the user guide has been updated. Download the release here.

Features
– task Gantts are now “web printable”
– distributing a sample iframe parametrical portlet (extended the user guide with instructions) which is a rough way of getting anything visibleon your dashboard

Bugs
– fixed a bug on agenda filtering
– fixed bug on updated issue notifications
– fix on PDF names on save
– fixed multiple bugs in Basecamp import

Teamwork 4.0.8222: Portuguese translation and more

Task editor in Portuguese.
Task editor in Portuguese.

Here is a new translation and several minor improvements. Download the release here.

Features

– interface is now translated also in Portuguese
– added compatibility with a wider spectrum of localized Outlooks (and in general iCalendar clients)
– several improvements in project summary portlet
– more readable buddies menu

Bug fixes

– fixed bug on task tree editor too restrictive on statuses
– fixed bug on agenda search type list
– fixed bugs in updating news
– fixed security bug in list of person in activity
– fixed task type filter on list

Teamwork 4.0.8152 with Gmail service support

Rounded search.
Rounded search.

Now you can use a new Gmail (©Google Inc.) account as Teamwork’s, and send and receive e-mail to and from that account; see the user guide for instructions.

Technically, introduced support for pop3s and smtps and, in theory, for imap (experimental).

In this release we also have:

– prettier search and send message
– area managers have link to area and roles
– nicer forgot password

Download the update here.

Upgrading from Teamwork 3 to 4: why and how

If you are a user of Teamwork 3, you may now consider upgrading from 3 to 4.

Why?

Well, simply version 4 is Nicer – Faster – Friendlier – Wider..

This does remind of the Daft hands video 🙂 . To get more in detail, probably the best way is to have a look at the user guide.

P.S.: Faster? Yes, it is graphically richer, but still it is faster: given the extended Ajax usage, many pages no longer need “global reloading”; and there is also caching for all the graphical pages parts.

How?

First, you must buy the upgrade license here. The cost is 35 Euro per user (the buy page will show you also the price in dollars).

The installer of version 4 contains an upgrade procedure from version 3 to 4. Upgrading means evolving the database schema, updating and inserting some data, and updating the web application. This is a complex process, which we tested extensively on different database, but it is not entirely fail-safe; there may be permissions lacking, differences of encoding, particular settings of your installation etc. .
So before any upgrade attempt we STRONGLY advise doing a complete backup: these are the required operations to preserve all your data and your configurations settings:

B1. Backup your database
B2. Backup the entire web application: e.g. TEAMWORK_HOME/webapps/ROOT
B3. Backup your repository, where files get uploaded: if you have not customized this folder you can find it in TEAMWORK_HOME/teamworkRepository.

Consider that if you have Teamwork running in a non graphical environment, you cannot directly use the installer for upgrading, and this may be a problem, as several files must get updated.

So the recommended procedure for upgrading is the following:

1.    Backup as above B1, B2, B3
2.    Create a copy of your database, accessible from a graphical environment
3.    Install version 4 on such database with the graphical installer
4.    If everything is fine, use the obtained web app as the new Teamwork

This way there should be no danger of “ruining” your current version 3 installation.

You can delegate us to do the upgrade procedure for you, if you are willing to give a temporary remote access to your web application. Before giving us access, you must have done backups B1, B2, B3, as our upgrade comes with no guarantees of data preservation in case of failure, and it is to you restoring the database and the web app in the previous state.  Buy the “remote setup” here:

http://www.twproject.com/licensing.page

In case the upgrade procedure fails, you will get a full refund of the remote setup.

Teamwork 4.0 released

Teamwork 4 about page
Teamwork's 4 "about" popup.

Download Teamwork 4. Today, 30th of January, 2009, Teamwork 4 is available for download. Get it here:

http://www.twproject.com/download.page

In the same page you can generate a 30 days evaluation license. The multi-platform installer includes an upgrader from version 3; you can buy both new and upgrade licenses here:

http://www.twproject.com/licensing.page

The base cost is 90 Euro per non-expiring license.

(If you live in a country where the currency is now particularly weak with respect to the Euro (e.g. Brazil), apply for a discount here. There are free licenses for blogger / journalist reviewers, as usual.)

See the introductory video and download the user guide here:

http://www.twproject.com/documentation.page

What we achieved. Producing Teamwork 4 was really difficult, because we had several aims that we wanted to pursue with this release:

  • get more integration between the different sections of Teamwork
  • expand project management functionality with resource management and business processes
  • create a “Teamwork talks” set of functionalities, so that Teamwork would natively interact with the various services which now are widely used to track one’s activity, from Google apps, to Twitter and Subversion
  • deeply revise the user interface, by:
    • keeping “embracing the web”, but empowering the basic url request – page display cycle with dynamical web parts that allow in place and multi-line editing
    • make it easier to reach information, through silently smart search functions and empowered dashboards  (see the future blog post on group ranking)

The last point was particularly intense, as we had to “absorb” the fact that the web itself is a source of user interface standards, and it has stopped trying to imitate other platforms.

User requests. Many of the changes and improvements came from recurring user requests: have an extended and printable user guide, interface translation in German and Spanish, in place task tree edit, Subversion integration, and many others. So post your requests on our feedback service, and you’ll see them realized with a little patience.

Features of version 4. How can a short blog post summarize Teamwork release 4? There is just too much, both conceptually and functionally. There is only one way to get to know Teamwork 4: see the intro video, download and install the application, give it a try, maybe have a look at the new user guide to get more in depth on the subjects that most interest you.

A very synthetic way of telling what’s new in version 4 is by using simply a tag cloud of the user guide contents:

Tag cloud of Teamwork 4 user guide
Tag cloud of Teamwork 4 user guide

Thanks. The team that produced Teamwork 4 is here:

http://www.twproject.com/staff.page

Thanks to all users of version 3 that provided feedback and special thanks to beta testers and translators. Have a good evaluation!

Teamwork’s new blog!

This blog is the continuation of this old one on Blogspot. As blogging has become an important mean of providing information and news on Teamwork and related methodologies and technologies, we moved the blog under Teamwork’s domain and began using a more powerful content manager (WordPress).

Now some of the more recent and relevant content from the old blog.

Teamwork 4 beta: Teamwork’s new release is available with free licenses for evaluation. The download links are:

Windows (94MB): http://dl.open-lab.com/Teamwork_4BETA_windows.exe

Linux (97MB): http://dl.open-lab.com/Teamwork_4BETA_unix.sh.bin

OSX (83MB): http://dl.open-lab.com/Teamwork_4BETA_macos.dmg

Here is an evaluation license:

# BEGIN TW4 ACTIVATION KEY – COPY FROM HERE ON
custCode=TW4BETAJAN12
expires=31/01/2009
licenses=20
enterprise=no
license=TGAP93VD211BEF2BEC79DAD1EF92WIBL059F7F0079732H5
# END ACTIVATION KEY – END COPY

What’s new:
– contains upgrade from version 3 (to be tested – do not upgrade production, only copies)
– a beta of a German translation
– fixed severe bug in working days “pushing” dates on tasks
– several minor bug fixes

Free licenses: we give free Teamwork 4 user licenses for reviewers.

From now on we will be giving out a free, non expiring 3-user Teamwork 4 license (worth 285 Euro) to any journalist/blogger who writes a public review of Teamwork 4 (typically a blog entry) regardless whether it is positive or not. In fact we’ll give you the license before you write the review: just send us a short blurb and we’ll send you the license.

Same if you are willing to do a demo of Teamwork 4 to an audience at a public event.

Free upgrades: everyone who bougth teamwork 3 after September 1st, 2008, will get a free upgrade to version 4.

Teamwork webcasts: the first of Teamwork webcast series is on line, and can be seen on Vimeo in high definition.It deals with Business processes integration.

This is the first of a series of webcasts in which Silvia Chelazzi and Pietro Polsinelli (two Teamwork developers) will talk about Teamwork, work and project management, and related tools and technologies. We plan to release a webcast about every two weeks. Notes on the first webcast are here, on the old blog.